Mental Advantage Podcast

The MAP boys sit down with JT Heenan, the head baseball coach at Salem University in Salem, WV. A native of Mechanicsburg, PA, Coach Heenan talks about the culture he is building at Salem in his second year as the helm and the importance of always protecting the culture. He lays out the four pillars of the program: Positivity, Accountability, Communication and Energy. He breaks down what each of those pillars looks like in action and how they reward it when they see it done right.

By the end of this episode, it will be clear for you to see why Coach Heenan is considered one of the top young coaches in the country. He is committed to doing it the right way.
Have your pen and paper ready, because you are going to take lots of notes with this episode.

To get in touch with the show, write to [email protected]
To have John Cullen work with you or your team, write to [email protected]
To reach Brandon Allen, write to [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Alan Jaegar, founder of Jaeger Sports. Since 1991 Alan Jaeger, has served as a personal trainer and consultant. He has worked with over 200 professional players, including 2002 Cy Young Award Winner Barry Zito, and All-Stars Dan Haren and Andrew Bailey. Alan discusses the "art of quiet" and how practicing methods like breathing exercises, meditation, visualization, self-awareness are all important pre-cursors to the Process.

To find more resources go search YouTube for Alan Jaegar or log onto www.jaegersports.com. You can also access the Mental Health Manual at www.aaadf.org

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To contact John Cullen to work with you or your team: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with four of the key architects to the baseball program at Garrett College in McHenry, MD. Phil Caruso (1980-85), Lawrence Nesselrodt (1985-1994), Ed Wildesen (1994-2000) and Eric Hallenbeck (2004-Present) have all held the position of Head Baseball Coach at the college since 1980. The four Skippers reflect back on the progress of the program over the years and some of the great players that came from the college on the banks of Deep Creek Lake. They talk about some of the key characteristics of a Garrett College baseball player and what are some of the unique challenges of coaching at the Junior College level. They discuss the importance of building lasting relationships in a short amount of time and how to get players to the "next level."

They also break down the culture threads that have stretched through the program since the 70's all the way up until today.

To get in touch with the show: [email protected]
To have John Cullen work with you or your team: [email protected]
To contact Brandon Allen: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Chris Gingrich, an MPM certified mental performance coach and owner of Stoic Development Mental Performance, a mind and body development program. Chris discusses some of the many lessons learned in the 18 years of being in the military through multiple combat deployments and work with Special Operations Commands. He shares what he believes separates the best of the best from the rest. Now, Chris is on a mission to help others cultivate their inner calm by taking control of their emotions.

To contact the show with questions or comments: [email protected]
To contact John Cullen to work with you or your team: [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with their college baseball coach, Ralph Ciabattari, who was recently nominated to the 2021 Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame. "Coach" shares some funny stories about recruiting players from up north down to South Carolina, how he built a program and culture from the ground up at the College of Charleston, his early years at Charleston Baptist (now Charleston Southern) and what he is doing now to stay involved in coaching.

It will be very evident from this discussion how much Coach cares about each and every one of the players who ever played for him and why he feels how they turned out as adults is way more important to him than the type of players they were.

To contact the show:
[email protected]

To work with John Cullen:
[email protected]

The MAP boys open up the mailbag and respond to letters from listeners. They discuss the importance of routines and schedules, feedback forms and some of the more challenging physical and mental exercises they have participated in. Later in the show, they discuss guests they would still like to have on the show.

To contact the show: [email protected]

To work with John Cullen:
[email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Jeremy “Sheets” Sheetinger, Head Baseball Coach at Georgia Gwinnett College, the 2021 NAIA National Champions. Sheets was named the 2021 Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year, becoming the first NAIA coach to receive the award since it was founded in 2013.

Prior to taking over at GGC, he served as the college liaison for the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) from 2016-2019. He was responsible for organization communications and relationship building within coaches and administrators at NCAA Div. II, III, NAIA and Junior College levels. He helped facilitate a 200-percent growth rate in ABCA membership and attendance records for three organization’s annual conventions.

Sheets has put an emphasis on the mental game at GGC and credits it as being a game-changer for the program. “Developing the person you need to become the player you want.”

You can follow Sheets on Twitter: @coachsheets3

You can reach the Mental Advantage Podcast at [email protected]

To have John Cullen work with yourself or your team, please write to him at [email protected]

The MAP boys sit down with Phil Stinnie, Head Girls' Basketball Coach at St. Anne's Belfield in Charlottesville, VA. Phil is also the Dean of Student Life and Director of Diversity at STAB.

Stinnie is a member of the VCU Hall of Fame, where he excelled in basketball before being drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1988 NBA Draft.

John and Brandon discuss a wide variety of topics with Phil, including the challenges of being a high school and AAU basketball coach and educator. What it is like to be the father of multiple D-1 athletes (including a Super Bowl Champion.) Phil shares his thoughts on having the right mindset to achieve great things in athletics and in life. You will not want to miss this episode.

You can follow Phil Stinnie on Twitter at @pstinnie35
You can reach the Mental Advantage Podcast at [email protected]

To have John Cullen work with yourself or your team, please contact him at [email protected]

This is the fourth episode in our Grand Slam Series with Dr. Mo Pickens, listed by Golf Digest as the #4 in the Top 10 Golf Psychologists. Dr. Mo's PGA Tour client list is headed by Zach Johnson, winner of the 2007 Masters and 2015 British Open. The sports psychologist and performance enhancement specialist, has helped players win four major championships (Lucas Glover, 2009 US Open, and Stewart Cink, 2009 British Open), 27 PGA Tour events and one NCAA championship. In addition to golf, Dr. Mo has helped professional athletes in NASCAR, the NFL, Major League baseball and college athletics.
John and Brandon talked to Dr. Mo about handling all of the on-course challenges that may come up in a round by getting in the right mindset.

He is also the author of "The Winning Ways in Golf and Life"; "Learn to Win: One Shot at a Time" and Learn to Win: A Major."

As they near the halfway point of their first year as a podcast, the MAP boys look back at some of the lessons they have learned from their guests over the first half of this year.

To contact the show: [email protected]
To work with John Cullen: [email protected]