Best Coach Ab Amanda Schaefer Podcasts (2025)

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088: Freedom to Fail: Creating Champions Through Mental Performance with Ellie Cooper, MPM 42:39

6d ago42:39

42:39

In this week's episode, I interviewed Ellie Cooper, a former Florida State University (FSU) softball player and the Director of Player Performance for FSU's softball team. She shared her experiences from struggling college freshman to mental performance coach and how the mental game transformed her athletic career and coaching philosophy. Episode H…

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087: How Mental Health Intersects with Mental Performance with Alex Hinger, LMHP 30:02

13d ago30:02

30:02

May is Mental Health Awareness Month: In this week's episode, I share a parent workshop from 2023 with Alex (Madsen) Hinger, LMHP. We discussed the importance of mental health on and off the field for players and parents! Episode Highlights: • Breathing techniques provide immediate anxiety regulation • Reframing thoughts provides productive thinkin…

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086: Why Waiting to Give Her Mental Skills is Prolonging Her Frustration (and yours as a parent!) 38:48

20d ago38:48

38:48

Are you considering joining the Fearless Warrior Program? Then this week's episode is for you! I invited a few of our Fearless Parents to come and share the good, the bad, the skepticism, and all their doubts they had when first discovering Fearless. They share how the program helped their daughters both on and off the field and how much it helped …

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The #1 Softball Specific Mental Skills Training Resource 23:52

21d ago23:52

23:52

What is the Fearless Warrior Program anyway? Tune in to find out more! https://www.fearlesswarriorprogram.com/join More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program Book a One on One Session for your Athlete Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization Follow us on So…

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085: Parent Questions Answered: Is HS ball worth it? What to do if coaches have favorites? How to help with nerves? And More! 51:04

1M ago51:04

51:04

Coach Kara and I answer burning questions from parents about mindset challenges in sports. We discussed practical strategies to tackle common issues, from balancing coaching and parenting roles to managing game-day nervousness. • Mental skills training is preventative care, not a reactive solution • Controlling the controllable when facing frustrat…

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084: How Nutrition Can Get You to the Next Level with Brooke Miller, RD, CLC 35:41

1M ago35:41

35:41

Brooke Miller, a dietitian and former college softball pitcher, gives us the lowdown on how to take care of our bodies as athletes. She shares insights on athletic performance nutrition, the importance of fueling for success, and navigating identity transitions beyond sports. Episode Highlights: • Proper nutrition directly affects energy, brain fun…

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083: How I Use Mental Skills to Fuel My Fitness Journey - Featured on The Real Life Runners Podcast with Angie Brown 1:03:20

2M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

This week, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my fitness journey. I recently had a great conversation with my friend, Dr. Angie Brown, DPT, on her Real Life Runners podcast, where I explored how I utilize mental skills in the gym and the significant impact it's had on my approach to exercise as a busy mom and entrepreneur. Episode Highlights: • Fo…

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082: How Megan Faraimo Used Self-Talk to Propel Her Softball Career 29:47

2M ago29:47

29:47

Megan Faraimo, a professional softball pitcher for the Toyota Red Terriers in Japan and Team USA silver medalist, shared her journey with our Warriors in our October 2024 Mentorship Call. She provides powerful insights into how mental skills have shaped her successful career despite facing continued challenges at every level. Episode Highlights: • …

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081: How to Start the Recruiting Process and Stand Out to College Coaches with Coach Carter 33:41

2M ago33:41

33:41

We are re-airing a parent workshop with Coach Ashley Carter for this week's episode! She is a hitting coach for D1 Hampton University and a mental performance coach. She gives us the inside scoop on what she looks for in a collegiate athlete and answers questions about the college recruiting process. Episode Highlights: • Steps in the recruiting ti…

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080: Why Finding the Right Fit Matters More Than Division with Maleah Andrews 30:09

2M ago30:09

30:09

We are airing our Mentorship Call from last week with Maleah Andrews! She is a college softball standout who shares her journey from multi-sport high school athlete to record-breaking infielder and batter at Western Washington University. Episode Highlights: • Playing multiple sports develops skills that transfer between games • Communication matte…

