Student Athlete Performance

If coaches have stopped responding to you, there's a reason... and most athletes never find out what it is.

Brant McAdams is the head football coach at Pacific Lutheran University. He played college football himself and has spent years making the final call on who gets recruited and who quietly gets moved off the board. In this episode, he shares what that process actually looks like from the inside.

We cover what coaches evaluate beyond your highlight film, why follow-through matters more than most athletes think, how to handle showcases without wasting money, what your social media is telling coaches without you knowing it, and the real reason parents contacting coaches on their athlete's behalf can hurt more than help.

Brant also breaks down what most families get wrong about D3 schools, including why the sticker price scares people away from some of the best fits and best financial packages out there.

If you play high school football and want to play at the next level, this episode has answers most coaches won't say out loud.

What are you doing to build relationships with potential colleges?

Connect with Brant:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachbrantmcadams/X: https://x.com/BrantMcAdams

Connect with Nick:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/X: https://x.com/nicklemkerd

If you're putting in the reps and still not seeing results in games, the problem probably isn't your swing.

Rob Crews is the founder of Complete Game and creator of the See Think Move method. He's worked with college programs like UCLA, Florida, and LSU and consulted with MLB organizations including the Padres and Mariners.

His take: most hitters are training the wrong thing entirely.

In this episode, Rob breaks down why everything before the swing determines whether it's a good one, what's actually causing your slumps and the three things every hitter needs to start doing right now to hit the ball harder more consistently.

We also get into why travel ball itself isn't the problem and what parents can do to raise better athletes.

If you play baseball or softball and you want to hit better in games (not just in the cage) this one is for you.

What's one action you can take to be a better hitter?

Connect with Rob:

• Website: https://www.complete.game/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/completegame/
• X: https://x.com/CompleteGame

Connect with Nick:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/
• X: https://x.com/nicklemkerd

Your athlete just had a rough game. They're quiet. You want to help, so you start talking. And that might be the exact moment the damage happens.

In this episode, I sat down with Chad Hermansen, first round draft pick, former big leaguer, former MLB scout, and now mental performance coach to talk about what parents are doing after games, in the stands, and at home that is quietly destroying their athlete's confidence and straining their relationship.

Chad breaks down why athletes already know what they did wrong, why your frustration in the car ride home is your problem to manage first, and what it actually looks like to be the parent your athlete needs, not the one they dread coming home to.

We also get into his self-coaching model from his book The Parent Edge, how to repair a relationship that's already been strained by years of pressure, and the one question you should ask yourself before you ever say anything after a bad game.

If you love your athlete and just want to give them what they need to succeed, this one is worth the listen.

How do you respond when your athlete gets in the car after a game?

Get Chad's book The Parent Edge: https://a.co/d/00o9mzSQ

Follow Chad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chadhermansen/

Follow Chad on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mentaledgecoachchad

Connect with Nick:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/nicklemkerd

Most high school baseball players have no idea what MLB scouts are actually looking for, and you're likely focusing on the wrong stuff.

In this episode, I sat down with Nate Metzger, a scout for the Chicago Cubs and former college coach, to pull back the curtain on the scouting and recruiting process.

We talk about what tools scouts prioritize, how size really factors in, and what separates the guys who get drafted from the ones who get passed over.

Nate also breaks down why the jump from high school to college is harder than college to pro ball and what the athletes who make it to the big leagues all have in common, beyond just talent.

If you play high school baseball and want to understand what scouts are watching for, how to get on their radar, and what mindset it takes to compete at the next level, this one is for you.

Want to reach out to Nate directly with questions about the process?

Email him at [email protected]

Connect with Nick:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/nicklemkerd

What changes after you commit D1?

In this episode, Nick talks with Carter Macanas, an Arizona State baseball commit, about what it actually takes to keep developing after an early commitment.

Carter committed to ASU as a freshman, played at national events like Jupiter, and was named a PG All-Tournament hitter. But after committing, he had to learn that the work does not stop once the offer comes.

Since they chatted, Carter has put on 15 pounds of muscle to better perform at the next level and has since changed his college commitment, while still remaining hungry to get better every day.

They talk about staying motivated after commitment, building better nutrition habits, preparing for games, gaining weight the right way, improving energy, hydration, recovery, and the mindset needed to keep climbing.

This episode is for high school baseball players who want to play college baseball and understand what separates serious athletes from athletes who get comfortable.
What habit do you need to lock in 2026?

Follow CarterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/carter_macanas_808/

Follow NickInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerdX: https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd

Confidence is something every athlete struggles with at some point.

But most athletes misunderstand where confidence actually comes from.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Adalyne Fettig to talk about what it takes to build real confidence through development, consistency, and trusting the process.

