Student Athlete Performance

Are you a baseball player that can hit in practice, but struggle when it matters (in games)?

In this episode, Nick sits down with Eddie Marrero, founder of Probound USA Baseball, to break down what actually separates hitters who perform in games from those who don’t.

They dive into hitting approach, development strategies, and why many players train in ways that don’t translate when they are facing an actual opponent.

This conversation covers:

• Why hitting doesn’t always translate from practice to games
• The biggest mistakes players make in hitting development
• What builds a good hitter long-term
• How approach matters more than mechanics

What's your biggest challenge as a hitter?

Connect with Eddie and Probound USA

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proboundusa_baseball/
• Website: https://proboundusabaseball.com/

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• X: https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd

It's one thing to win a state championship. It's another to win back-to-back state championships, especially when you start the season 2-3.

In this episode Nick sits down with Coach Keith Ross, head coach of the back-to-back state champion football program at Sumner High School in Washington State.

Coach Ross shares what actually separates winning teams from everyone else.

From leadership and accountability to training standards and player development, this conversation breaks down the culture and PEOPLE required to consistently compete at a championship level.

Whether you're an athlete, coach, or parent, this episode reveals the habits and expectations behind successful programs and people.

In this episode we discuss:

✔ What winning teams do differently✔ How championship culture is built✔ Why losing makes you better✔ The standards athletes must meet✔ What high school athletes must do to compete at the next level
What's one thing you have to prioritize this offseason to make next season better?

Follow Keith Ross:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith.ross47
• X: https://x.com/SumnerFootball

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

If you're a high school athlete who feels under recruited, overlooked, or behind... listen in on this one.

Dylan Scott went from having zero real traction after his junior year to signing Division 1 football at Eastern Washington University his senior year.

He did not come from a powerhouse program.He did not have elite private trainers.He did not have offers lined up early.

So what changed?

In this episode we break down:

• How Dylan went from 220 lbs as a lineman to committed Division 1
• Why development and camps changed everything
• How social media impacts recruiting
• The biggest mistakes athletes make when trying to get recruited
• Why nutrition and eating habits matter more than you think

If this helped you, be sure to subscribe and share with an underrecruited teammate.

What is ONE area you need to take ownership of right now (exposure, nutrition, training, or recovery)?

Connect with Dylan Scott:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottydylan3024/

Connect with Nick:

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

Pitching injuries are at an all-time high and too many high school pitchers don’t realize they’re following the same patterns that lead to surgery.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Carter Hohn, founder of Full Send Performance Training, to break down why elbow and shoulder injuries are skyrocketing and what pitchers can do to stay healthy while building velocity.

Carter shares insights from his own injury journey and from training 80+ pitchers who’ve moved on to college baseball. They cover workload management, growth spurts, offseason structure, deloading, in-season lifting, velocity barriers, and why most high school pitchers ramp up too fast before spring.

If you’re a pitcher or parent who wants long-term development without surgery, this episode is essential.

How old were you when you got your first pitching injury?

Connect with Carter:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullsendperformancetraining/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fullsendperformance

Follow Nick:

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

Recruiting doesn’t reward entitlement.

It rewards effort, consistency, and humility.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Nate Paxton, a former under-recruited athlete who walked on at the Division I level, earned a scholarship, played professionally, and later coached at the college level. Nate breaks down what athletes and parents misunderstand about recruiting, from visibility and communication to relationships and follow-up.

They dive into what real recruiting effort looks like on a weekly basis, how athletes should use social media, why relationships matter more than offers, and how to avoid common mistakes that quietly kill opportunities.
What is one thing you can start doing to help your recruiting?

Connect with Nate:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npaxton98
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/Godsgift_Nate

Follow Nick:

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

Some athletes quit because they’re not good enough.
Most quit because the road gets harder than they expected.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Nate Paxton, whose journey includes homelessness, walking on to a Division I football program (Georgia State), earning a scholarship, playing professional football, and later returning to the college game as a coach. Nate shares what it took to keep showing up when everything felt stacked against him and how faith, discipline, and perspective shaped his path.

This conversation is about resilience, delayed progress, and trusting the process when results don’t come on your timeline.

What’s been the hardest part of your journey so far?

👉 Next week: Nate returns to break down the recruiting side of football: how athletes actually get seen, how to communicate with coaches, and how effort, consistency, and humility separate those who get opportunities from those who don’t. If you’re trying to figure out recruiting right now, don’t miss that episode.

Connect with Nate

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/npaxton98
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/Godsgift_Nate

Follow Nick

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

• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd

Committing Division 1 sounds like the finish line. For most athletes, it’s where the pressure actually starts.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Drew Wicklander, a 2026 baseball player committed to University of Portland, to walk through his full high school journey. From being the skinny freshman told he wasn’t physical enough, to transforming his body, committing D1, and navigating new challenges after that commitment.

They break down slumps, setbacks, nutrition mistakes, training balance, staying consistent after success, and what actually matters for long-term development.

Have you ever got COMFORTABLE because you got an offer, a spot on a team, etc.?

Follow Drew

• IG: https://www.instagram.com/drew4wicklander/

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• IG: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd

How do baseball players actually know when they’re ready for the next level?

In this episode, Nick sits down with Rob Hardy, a minor league pitching coach in the Chicago White Sox organization, to break down what real baseball development actually looks like. Rob shares why dominating your current level matters more than chasing exposure, how players should think about velocity in context, and the difference between training to improve versus just staying busy.

They also discuss fall development windows, honest self-evaluation, injury risk, and why players who rush levels often stall long-term.

This episode is essential for high school baseball players and parents trying to understand development timelines and next steps.

Do you feel like you’re actually developing right now — or just staying busy?

Connect with Rob Hardy

• X (Twitter): https://x.com/robhardy25

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• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd

Too many high school football players think recruiting happens to them.
In reality, recruiting only works when athletes learn how to advocate for themselves.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Jason Thedsombandith, head football coach at Redmond High School and former Division 1 assistant coach and recruiting assistant, to break down how recruiting actually works behind the scenes.

They dive into Twitter as a recruiting tool, what college coaches really look for in game film, common mistakes athletes make with messaging, and how being realistic and proactive can completely change an athlete’s opportunities.

This episode is a must-listen for high school football players and parents navigating the recruiting process.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason_theds/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/CoachTheds

Follow Nick:

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

When time feels limited and pressure is high, most high school baseball players try to do everything. More training. More metrics. More showcases. More stress.

In this episode, Nick sits down with Jake Lindmeier, assistant baseball coach at Brookhaven College, to break down what actually matters for player development when results aren’t coming as fast as you want.

They talk honestly about chasing metrics vs playing the game, understanding your role, building routines instead of doing random work, and what college coaches truly notice beyond numbers.

This episode is for athletes and parents who feel behind, overwhelmed, or unsure what to prioritize.
If you only had 5 months to get recruited, what would you focus on?

Connect with Jake Lindmeier

• Twitter/X: https://x.com/jakelindy2021

Follow Nick

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicklemkerd
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nicklemkerd
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nicklemkerd