The Freshman Foundation® Podcast

How is former Division I basketball player Tonya Sims using her experiences to help young players navigate the recruiting process today? The college sports recruiting process has changed drastically over the past 20 years, most notably through the use of technology and social media. Athletes today are challenged with using the resources at their disposal to create a clear and compelling brand for...

How did MLB Top 50 draft pick Matt Mikulski go from Fordham University to the big leagues? There is a tremendous amount of talent at all levels of baseball. You don’t need to be a Division I player in a top conference, such as the ACC or SEC, to be noticed and ultimately, drafted to play professionally.  My guest on this episode, Matt Mikulski, is a perfect example of this. He was recruited by For...

How do college student-athletes find their way academically in their freshman year? Athletic departments across America have academic success teams that focus on bringing a vast array of resources to incoming freshmen in order to make their transition to as college seamless as possible.  Divine Franklin is that person for Clemson University’s football program, one of the two most successful progra...

How is Erica Suter helping young female athletes get strong on and off the field? My guest on Episode 16 of The Freshman Foundation Podcast is Erica Suter, a former college soccer All-American and innovative strength and conditioning coach. Erica shares her passion for teaching young females the fundamentals of physical movement. Erica’s coaching practice emphasizes the importance of functional mo...

How did Darryll Stinson find his true purpose after college football?⁠ ⁠The Freshman Foundation Podcast is back with guest Darryll Stinson, former Division I football player, mentor, speaker, and suicide survivor. ⁠⁠ Darryll talks about how he lost himself in the quest to be a professional athlete and how he found a new purpose in life after football. ⁠ It wasn't until Darryll learned the power of...

Bill Burke on Beating Tom Brady, Playing for Nick Saban, and Learning Life Lessons Under Center Quarterback is probably the single most important and difficult single position in team sports. The position demands athleticism, intelligence, poise, and elite decision-making skills. Those who excel at the position must be truly gifted and even so, it is not a guarantee of a professional career. My gu...

In Episode 14, Mike talks with Casey Jacox. Casey is a father, a husband, a friend, a coach, an author, and a business leader who strives to lead by example through authenticity, vulnerability, and positivity. Casey was also starting quarterback at Central Washington University, the school that produced 17-year NFL quarterback Jon Kitna. Casey opens up about his challenges as a college athlete, sp...

🤝 CONNECT WITH MIKE HUBER 🧠 10-Day "Level Up Your Mental Game" Challenge 📩 Free mental performance insights for athletes, parents, and coaches 🌐 Michael Huber's Website

In Episode 12, Mike talks to Vanessa Shannon, Director of Mental Performance for the University of Louisville Athletic Department and Norton Sports Health since October 2015. Prior to moving to Louisville, Dr. Shannon spent two years at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. While at IMG, Dr. Shannon served as the Mental Conditioning Coach for the Girls’ Soccer and Basketball programs, coordinated Psycholo...

Episode 11 features four very impressive high school baseball players that discuss their respective journeys through the college recruiting process. Each had unique experiences, but all shared the support of player management company College Sports Advisors throughout their recruitment.  Chase Barley is a senior at Clarkstown North HS in Rockland County, NY. A left-handed pitcher, Chase is committ...

Jan Cocozziello is the Head Basketball Coach at Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ. “Joe’s” is one of the most storied high school programs in New Jersey producing NBA first-round draft picks Andrew Bynum, Jay Williams, Karl Anthony Towns, and Wade Baldwin. Jan was a four-year letter winner at Hartwick College, where he led his team to an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship a...

BJ Merriam is Co-Founder of Win The Mental Game. The Athlete’s Edge Journal was created by BJ and his partner Jonathan Smith as a self-development and empowerment tool that can provide athletes with the intangibles that cannot be found in training alone. Win The Mental Game’s mission is to help performers to increase their mental toughness through the power of positive psychology and goal setting....

🤝 CONNECT WITH MIKE HUBER 🧠 10-Day "Level Up Your Mental Game" Challenge 📩 Free mental performance insights for athletes, parents, and coaches 🌐 Michael Huber's Website

Elliot Glynn is in his second season with the Fordham University baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Elliot joined Fordham’s baseball program after five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Hartford, where he assisted with recruiting, oversaw Hartford's pitching staff, and helped the Hawks break a handful of records during his time with the team....

In Episode 06, Mike talks to Mark DeSalvo and Sam Sharf, co-founders of College Sports Advisors, a New Jersey-based player management company that focuses solely on helping high school athletes achieve their dream of securing a college scholarship.  Mark serves as Director of Business Operations. He has been intimately involved in sports recruiting for the last six years guiding his sons, friends,...

Mark is Head of US Delivery for EPIC Risk Management, a UK-based organization focused on helping prevent gambling-related harm. Mark was a professional Rugby Union player from 1999 to 2011, playing in the UK and Ireland until a twelve-year gambling disorder eventually ruined his sports career. Mark's lived experience and powerful story of overcoming addiction demand an audience's attention and equ...

Lindsey Hamilton is the Head of Mental Conditioning at IMG Academy where she leads, develops, and facilitates a team of 12 mental conditioning coaches that oversees the mental skills development of over 1,100 middle school and high school aged student-athletes across eight sports. She also leads the IMG Institute through developing and delivering high performance mindset training to executive leve...

Adam Boucher is a mental performance coaching client of Mike Huber and currently a freshman pitcher on the Duke University baseball team. Adam was a four-year letterwinner at Saint Joseph High School in Metuchen, NJ and a top 10 baseball prospect in the state of New Jersey. He received multiple accolades following an impressive junior season, including garnering both 2019 All-Division honors and a...

The Freshman Foundation Podcast is the creation of Mike Huber, who has a deep curiosity about the transition from high school to college athletics based upon his experience in working with young athletes. Mike talks to an array of successful athletes, respected coaches, and mental performance experts to discuss their perspectives on the very big leap to college athletics. The primary goal of the p...