The Freshman Foundation® Podcast

How is Beth Jessop helping families navigate the youth sports learning curve? One research organization has projected that the youth sports market in the United States will reach $78 billion by 2026. Even the most idealistic person would have difficulty denying that youth sports is big business. So, how does the average American family navigate this landscape? My guest on this episode, Beth Jessop...

How is Barb Smith helping female athletes develop the “armor” necessary to succeed in the recruiting process? Navigating the college recruiting process has become extremely challenging in an ever changing landscape. Technology, social pressure, and financial considerations are all critical influences that make recruiting very stressful. My guest on this episode, Barb Smith, is a former Division I...

How has Evan Burk developed the intangibles to create the coaching career of his dreams? Humans are results-oriented creatures, plain and simple. Ironically, the most successful people develop the resilience to keep going when the road to achieving their goals is paved with obstacles. Character and mindset are often as important as natural ability when pursuing athletic success. My guest in this e...

How has former D1 quarterback Alex Demczak gone "all-in" on a life of entrepreneurship? Athletics teaches many lessons, some of them are quite hard. Athletes take emotional and physical risks that lead to disappointment and often injury. However, the beauty of being an athlete is that we learn how to endure unwanted results and grow from our failures. This is probably why so many prominent athlete...

How is Rachael Jankowsky-French helping Chicago Fire FC put the person first in the player-development process? In my practice, I strive to put the person ahead of the performer. My primary responsibility is to help young athletes improve their mental skills for the purpose of performing better. However, if I don’t show that I care about them as a human being first, then it will be hard to get the...

How is Eric D’Agati busting myths about physical training for young athletes? It is extremely common for young athletes to engage in strength training to enhance their athletic performance. Many athletes start training in their early teens to develop strength, speed, and endurance. However, it is also common for those athletes to receive misleading or substandard instruction, which leads to poor h...

How is Laurence Halsted passing on lessons of self-compassion to young athletes? In my work with young athletes, one of the most consistent themes is perfectionism. Perfectionism is a spectrum and each individual moves along that continuum. I find that young athletes have very low tolerance for mistakes. The word “should” is very common in a young athlete’s vocabulary. My guest in this episode, La...

How is Jon Torine passing on the wisdom of his legendary coaching mentors? Coaching, much like parenting, has a deep influence on young people. Many of us learn how to coach from those who coached us. Unfortunately, not everyone has ideal coaching role models. Coaching lessons that are passed down generationally can have significant influence - positive or negative - on young athletes. It is criti...

How does Jake Boss help his players develop the invaluable skill of empathy? Unfortunately, most people equate effective coaching with technical knowledge. We assume that coaches that played at the highest level are the best coaches. Nothing could be further from the truth. Coaching is an art form. The best coaches have the ability to communicate honestly and deliver instruction that sticks. My gu...

How does John Lannan help professional baseball players get to where they want to go by meeting them where they are at? Mental performance coaching is a delicate balance of art and science. While there are evidence-based strategies that have been proven effective, those same strategies must be tailored to the needs of each person. Understanding what makes athletes tick is often the secret sauce he...

How has trusting the process allowed Ryan Lasko to get better on and off the baseball field? Let’s be realistic - baseball is a results-oriented sport. It’s easy for baseball players to jump on a roller coaster of emotions depending on how they perform. However, the most successful baseball players understand that focusing on “controlling the controllables” will allow for maximum development and c...

How is Kellen Lee Helping Professional Baseball Players To Optimize Their Attention For Success? Most baseball players admit that their sport is a mental battle that is constantly fought in the six inches between their ears. That applies at all levels of competitive baseball. However, the stakes are much different at the professional level. Pressure, distraction, and comparisons are significantly...

What are Dr. Travis Dorsch’s best principles for youth sport parenting? Like you, I am a youth sports parent. Even the most enlightened parent can have a difficult time doing the right things for their kids when it comes to sports. All of us want the best for our children, but sometimes our actions don’t exactly align with our intentions because emotions get in the way. My guest on this episode, T...

How is Phil Darke helping young athletes become leaders on and off the field? Anyone with children knows that being a sports parent is hard. A very delicate dance takes place between a parent and a child when it comes to athletics. Parents must constantly weigh pushing a young athlete to challenge themselves with the potential consequences of becoming over involved. My guest on this episode, Phil...

How does Josie Nicholson help Ole Miss student-athletes be better than just okay? Athletes who engage sport psychologists do so for many reasons. Sometimes they are seeking to improve their performance. Sometimes they are just looking to talk about everything but their sport. Regardless, the biggest misconception is that athletes that seek help from a sport psychologist need to fix something. My g...

How does @michaelvhuber help young athletes to be their best? I started the @freshmanfoundation podcast with the hope of shedding light on the mental and emotional challenges associated with the transition from high school to college sports through the eyes of others. From day one, this podcast has been about learning from others in hopes of understanding the difficult transition better. However,...

How is performance coach Gena Bradshaw walking the walk in training young athletes to be their best? For some athletes, developing their health and fitness are a necessary evil that comes with the task of playing competitive sports. However, for others, it is a core value that permeates every aspect of their lives.  My guest on this episode, Gena Bradshaw, is a two-time cancer survivor, former col...

What drives former D1 and Olympic swimmer David Karasek to help performers make their dreams come true? Many athletes have big goals and aspirations. However, it is not as common for those athletes to align their thoughts, feelings, and actions with those dreams. One of the roles of mental performance coaches is to help athletes perform at their optimal level by helping them to develop strategies...

How did Brown University women’s basketball player Charlee Arthur control the controllables in her college recruiting process? The college recruiting process can be extremely stressful under normal circumstances. However, over the last year and a half, high school student-athletes have faced the very unique challenges associated with COVID.  My guest on this episode, Charlee Arthur, is one of thos...

How is Andrew Petcash leveraging his athletic experiences to disrupt the sports technology industry? College athletes often struggle to accept life after sport because a big part of their identity is lost. Finding purpose after college sports can be a huge challenge. However, athletes that apply their passions in a creative and entrepreneurial way go on to earn professional success. My guest on th...

Who is Averee Dovsek and Why She is a Role Model to Student-Athletes? Many young people look up to college and professional athletes strictly because of their performance. However, they often know very little about the person behind the performer.  My guest on this episode, Averee Dovsek, is a Division I golfer at Hofstra University. Perhaps more importantly, she is a flat out hustler. Averee is a...

How is Carrie Jackson helping athletes build the mental skills necessary to rebound from injuries? Unfortunately, injuries are a part of the athletic experience. Many athletes go to great lengths to recover physically after a serious injury. However, the psychological recovery from injury may be more elusive. My guest on this episode, Carrie Jackson, is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant an...

How has Noah Luskus used a growth mindset to become a nationally ranked collegiate Spikeball athlete? Many high school athletes retire from competitive sport before entering college simply because they are forced to do so.  However, my guest on Episode 22, Noah Luskus chose to forego swimming competitively in college. Instead, Noah enrolled at his dream school, the University of Georgia as a stude...

How have Rachel McMahon's athletic experiences led her to co-found a startup company with the mission of changing the mental game for athletes? Finding purpose in your experiences can be critical to life after sport. However, those that find purpose beyond athletics often move on to leverage their competitiveness and drive to build successful professional lives. My guest on this episode, Rachel Mc...

How has former professional baseball player AJ Murray used persistence to achieve success on and off the field? Even the most decorated athletes can struggle when transitioning upward to higher levels of sport. Often, an athlete that is a “big fish in a small pond” in high school can become one of many when arriving at the collegiate or professional level. My guest on this episode, AJ Murray, was...