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079: When Mental Skills Become Your Secret Weapon as a Coach with Lindsey Wilson 39:42

3M ago39:42

39:42

For this week's episode, I interviewed Lindsey Wilson, a former collegiate and professional basketball player turned mental performance coach! She gave us insight into her 20-year career and the impact mental skills training had on her athletics and beyond. Episode Highlights: • Practice concrete, actionable mental tools rather than vague concepts …

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078: How to Level Up Your Team with Mental Performance 44:14

3M ago44:14

44:14

For this week's episode, Coach Kara and I provide an overview of our first in-person mental skills camp! Mental skills training is transforming softball, giving players the tools they need to handle the mental challenges of the game without their gloves or bats. During the camp, we had stations that covered how to catch negative thoughts, develop b…

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077: Inside the Omaha Stockmen’s Dynasty: How Mental Performance Fueled a 4-Peat 37:03

3M ago37:03

37:03

For this week's episode, I host the Mather brothers and discuss their journey with the Omaha Stockmen. We dissect how mental skills strategies lead to enhanced gameplay and improved team cohesion. We discussed how these strategies helped pave the way for a 4th championship title. Episode Highlights: • The importance of mental performance coaching i…

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076: How to Have a Hard Conversation with Your Daughter 43:01

3M ago43:01

43:01

For this week's episode, I'm sharing a parent workshop I hosted during a previous Mental Skills Challenge Week! I dive into the vital need for effective communication between parents and young athletes. Focusing on tools and strategies that foster emotional safety, I provide insights on navigating tough conversations and building lasting connection…

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075: The Journey of a Small-Town Athlete to College Softball with Kelsey Gaston 43:17

3M ago43:17

43:17

For this week's episode I got the opportunity to interview my former teammate and friend, Kelsey Gaston! Kelsey and I were teammates at Concordia University where she played in the infield. After graduating, Kelsey went on to go to PT school and is now a practicing physical therapist. Kelsey’s journey from competitive athlete to a fulfilled physica…

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074: What It Takes to Be a College Athlete with Bella Norton 32:47

4M ago32:47

32:47

We've got another archive Guest Speaker call we are sharing with you today! In 2020 Bella Norton a catcher for the University of Indiana came and shared her story with our warriors. Her story highlights the significance of mental resilience and teamwork in sports. Through her struggles and triumphs, Bella teaches that identity is rooted in characte…

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073: Embracing Your Identity Beyond Softball with McKenzie Long 34:38

4M ago34:38

34:38

We reached way back to 2020 in our guest speaker files to share this awesome conversation with former Michigan State Spartan, McKenzie Long. In this episode, Kenzie shares her journey of identity transformation after serious injuries sidelined her athletic career at Michigan State. Through challenges, faith, and community support, she shares how sh…

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072: Mindset Myths Busted: Why I Don't Use the Term "Mental Toughness" 18:42

4M ago18:42

18:42

This is the 5th installment in our "Mindset Myths" series. Today, I challenge the popular notion of "mental toughness," asserting that it often leads to emotional suppression and unrealistic expectations in athletes. I also share with you what term I use instead, and my reasoning around that decision. Episode Highlights: • Why I don't use the word …

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071: Mindset Myths Busted: Stop Telling Your Athletes to Visualize Success 9:02

4M ago9:02

9:02

On today's episode we bust the myth that our athletes need to "visualize success." We discuss the varying abilities of athletes to visualize, the importance of tailoring techniques to individual learning styles, and how coaches can better prepare their teams. Episode Highlights: • Debunking the myth about instant visualization success • Comparing t…

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070: [Re-release] Getting the Most out of Your Team and Leading with Joy with Coach Shelly Mowinkel, Milford Softball 51:44

5M ago51:44

51:44

Today we are re-releasing our conversation with Shelly Mowinkel, Milford Softball Head Coach. We discuss building strong relationships with athletes, integrating mindset training, and fostering a culture of accountability and support within a high school sports program. Episode Highlights: • Joy as a core value in coaching • Integrating mental perf…

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069: Mindset Myths Busted: Why Mantras Don't work 10:37

