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TheJustKickinItPodcast

TheJustKickinItPodcast

Dr. Brian Shrum 11 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

Just Kickin’ It Podcast is where coaches sharpen how they think, train, and develop players. Built on years of conversations with top minds in the game, the podcast returns with a renewed focus on connecting theory, science, and real-world coaching. Each episode delivers clear, actionable insight to help you design better sessions, improve decision-making, and create training that transfers to the game.

Episodes

Are You Willing to Challenge Your Coaching? with Spencer Fearn
Are You Willing to Challenge Your Coaching? with Spencer Fearn Oct 12, 2026 00:57:20 What does it actually take to evolve as a coach—and are you willing to challenge what you believe you already know?In this episode of the Just Kickin’ It Podcast, Dr. Brian Shrum speaks with coach and coach developer Spencer Fearn about honest feedback, clear football language, player decision-making, and the continual responsibility coaches have to examine their own methods.Spencer explains why e
Why Coaches Should Stop Using Fancy Words
Why Coaches Should Stop Using Fancy Words Sep 21, 2026 01:06:13 The biggest coaching mistake is not bad tactics. It is using language players do not understand. Dr. Brian Shrum and Hugo Langton break down why football’s obsession with terms like “half space,” “corridor,” and even “drive” can create confusion, hide poor communication, and make teams worse—not better.Hugo, who has spent years refining his own coaching approach, argues that the best coaches simpl
Rethinking Preseason: Fitness Through Football with Raymond Verheijen
Rethinking Preseason: Fitness Through Football with Raymond Verheijen Sep 7, 2026 00:40:34 If your preseason is designed to exhaust players, don’t be surprised when your best players are unavailable in the postseason.Too many coaches still treat preseason as a fitness test:More running.More sessions.More volume.More fatigue.Then injuries accumulate, the starting lineup constantly changes, and the team never develops the communication needed to perform under pressure.Raymond Verheijen ch
Stress Immunity: How to Think Clearly Under Pressure with James Smith
Stress Immunity: How to Think Clearly Under Pressure with James Smith Aug 29, 2026 01:07:52 What if stress is not something you simply have to manage—but something you can learn to become more resistant to?In this episode of the Just Kickin’ It Podcast, Dr. Brian Shrum speaks with author and performance consultant James Smith, “The Thinker,” about stress immunity and our ability to direct our thinking under pressure.James explains why genetics, environment, and past experiences may influ
Stop Coaching — And Watch Your Players Get Better" —
Stop Coaching — And Watch Your Players Get Better" — Apr 19, 2026 00:51:26 Dave Tenney, a long-time guest on the show, has spent decades working at the highest levels of professional soccer — and he's changed his mind about a lot of it.In this conversation, Dave and Brian dig into why so many coaches — from grassroots to pro — are unknowingly creating a ceiling for their players. They explore why training in isolation doesn't transfer to the game, how emotion and cogniti
Football Fitness vs Isolated Fitness | Raymond Verheijen Explains What Coaches Get Wrong
Football Fitness vs Isolated Fitness | Raymond Verheijen Explains What Coaches Get Wrong Mar 28, 2026 00:40:33 Football Fitness vs Isolated Fitness — A Philosophical Approach to TrainingIn this episode, we sit down with Raymond Verheijen to break down one of the most misunderstood areas in coaching: fitness in football.Rather than viewing fitness as running, conditioning, or physical output, Verheijen reframes it through the true demands of the game—communication, decision-making, and execution. These thre
“What an FBI Hostage Negotiator Can Teach You About Coaching”
“What an FBI Hostage Negotiator Can Teach You About Coaching” Apr 8, 2026 00:43:03 What can an FBI hostage negotiator teach you about coaching?In this episode of Just Kickin’ It, we sit down with Chris Voss—former FBI hostage negotiator, CEO of The Black Swan Group, and author of Never Split the Difference—to explore how negotiation principles apply directly to coaching, recruiting, and player development.This conversation challenges a fundamental idea: coaching isn’t just instr
The Coaching Lie We've Been Telling for Decades
The Coaching Lie We've Been Telling for Decades Jun 23, 2026 00:58:47 In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Steve Smith — academic, author, and former competitive badminton player — to unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in sport coaching: ecological dynamics.We dive deep into why isolating skills in practice can actually create bad habits, how perception-action coupling shapes real athletic development, and why so many talented athletes never reach their p
What Is Coaching? Brett Ledbetter on Questions, Trust, and Removing Interference
What Is Coaching? Brett Ledbetter on Questions, Trust, and Removing Interference Jun 7, 2026 00:25:34 What if coaching isn't about giving better answers—but asking better questions?In this episode, Brett Ledbetter challenges conventional thinking around coaching, leadership, and performance. Rather than focusing on instruction, control, or motivation, Brett explores how great coaches help athletes take ownership of their development by thinking for themselves.Together, we discuss why questions oft
The Interference — Dr. Kapil Gupta on Why Coaching Might Be the Problem
The Interference — Dr. Kapil Gupta on Why Coaching Might Be the Problem May 16, 2026 01:03:56 What if the biggest obstacle to greatness isn't a lack of information — but too much of it?In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Kapil Gupta for a raw, unfiltered exploration of coaching, human potential, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. Dr. Gupta challenges nearly everything we take for granted about how athletes are developed — from the obsession with instruction and certifications t
Performance Is a Side Effect - 3rd Conversation Dr. Kapil Gupta
Performance Is a Side Effect - 3rd Conversation Dr. Kapil Gupta May 30, 2026 00:46:58 What if everything you've been told about performance psychology is wrong?In our latest episode of Just Kickin' It, Brian and Josh sit down with Dr. Kapil Gupta — advisor to professional athletes, CEOs, and performing artists — for one of the most thought-provoking conversations we've ever had.Kapil doesn't prescribe. He doesn't hand out frameworks, four-step processes, or the three Cs. He does so
- *The Brain Is Trainable — Here's How | Dan Abrahams Relaunch
- *The Brain Is Trainable — Here's How | Dan Abrahams Relaunch Apr 25, 2026 01:15:14 Before we dive into Dan Abrahams' latest book Compete, which will be released soon, we're bringing back one of our most impactful early conversations — the one that started it all.Dan Abrahams is a leading sports psychologist who has worked with Premier League clubs including West Ham and Fulham, and has spent over 15 years embedded in the football world at every level. He's also the author of Soc

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