The Gametime Guru

Frédéric Guitton: How iTarget Golf Is Gamifying the Future of Driving Ranges What if the driving range became more than just a place to hit a bucket of golf balls? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , Shane Larson sits down with Frédéric Guitton , Chief Revenue Officer of iTarget Golf , to talk about golf technology, driving range innovation, sports business, and how gamification is chan...

Andrew Mendel: 20-Year-Old Head Coach and Ithaca College Football Player In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , Shane Larson sits down with Andrew Mendel , one of the most unique guests we have had on the show. Andrew is a current college football player at Ithaca College , where he plays defensive end, and he is also the head boys basketball coach at Newfield High School in Newfield, New...

Jake O'Neil: From Fruitland, Idaho to Professional Basketball Overseas How does a small-town athlete from Fruitland, Idaho go from motocross, golf, and no major basketball recruiting spotlight to playing professional basketball overseas? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , Shane Larson sits down with Jake O'Neil , a professional basketball player whose journey is anything but ordinary....

Athletes train their bodies every day, but how often do they train their minds? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I sit down with Tyra Rickman , former collegiate basketball player, counselor, coach, and founder of Rickman Health and Wellness , to talk about one of the most important topics in sports today: athlete mental health . Tyra played college basketball at the College of Idaho...

What can soccer teach us about becoming better leaders? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I sit down with Winsor Jenkins , author, leadership development coach, and expert in collaborative leadership , team development , and organizational development . Winsor has spent decades helping leaders and teams grow, and in this conversation, we dive into why so many organizations struggle wi...

What does it take to build a winning basketball program? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I sit down with Blaine Wright , head coach of the Columbia High School Boys Basketball program in Nampa, Idaho, for a powerful conversation on leadership, culture, accountability, and building something bigger than basketball. Coach Wright shares how Columbia Basketball has created a culture cen...

What does it really mean to train your mind like you train your body? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I'm joined by Vera Jo Bustos , also known as Coach VJ , a mental performance coach, keynote speaker, former professional basketball player, and former college basketball coach. Vera Jo brings a powerful perspective on confidence, pressure, performance anxiety, self-talk, and the men...

In this episode of The Gametime Guru , I sit down with Todd Smith , author of Relegated , to break down one of the most fascinating systems in global sports: promotion and relegation in English soccer. As an American sports fan, I've always been intrigued by the idea that a team can lose its place in the top league based on performance. In the United States, struggling teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB,...

In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I sit down with my good friend Tyler Hoyt , a head high school basketball coach in the Treasure Valley and the owner of Fastbreak Digital Media . Tyler brings a unique perspective as both a coach and business owner, and we dive into the parallels between sports, business, leadership, setbacks, and personal growth. We talk about Tyler's journey growing...

In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I sit down with Keegan Keller , the head boys basketball coach at Shelley High School in Idaho, for a conversation about high school basketball coaching, team culture, player development, leadership, and building trust with athletes. Coach Keller shares how growing up as the son of a high school basketball coach shaped the way he watches the game, stu...

What really happens behind the scenes for basketball referees? In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast , I sit down with Paul Diasparra , the founder of Crown Refs , to talk about the side of basketball that coaches, players, parents, and fans often misunderstand: officiating. I'll be honest — those who know me know referees and I have not always seen eye-to-eye. As a former player and now as...

It's not always easy coming back from a major injury, especially when it's something as serious as an Achilles rupture. In this episode of The Gametime Guru , Shane Larson sits down with Idaho MMA fighter Ariel Frantz to talk about her return to the cage after three surgeries and two years away from the sport. Ariel shares what fight week looks like, the mental and physical grind of cutting weight...

In this episode of The Gametime Guru , Shane Larson sits down with Tiffany Deering to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing young athletes and their families today: the recruiting process. Tiffany shares her journey from playing competitive softball in Southern California to becoming a national champion at the University of Michigan, and how that experience shaped the way she now helps f...

