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.
All content for The Next Season Podcast is the property of Kevin Kuhn and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
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.
032 - Freshman Athletes: 5 Step Playbook to Be a Garbage New Guy
The Next Season Podcast
35 minutes
3 months ago
032 - Freshman Athletes: 5 Step Playbook to Be a Garbage New Guy
Don’t be that guy on a new team. You know the one—shows up late, acts too cool, doesn’t listen, and loses respect before the first game even starts.
In this episode of the Next Season Podcast, I break down 5 brutal mistakes that instantly make you a garbage new teammate—and how to flip them into habits that earn trust, respect and leadership on day one.
Whether you’re a freshman walking into high school or college ball, a transfer adjusting to a new program, or a parent/coach trying to help athletes thrive, this is your survival guide for first impressions.
We’ll hit on:
🚫 Acting too cool for the team
⏰ Blowing off punctuality
🙅 Not being coachable
😑 Killing trust with bad body language
🧠 Forgetting humility & ownership
🔥 Listen now and learn how to stand out the right way and become the teammate every coach, scout, and player wants in their locker room.
00:00 Intro & Episode Highlights
01:33 Freshman Year Transitions & Challenges
03:47 The Neuroscience of First Impressions
04:39 Inversion Thinking & Episode Structure
06:24 Garbage Freshman Step 1: Acting Too Cool
09:32 Garbage Freshman Step 2: Being Late
13:30 Garbage Freshman Step 3: Trying to be the Clown
16:10 Garbage Freshman Step 4: Blaming & Making Excuses
18:46 Garbage Freshman Step 5: Talking Trash About Old Team
21:17 What to Do Instead: 5 Ways to be an Awesome New Guy
22:11 Ideal Freshman Step 1: Keep Your Mouth Shut & Ears Open
23:59 Ideal Freshman Step 2: Look for Work (No Empty Hands)
26:33 Ideal Freshman Step 3: Keep Your World Small
28:22 Ideal Freshman Step 4: Be Coachable & Take Notes
30:05 Ideal Freshman Step 5: Take Care of Your Gear & Your Body (& Your Mind)
32:35 The Ideal Team Player: Hungry, Humble & Smart
33:45 Closing Thoughts & How You Can Help
The Next Season Podcast
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.
