D-D Breaux, retired LSU gymnastics coach who built the program from club to national power, shares stories from Donaldsonville and the bayou. She discusses the new documentary The Fighting Tiger. They talk community activism against industry harm, Title IX’s role in college sports, NIL’s evolution, and the challenges of building facilities and recruiting.
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Bayou Home Bought Out By Industry
D-D Breaux recounts how CF Industries built a fertilizer plant next to her childhood home, forcing her family and neighbors to relocate when emissions and explosions made living there unbearable.
Her family lost property value and was bought out; she and friends organized yard-sign protests and endured noisy nights while the town's businesses and theater declined.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Started LSU Gymnastics In A Field House Corner
D-D describes being contacted by LSU athletic director Carl Maddox and accepting a job that elevated gymnastics from club to varsity despite no facility, budget, or scholarships.
She trained athletes in a corner of the field house, converting a small intramural space into the program's first competitive home starting the 1978 season.
insights INSIGHT
Title IX Shifted Women's Recruiting And Training Rules
Title IX and NCAA rule changes shifted recruiting and payment rules for women's sports, making campus visits and training eligibility evolve over time.
D-D explains that before NCAA status athletes could pay their way to try out; after 1981 rules allowed paid campus visits but prohibited on-campus training observation.
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Episode 2768 - Vinnie Tortorich speaks with retired LSU gymnastics legend D-D Breaux and "The Fighting Tiger" documentary, building excellence, and living on the bayou. https://vinnietortorich.com/2026/02/building-excellence-d-d-breaux-episode-2768 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS Pure Vitamin Club Pure Coffee Club NSNG® Foods VILLA CAPPELLI EAT HAPPY KITCHEN YOU CAN WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE - @FitnessConfidential Podcast Vinnie's workout videos are available to purchase! Choose from a 2-day, 4-day, or 6-day workout–or buy all three at a discount! TO PURCHASE VINNIE'S WORKOUT VIDEOS, CLICK THIS LINK: https://vinnietortorich.com/workout Building Excellence SEC fans can dive into the fascinating story of LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux in the latest SEC Storied. The documentary is "The Fighting Tiger," and was created by filmmakers Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters. The nature of Donaldsonville bayou names and nicknames. (2:00) ESPN and the SEC Network are running a show about LSU and D-D Breaux's illustrious career. (6:30) D-D wants to encourage others give back to the community she grew up in. (13:00) They share memories from their hometown and what a vibrant community it once was before a certain industrial plant moved in. Vinnie has admired D-D and her career for years. (24:00) How did D-D get involved with Louisiana State University (LSU)? (30:00) There was minimal equipment and resources to start. When she started, gymnastics was treated as an intramural club sport. Title 9 helped improve some of that. They discuss how funding has affected college recruitment. (43:00) NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness and refers to how a college student earns money and is controlled by being a "brand." There are many instances where it works well, but it has evolved into something much larger. They discuss some of the ESPN documentary about D-D's career, "The Fighting Tiger." D-D discusses the progression of her career and how she has worked and been grateful for its growth. She is now "retired", but only kind of. (1:07:00) Did you miss it?: The NSNG® VIP group closed, but you can get onto the waitlist for next time by signing up at https://www.nsngvip.com/join. A New Sponsor Jaspr Air Scrubbers has a discount code, VINNIE, that gets you $300 off for a limited time. Jaspr offers a lifetime warranty. Go to Jaspr.co for more information or to purchase. (1:05:00) You can book a consultation with Vinnie to get guidance on your goals. https://vinnietortorich.com/phone-consultation-2/ More News Serena has added some of her clothing suggestions and beauty product suggestions to Vinnie's Amazon Recommended Products link. Self Care, Beauty, and Grooming Products that Actually Work! https://www.amazon.com/shop/vinnietortorich/list/3GPVU29UHHPMY?ref_=aipsflist Don't forget to check out Serena Scott Thomas on Days of Our Lives on the Peacock channel. "Dirty Keto" is available on Amazon! You can purchase or rent it here.https://amzn.to/4d9agj1 Please make sure to watch, rate, and review it! Eat Happy Italian, Anna's next cookbook, is available! You can go to https://eathappyitalian.com You can order it from Vinnie's Book Club. https://amzn.to/3ucIXm Anna's recipes are in her cookbooks, on her website, and on Substack —they will spice up your day! https://annavocino.substack.com/ PURCHASE DIRTY KETO (2024) The documentary launched in August 2024! Order it TODAY! This is Vinnie's fourth documentary in just over five years. Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries Then, please share my fact-based, health-focused documentary series with your friends and family. Additionally, the more views it receives, the better it ranks, so please watch it again with a new friend! REVIEWS: Please submit your REVIEW after you watch my films. Your positive REVIEW does matter! PURCHASE BEYOND IMPOSSIBLE (2022) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries FAT: A DOCUMENTARY 2 (2021) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries FAT: A DOCUMENTARY (2019) Visit my new Documentaries HQ to find my films everywhere: https://vinnietortorich.com/documentaries
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