5M ago10:37

10:37

This episode is the next installment of our "Mindset Myths Busted" series. Today I bust the myth that mantras alone are effective tools for building confidence. I discuss how superficial affirmations often fall short and teach you what to say instead. Episode Highlights: • Exploring the concept and limitations of mantras • The 'dirty jersey' analog…

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068: Mindset Myths Busted: There's No Such Thing as a "Good" or "Bad" Emotion 10:40

6M ago10:40

10:40

Today's episode is the second installment in our "Myths Busted" series. Today we tackle the myth that there are "good" and "bad" emotions. In this episode, we explore how emotions are merely responses to situations and why suppressing them might just be the quickest way to amplify them. Drawing from insights shared our recent Confidence Camp, we ex…

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067: Mindset Myths Busted: Confidence is NOT a feeling 7:27

6M ago7:27

7:27

Today's episode is the first installment in our "Myths Busted" series. Today we tackle the myth that "confidence is a feeling". In this episode I discuss why treating confidence as a mere emotion can lead to self-doubt and learn how to nurture genuine confidence through preparation and action. We explore how athletes can build a resilient mindset t…

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06 How to Build Your Child's Confidence as a Parent - Featured on The Mindset Advantage Podcast with DJ Hillier 58:11

6M ago58:11

58:11

Today's episode is an interview I did with DJ Hillier on his podcast, The Mindset Advantage Podcast. In our conversation, we talk all about how to have conversations with young athletes that will help them increase in confidence. We talk about real-life advice for how to navigate conversations with teenagers, from the car ride home to coaching in t…

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065: How Team Mental Skills Training Paid Off For Blair Softball with Head Coach Jennifer Fangmeier 31:57

6M ago31:57

31:57

Jennifer Fangmeier is the head softball coach at Blair High School in Nebraska. As a coach, she has focused on intentionally building a culture that fosters unity and success and has done that by keeping her program athlete focused. In our episode today, she talks about how fostering mentorship relationships between her athletes as well as prioriti…

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064: Not Taking "No" For an Answer and Chasing Your Dreams with Lerin Lockwood of Lion Latch 39:56

6M ago39:56

39:56

Lerin Lockwood is the founder and creator of Lion Latch, a product that provides secure storage for small valuables like jewelry and rings. After ruining her engagement ring coaching softball, she was inspired to create a place to store and protect jewelry for athletes. On today's episdoe, she shares about grit, determination, and never taking "No"…

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063: Not Making the Lineup to Two-Time All American: Bailey Landry Domangue's Story 42:12

7M ago42:12

42:12

Bailey Landry Domangue is a two-time All-American former LSU softball player. She lead her team to 3 World Series appearances as a Tiger and has the record for career hits at LSU. After college she went on to play professionally for three years. Now she is a wife and mother and advocates for topics that she feels passionately about. Our conversatio…

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062: Three Ways You've Been Giving Your Power Away and How to Get it Back with Coach AB 34:05

7M ago34:05

34:05

Today's episode is a recording of a recent keynote presentation Coach AB gave for a career day at Milford High School in Nebraska. In it, she explores ways that all people, athletes and non-athletes alike may be giving away their power and how to reclaim it. She shares stories of her own journey to founding Fearless Fastpitch as well as inspiring s…

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061: Bringing a Resilient Mindset in New Environments with Sydney Stewart 28:19

7M ago28:19

28:19

For this week's episode, we are sharing the guest speaker call with Sydney Stewart! Sydney is a current collegiate softball player, who started her career at the University of Washington. While at UW, she made an immediate impact as a freshman, starting 44 games at catcher. This summer, she transferred to the University of Arizona where she will re…

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060: How to "Embrace the Suck" with Ellè Nelson 43:41

7M ago43:41

43:41

Ellè Nelson is a mental performance coach and a former collegiate soccer player. She currently lives in London, working as a mental performance specialist for Charlton Athletic Football Club. She's used her own experience as an elite athlete in high performance environments to guide her work with individuals and teams. In our conversation today, we…

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059: How to Redefine Success Beyond Statistics with Janie Reed 27:16