What makes soccer more than just a sport? In this episode of The Gametime Guru , I have the chance to chat with Franklin Foer , author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization , to explore how soccer reflects culture, identity, politics, religion, class, and globalization across the world. From the tribal nature of fandom to the deeper meaning behind clubs like Barcelo...

Will Dunkle is back on The Gametime Guru. Six years after his first appearance on the show, Will returns to talk about how his fighting journey has evolved from MMA into the world of bare knuckle boxing. In this episode, Will shares what makes bare knuckle such a unique and dangerous combat sport, how he prepares mentally and physically for each fight, and what fans can expect as he gets ready for...

In Episode 250 of The Gametime Guru Podcast, Shane Larson sits down with Kam Wheeler , coach, business owner, leader, and founder of Warriors Football Club in Idaho. This conversation dives into Kam's sports background, his path into coaching, and the leadership principles that have shaped both his business and his football program. From youth development and team culture to discipline, mentorship...

What were you doing at 17 years old? In this episode of The Gametime Guru, Shane Larson sits down with Jamie McCreedy, a 17-year-old podcast host, charity leader, and young man making a real impact through sports, service, and storytelling. Jamie has already interviewed more than 120 athletes and managers, built his own platform, and helped support children through charity efforts connected to spo...

In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast, Shane Larson interviews Tom Cillo, a 59-year-old college football player, about resilience, mental toughness, leadership, and chasing dreams later in life. Tom Cillo's story has inspired people around the world. After retiring from a 33-year career, Tom decided to pursue a dream he originally had back in the 1980s: playing college football. Now in his...

What happens when a young athlete from Australia skips university, invests his savings, and builds a sports brand from scratch? You get Kip Grip, performance grip socks designed for ballers across every sport. In this episode of The Gametime Guru Podcast, host Shane Larson sits down with Kiprian Pacoski, founder and CEO of Kip Grip, to talk about competing in soccer and AFL (Australian Rules Footb...

Former Division 1 athlete Brayden Durfee , owner of 1ONEATHLETICS , joins The Gametime Guru Podcast to break down what it really takes to compete at a high level in track and field — and how those lessons translate into business, leadership, and life. Brayden shares his journey from football at Oregon State to track & field at Boise State, where he competed at the Division 1 level after becoming a...

In this episode of The Game Time Guru, Shane Larson sits down with professional bare-knuckle fighter Mike "The Marine" Richman for a raw and honest conversation about the fight game—and the mindset behind it. Mike breaks down the unique intensity of fighting in BKFC, why every jab in bare knuckle can change a fight, and how committing to body shots can wear down even the toughest opponents. He sha...

John has built a career designing high performance training spaces and helping athletes, executives, and high achievers raise their standards. We talk about the mindset shift from sports to business, why preparation builds confidence, and why being a great teammate starts with doing your job. This conversation goes deep into discipline, leadership, and the standards it takes to win in any arena. T...

Scott Birnbaum (CEO & Founder of Booster) joins Shane Larson on The Gametime Guru Podcast to break down how Booster is changing sports fundraising for high school teams, booster clubs, and youth programs. The cost of athletics keeps rising,  travel, equipment, team meals, uniforms, tournament fees — and many schools don't have the budget to cover it. Scott explains why traditional fundraisers (pop...

Willie Wright is a former NFL offensive lineman and the current Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development for Bronco Life at Boise State University. In this episode, Willie breaks down what student-athlete development actually looks like behind the scenes, how the NIL era is reshaping college athletics, and why the transition to life after sports can be difficult for athletes who don't go...

David Hitz is the founder of NeuroPro, where he helps athletes and high performers strengthen mental performance through neuroscience-backed tools and training. In this episode, we talk about the turning point that changed David's life, losing his older brother, and how that experience pushed him to take his health seriously in every area. We break down practical strategies that support the nervou...