This conversation is especially helpful for athletes who feel stuck, unsure, or behind in their progress.
Are you lacking confidence, or just expecting results too quickly?

Follow Adalyne:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adalynefettig
• X: https://x.com/adalynefettig
• Website: https://www.adalynefettig.com/

Follow Nick:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd
• X: https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd

Too many athletes quit when it gets hard. The ones who don't are the ones who make it.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Brian Barnes, athletic director, coach, speaker, and author of Conquer Your Fears, Be a Rock. They talk about the one thing every athlete faces but few actually know how to handle: adversity.

Not the highlight reel version. The real version. Bad games, injuries, losing your starting spot, doubting yourself, feeling stuck.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• Why focusing on outcomes is making your performance worse
• The WIN theory, what it means and how to use it in the middle of a game
• What "keeping the main thing the main thing" actually looks like in practice
• How to stack small wins when you feel like you're going nowhere
• Why you don't have to be the star to change the outcome of a game
• The Brian Hoyer Super Bowl story that every bench player needs to hear
• Why you're not a finished product and why that's the best news you'll hear today

If you've ever felt stuck, doubted yourself, or wondered if all the work is actually worth it, this one's for you.

What's the hardest thing you've had to push through as an athlete? Drop it in the comments.

Connect with Brian Barnes:

• Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/bearockllc/
• Conquer Your Fears, Be a Rock → https://a.co/d/01Q9YnFv

Follow Nick Lemke:

• Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/
• Twitter/X → https://x.com/nicklemkerd

Talent opens doors. Your decisions decide if they stay open.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Jose Rijo-Berger, a former pro baseball player drafted by both the Dodgers and the Mets, a 10-year MLB scout with the Pirates, Brewers, and Cardinals, and a performance coach who now works with athletes at every level.

Jose's story is not a highlight reel. It starts with being born to a 15-year-old mom, losing his adoptive dad on his eighth birthday, growing up in poverty in Seattle, getting kicked off his high school team, and running deep in gang life before one night changed everything.

What came after that is what makes this episode worth stopping everything for.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• Why the people you surround yourself with matter more than your talent
• What MLB scouts actually look for during pregame warmups
• The small daily decisions that separate athletes who make it from those who don't
• How to respond when you're in a slump without letting it wreck your identity
• Why being a great teammate when you're NOT playing well is your most important skill
• What a D1 scout meant when he asked "what's his fun factor?"
• How Jose's son went from benched and 0 for 13 to the hottest hitter on his team

This is one of those conversations you'll want to share with every athlete and parent in your life.

Connect with Jose Rijo-Berger:📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/joserijoberger/▶️ YouTube (108 Performance) → https://www.youtube.com/@108_performance

Follow Nick Lemke:📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/🐦 Twitter/X → https://x.com/nicklemkerd

What's one decision you've made as an athlete that changed everything? Drop it in the comments.

What if the thing holding you back has nothing to do with your speed, strength, or skill?

In this episode, Nick sits down with Mike Martin, a sports writer for the University of Washington who has spent decades quietly working with elite athletes on the one thing nobody talks about: fear.

Mike has coached and mentored athletes at every level. He's also the author of the upcoming book Coaching the Fear Out of Kids, and his framework for replacing fear with love, trust, and confidence has turned struggling athletes into record-breakers.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• What fear actually looks like in athletes before coaches and parents even notice it
• Why social media has added a whole new layer of fear to your game
• How the way you were coached and parented shapes how you respond to pressure right now
• The "trust fail" method that expands your comfort zone without burning you out
• Why the most successful athletes fail more than anyone else
• How one athlete went from benched and toxic to a school record in rebounds after one conversation
• How a running back went from 50 yards a game to 2,400 all-purpose yards in a single season

If you've ever choked under pressure, avoided taking the big shot, or felt like fear is running your game, this episode is for you.

Connect with Mike Martin:📧 [email protected]🐦 https://x.com/HowlinHusky

Follow Nick Lemke:📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd/🐦 Twitter/X → https://x.com/nicklemkerd

What's the biggest fear that's ever held you back?

A lot of linebackers have the size, strength, and speed, but still struggle to play fast on the field.

So what’s actually holding them back?

In this episode, Nick sits down with Brian Burke, founder of Threshing Floor Athletics, who has coached linebackers from high school to the professional level.

They break down why many linebackers play slow, how overthinking impacts performance, and what it actually takes to react quickly and confidently on the field.

This conversation covers:

• Why linebackers struggle to play fast
• The role of decision-making and instincts
• How to train for game-speed reactions
• The difference between thinking and reacting
• What separates good linebackers from great ones

What's your biggest challenge as a linebacker?

Brian and Threshing Floor Athletics:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tfa_thebackercode/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/threshing-floor-athletics-6369a2340/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.burck.3

Follow Nick:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd
• X: https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd