The Next Season Podcast

Kevin Kuhn
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Baseball
  • Updated Weekly

Being an athlete today is hard. Talent isn't enough. I know because I’ve been there—fighting through failure, struggling with mindset, and ultimately walking away, despite the talent. That’s exactly why I coach mindset and mental skills for baseball players who want more. It’s about more than just playing well—it’s about optimizing habits, leveling up your confidence, and building the grit to thrive both on and off the field. Backed by neuroscience and combining the grit of sports with the precision of executive coaching, I’m bringing real, hard-earned lessons to athletes like you. Together, we’ll crush performance anxiety, build mental toughness and hit peak focus. My style? It’s raw, real and gritty. No fluff—just straight-up truth with a dose of fun to keep it fresh. At Next Season, we process the past, perform in the present and prepare for the future…whatever is NEXT.

  1. 045 - How to Get Recruited the Right Way

    Jun 15

    045 - How to Get Recruited the Right Way

    Most players think they know what gets them recruited. They're often wrong. Adam Schlenoff has sat in every seat this game offers. D1 college player. High school teacher. 15 years as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Johns Hopkins — multiple College World Series appearances, D3 offensive records, a national championship game. He's evaluated thousands of players. He knows exactly what separates the guys who make it from the guys who don't — and it's not what most players or parents think. In this episode: What coaches are really reading before you take a swingWhy your stats open the door but your character earns the invitationWhat great teammates actually doWhat it felt like to walk away from a 30-year run in the game Now he's building something new — recruiting consulting, showcases, and a youth baseball organization built around the thing most of the industry skips: honest evaluation and real human connection. If you're a player, a parent, or a coach — this one's for you. Find Adam & Get Involved: Recruiting Consulting: Jeff Burton Consulting Showcases & Youth Baseball: schlenoffbaseball.com Charm City Clippers: Baltimore Clippers, MCBL Follow Adam: @Mr_Schlen   👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com   00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:29 Welcoming Adam Schlenoff 02:53 Roots In Education & Influence on Coaching 05:28 Trust in the Locker Room 06:48 Early Sports Journey 10:17 Multi Sport Debate & Nuance 13:58 Realities Of College Baseball 20:17 When The Game Ends 22:02 The Beautiful Game 25:03 Coaching Breakthrough Years 29:50 Building Trust and Culture 32:35 Coaching Philosophy on Failure 38:56 Recruiting Puzzle Pieces 43:56 Stats Open the Door, Character Gets You In 47:45 Next Chapter & New Challenges 51:16 How to Connect, Support & Join Adam

    56 min
  2. 044 – Johnny Martin Returns (pt. 2 of 2)

    May 18

    044 – Johnny Martin Returns (pt. 2 of 2)

    Part 1 was the warmup. Part 2 is game time. Johnny leads us through a live values exercise — step by step — that will challenge you to do more than name what matters. It will ask you what you're actually willing to lose to keep it. Real values have to be clear, tested, and behavioral. If they don't cost you anything, they're just words. Athletes, ATLAS athletes, coaches — this one's for all of you. Notebook out. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:45 Real vs Processed Relationships 02:36 Discipline in What We Consume 04:31 The Dichotomy of Discipline & Mental Health 06:35 Athletes & Veterans Transition 08:03 Mindset as the Separator 10:54 Underdog Beliefs & Environment 11:52 Values Exercise Framework 15:12 Choose Five Values 15:38 Turn Values Into Behaviors 16:19 Run a Values Audit 18:44 The Cost of Values 20:59 Work Without Recognition 23:22 Revisit Values Over Time 25:50 Coaching Without Judgment 27:27 Closing Thoughts & Gratitude

    30 min
  3. 044 – Johnny Martin Returns (pt. 1 of 2)

    Apr 27

    044 – Johnny Martin Returns (pt. 1 of 2)

    Johnny Martin is back. When it comes to coaching high performers, Johnny is a legend. You don't need notoriety and fame to make an impact - and Johnny has impacted elite athletes, veterans and business leaders for years. If you haven't heard Episode 026, go there first. This conversation picks up where that one left off — and it gets real from the first sentence. In Part 1, we get into curiosity as a performance tool, what real confidence actually looks like, how the best coaches show up the same in every room, and the three questions Johnny uses with every high performer navigating transition. This one is for athletes, coaches, and anyone who wants to perform at a higher level — in sport or in life. Subscribe and hit the notification bell so you're ready for part 2. Trust me, you won't want to miss it. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:19 Coaching Active Athletes & ATLAS Athletes 03:10 The Identity of Athletes at Turning Points 06:15 Missing the Game & Radical Ownership Shift 07:37 Time Boundaries & Showing Up 10:07 Curiosity & Three Non-negotiables 12:57 Rapid Fire Warmup 17:38 Success Goes Beyond You 19:13 Curiosity About Real Ones vs Imposters 22:13 Curiosity About Authenticity (& Three Authenticity Pillars) 25:12 Character at Home 27:03 Curiosity About Alter Egos & Control 28:10 Curiosity & Coaching High Performers 30:47 Curiosity & Social Media 33:30 Closing Thoughts, Prep for Part Two, Support & Gratitude

    35 min
  4. 043 – Let Go to Move Forward

    Mar 30

    043 – Let Go to Move Forward

    There's a moment every athlete knows. You're in a funk, you're slumping, you're losing confidence, you're not performing like you used to — and instead of moving forward, you grip tighter. To the stats. To the reputation. To the player you remember being. To the past. That grip feels like effort — doing the work you're supposed to do. But what if it's actually a trap? When your identity is anchored to a past version of yourself, your brain treats the gap between then and now as a threat — and it shifts from performance mode into survival mode. Tight muscles. Overthinking. Playing not to fail instead of playing to win. You're not broken. Your brain is responding normally, but that doesn't mean it's what's best in these situations. It's trying to keep you safe, but it's holding you back. This episode is about learning to put down the old version — not because it didn't matter, but because you can't build who you need to become if both hands are gripping so tight to who you were. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:19 Spring Reset & Quitting 03:44 High School Identity 05:44 College Reality Check 07:23 Winter Break Quit 08:24 Mental Highlight Reel 10:35 Brain Threat Response 13:02 Letting Go Science 15:54 Reset Routines Cues 19:28 Build New Identity 22:49 Reinvent To Last 24:38 Closing Thoughts, Assessments, Support & Gratitude

    26 min
  5. 042 – Suffering & Self-Reliance for Athletes

    Mar 3

    042 – Suffering & Self-Reliance for Athletes

    We don’t feel suffering or pain because of life's challenges. As an athlete, you may not be struggling because of the pressure and the competition. We struggle because we try to avoid that suffering. We try to avoid the pain. We try to stay clear of the challenges.  We resist. In this episode, I break down suffering, self-reliance, pressure, grit, and resilience - and what they actually mean in real life. Drawing from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance and powerful conversations with Tony Robbins, Alex Hormozi, Chris Williamson and Arthur Brooks, we talk about:  Why pressure builds identity Why confidence comes after courage Why avoiding discomfort weakens you And how suffering can shape you instead of crush you If you’re in a hard season - on the field or after sport - this one’s for you. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com

    36 min
  6. 041 - Who Are You When Your Game Ends?

    Feb 11

    041 - Who Are You When Your Game Ends?

    In the old myth, Atlas loses a fight and is condemned to carry the sky forever — not for a moment, but for a lifetime. Knees bent. Back hunched. No recognition. No help in sight. That’s what life feels like for a lot of athletes after the game ends. And that’s why I built ATLAS Athletes. This episode marks the official launch of ATLAS — a new coaching program for athletes adjusting to life after sport. Not the pressure of game day, but the quieter, heavier pressure that follows: identity loss, uncertainty, responsibility, and the question nobody prepares you for... “If I’m not an athlete anymore… who am I?” In Episode 041, I break down: why athletes often struggle more after sport than during ithow identity tied to performance becomes a trapwhy grinding harder stops working in real lifeand how ATLAS helps athletes rebuild direction, confidence, and purpose without carrying everything alone This is for ATLAS Athletes — former competitors, transitioning athletes, and high performers who still feel the weight long after the lights go off. The game may be over. Your life isn't. This is the start of your Next Season. 👉 Learn more about ATLAS Athletes at nextseasonathletes.com   00:00 Intro & Attention 00:48 The Myth of Atlas: A Deeper Meaning 02:12 The Pressure and Weight of Life 05:01 Identity Beyond Athletics 08:26 A Mindset Shift 11:06 Announcing: Athletes Adjusting to Life After Sport 16:52 Practical Actions for ATLAS Athletes - 1: Name Your Throughline 19:40 Practical Actions for ATLAS Athletes - 2: Stack Bricks of Evidence for Confidence 20:49 Practical Actions for ATLAS Athletes - 3: Win the Inning 21:50 Wrap-Up & Closing Thoughts