8M ago27:16

27:16

Today, we are sharing our Guest Speaker conversation with Janie Reed from June of 2020. Janie played her collegiate softball at Oregon where she earned all Pac-12 and All-American honors. After college, she represented the USA at the 2020 olympics where she helped Team USA win silver. In our conversation, Janie talks about dealing with the disappoi…

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58: The Journey From JUCO to Division 1 Softball with Allie Helton 27:11

8M ago27:11

27:11

Today on the pod, we are re-releasing our Guest Speaker conversation with UNO softball player, Allie Helton. Allie shares her story about what the transition was like going from a JUCO to a Division 1 school and how visualization helped her succeed. She opens up about the emotional and physical challenges she faced, from adhering to stricter guidel…

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057: What it Means to "Live Yes, And" with Travis Thomas 39:05

8M ago39:05

39:05

Over the past 25 years, Travis Thomas transformed a career in improvisational comedy to becoming one of the top keynote speakers in the industry. He went from living the improv principles of “Yes, And” on stage, to inspiring elite leaders, professional athletes, and working his way to the World Cup as a leadership and mental skills coach. He has si…

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056: How the Fearless Warrior Program Helped the Transition to College Ball with Abi Brown 25:36

8M ago25:36

25:36

Today we are re-airing our Live Guest Speaker Event from August with Abi Brown. Abi is a Division I softball player at the University of South Dakota and alumni of the Fearless Warrior Program. Abby opens up about the highs and lows of her transition from high school to college, sharing how essential mental performance tools helped her overcome ini…

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055: In Your Shoes: Fearless Parents Share Why Mental Skills Training Was Exactly What Their Athletes Needed (Part 1) 29:31

9M ago29:31

29:31

Are you considering joining the Fearless Warrior Program? Then this week's episodes are for you! I invited a few of our Fearless Parents to come and share the good, the bad, the skepticism, and all their doubts they had when first discovering Fearless. They share how the program helped their daughters both on and off the field and how much it helpe…

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055: In Your Shoes: Fearless Parents Share Why Mental Skills Training Was Exactly What Their Athletes Needed (Part 2) 30:15

9M ago30:15

30:15

Are you considering joining the Fearless Warrior Program? Then this week's episodes are for you! I invited a few of our Fearless Parents to come and share the good, the bad, the skepticism, and all their doubts they had when first discovering Fearless. They share how the program helped their daughters both on and off the field and how much it helpe…

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054: Uncovering the Truth About Mental Performance Coaching - with 5 Top Mental Performance Coaches 1:16:43

9M ago1:16:43

1:16:43

I am so excited for today's episode! I recently had the opportunity to organize a retreat with 5 Mental Performance coaches who are as passionate as I am about growing the mental game. We decided to hit record around our morning coffee and chat about all things mental performance. From getting on our soap boxes about why every athlete needs a menta…

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53:[RE-RELEASE] Becoming a Better Coach Through Mental Performance, How to "Push the Rock" with Brian Cain, MPM 32:29

9M ago32:29

32:29

Brian Cain is the creator of the mental performance mastery, the MPM coaching certification, 30 days to MPM for athletes program. He is a best-selling author, speaker and consultant. He's a number one international best-selling author and highly sought after speaker and mental performance coach and is regarded as the world's foremost authority on m…

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52: [RE-RELEASE] What is Mental Performance and How to "Hunt the Good" with Hannah Huesman, MS, CMPC 46:34

9M ago46:34

46:34

To celebrate one year of the Fearless Warrior Podcast, we are re-releasing our all time most popular episode! Today we are going all the way back to our very first episode about how to "hunt the good" with Hannah Huesman. Hannah is currently the mental performance coordinator for the Texas Rangers organization. She also travels for speaking engagem…

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051: [RE-RELEASE] You are More Than Your Sport, Not Letting the Negative Voice Win with Jordy Bahl 39:23

10M ago39:23

39:23

To celebrate one year of the Fearless Warrior Podcast, we are re-releasing our all time most popular episode! This recording is from our LIVE in-person Guest Speaker Event we did at our Fearless Warrior Retreat last year. Jordy shares so much of her personal struggles and insights, even if you already listened once, it's worth another listen! Episo…

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050: Raising a Competitive Child with a Balance of Joy and Discipline Featuring My Mom 25:43

10M ago25:43

25:43

What if the secret to raising successful athletes lies not in rigorous training, but in unconditional support and a balance of joy and discipline? This week, we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Fearless Warrior podcast with my most special guest yet—my mother, Lisa Beeson. She takes us on a nostalgic journey from my early days on the "Pink…

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049: [Live] Shining Light on Our Struggles with College Panel Jordy, Abbie, Lauren and Hannah 48:08

10M ago48:08

48:08

Our episode this week is the live recording of our College Panel from the Fearless Warrior retreat. We asked 4 current Nebraska Cornhuskers to share with us about the mental aspects of being a collegiate softball player. They shared their mental and physical struggles and gave us an inside look at how mental skills have helped them navigate the inc…

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048: What College Coaches are Looking For with Hall of Fame Coach, Leslie Huntington 44:37

10M ago44:37

44:37

On today's episode, we had the honor of having a conversation with Hall of Fame Coach Leslie Huntington. Leslie has been the head coach for the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire softball team for 24 years. She is the program's all-time wins leader and lead the team to their first National Championship in 2008. In our episode today, she gives a ins…

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047: Playing Under Pressure with Ruby Meylan 30:08

10M ago30:08

30:08

Ruby Meylan was a guest speaker for our Warrior Members this past week. Ruby started out her collegiate softball career playing for the University of Washington Huskies. She was a stand-out pitcher for them, earning All Pac-12 as well as All-American honors in her freshman year. This summer, Ruby announced that she will be transferring to Oklahoma …

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046: Routines of an Olympian with Ali Aguilar 29:04

11M ago29:04

29:04

This week, we are re-airing a guest speaker zoom call with University of Washington Alum Ali Aguilar. Ali is a professional softball player with the USSSA Pride and a silver medalist with Team USA. Learn how early experiences in travel ball and the pressures of recruitment shaped her path, culminating in a mindset shift that propelled her to the 20…

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045: Raise Your Kids to Be Okay With People Not Liking Them with Amber Brueseke 38:55

11M ago38:55

38:55

On this week's episode, we are sharing a conversation I had on another podcast, Biceps After Babies Radio with host Amber Brueseke. Amber is a registered nurse, personal trainer, Macros Coach and mom of 4. In our conversation we discuss how we can raise children with high confidence and why that matters. Episode Highlights Where confidence comes fr…

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044: Marathon Mindset and Applying Mental Skills Beyond Sports with Carly Musser 50:54

11M ago50:54

50:54

Today on the Podcast I got to interview Carley Musser who is a mental performance coach inside Fearless Warriors. Carley went to WVU, where she studied sport and exercise psychology. She then went on to earn her Master's Degree in sport, exercise, and performance psychology from Barry University. She has her own practice, CM Mental Performance, and…

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043: Finding Purpose After a Career-Ending Injury with Kelsey O'Connor 54:10

11M ago54:10

54:10

Kelsey O'Connor is a motivational speaker, former D1 student athlete and a recent social work graduate from North Carolina state university. After recovering from a head injury that abruptly ended her athletic career. Kelsey graduated and delivered a commencement speech that went viral on Tik Tok and Facebook with over 30 million views across platf…

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042: From College Triumphs to Olympic Challenges with Dejah Mulipola 29:15

12M ago29:15

29:15

We were lucky enough to have Dejah Mulipola as a guest speaker for our Warriors in November of 2023, and we decided to share our conversation with her on the podcast this week! Dejah was a 2 time All-American catcher at Arizona University and currently plays professionally for the Oklahoma City Spark. She was on Team USA when they won the silver me…

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041: How Taryn Kern's Mental Preparation is Paying Off in the WCWS 31:04

12M ago31:04

31:04

Our episode this week features a guest speaker interview we did in August of 2023 with Taryn Kern. Taryn was a standout freshman player for Indiana University in 2023 and helped lead her team to one of the best seasons in program history, including a deep run in the Women's College World Series. When we spoke to her, she had just transferred to Sta…

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