    23 min
  7. 040 - Process. Perform. Prepare. (Part 2)

    Feb 2

    040 - Process. Perform. Prepare. (Part 2)

    039 gave you the awareness. 040 gives you the tools. Nothing was “wrong”… but everything felt heavy. I wasn’t injured. I wasn’t unprepared. I wasn’t lazy. I was exhausted because I was carrying too many moments at once. In this episode, I give you simple, practical tools to stop replaying the past, stop worrying about the future, and finally put your energy where it belongs — right here. We build on the Process. Perform. Prepare framework from Episode 39 and break down: How to process the past without carrying itHow to get back into the present when pressure hitsHow to prepare for the future without letting ambition hijack performance You’ll learn why pressure builds, confidence feels fake, and the game speeds up — and how to reset your mind so you can play free again.  This isn’t fluffy motivation. These are tools to get out of your head and back into the moment that actually matters. If you feel mentally tired, tight, distracted, or stuck — this episode is for you. 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:00 The Weight of the Moments 02:01 Understanding Energy Blocks 03:40 Tools for Processing the Past: Write It & Burn It; Write & Don't Send 08:35 Other Tools for Processing the Past 09:56 Tools for Performing in the Present: Breathing and Power Presence Words 13:37 Tools for Preparing for the Future: Values and Visualization 19:04 Putting Your Energy into the Right Block 20:23 Wrap-Up & Closing Thoughts

    21 min
  8. 039 - Process. Perform. Prepare.

    Jan 12

    039 - Process. Perform. Prepare.

    Some of my biggest struggles had nothing to do with talent. They came from my head being in the wrong place. I was physically present, but mentally stuck — replaying the past, worrying about the future, and trying to perform somewhere other than where my feet were. In this episode, I break down a simple framework I call Process. Perform. Prepare. It's how to align your focus, effort, and energy with the right moment for the right job: Process the pastPerform in the presentPrepare for what’s next I explain why pressure builds, confidence drops, and performance tightens — even when you care and even when you’re prepared. Most athletes aren’t broken. They’re just living in the wrong moment. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Episode 39 gives you awareness and clarity. Episode 40 gives you the tools. If you’ve ever felt distracted, overwhelmed, or unable to play free — on the field or in life — this is for you.   00:00 Intro & Highlights 00:55 My Struggles & Realizations 02:34 Process, Perform & Prepare: Understanding Energy Blocks 03:30 Pressure vs. Anxiety (and the impact on mind, body & performance) 06:37 Your Job/The Purpose of Each Energy Blocks 10:09 Processing the Past 14:17 Performing in the Present 18:18 Preparing for the Future 21:36 Wrap-up, Closing Thoughts & Looking Ahead

    24 min
See All (48)

About

Being an athlete today is hard. Talent isn't enough. I know because I’ve been there—fighting through failure, struggling with mindset, and ultimately walking away, despite the talent. That’s exactly why I coach mindset and mental skills for baseball players who want more. It’s about more than just playing well—it’s about optimizing habits, leveling up your confidence, and building the grit to thrive both on and off the field. Backed by neuroscience and combining the grit of sports with the precision of executive coaching, I’m bringing real, hard-earned lessons to athletes like you. Together, we’ll crush performance anxiety, build mental toughness and hit peak focus. My style? It’s raw, real and gritty. No fluff—just straight-up truth with a dose of fun to keep it fresh. At Next Season, we process the past, perform in the present and prepare for the future…whatever is NEXT.

Information

  • Creator
    Kevin Kuhn
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved. All content owned exclusively by The Next Season Podcast and Next Season.
  • Show Website
    The Next Season Podcast