The Next Season Podcast

045 - How to Get Recruited the Right Way

Most players think they know what gets them recruited. They're often wrong. Adam Schlenoff has sat in every seat this game offers. D1 college player. High school teacher. 15 years as Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Johns Hopkins — multiple College World Series appearances, D3 offensive records, a national championship game. He's evaluated thousands of players. He knows exactly what separates the guys who make it from the guys who don't — and it's not what most players or parents think. In this episode: * What coaches are really reading before you take a swing * Why your stats open the door but your character earns the invitation * What great teammates actually do * What it felt like to walk away from a 30-year run in the game Now he's building something new — recruiting consulting, showcases, and a youth baseball organization built around the thing most of the industry skips: honest evaluation and real human connection. If you're a player, a parent, or a coach — this one's for you. Find Adam & Get Involved: Recruiting Consulting: Jeff Burton Consulting [https://www.jeffburtonconsulting.com/] Showcases & Youth Baseball: schlenoffbaseball.com [http://schlenoffbaseball.com/index.php] Charm City Clippers: Baltimore Clippers, MCBL [https://www.htosports.com/teams/?s=baseball&u=BRAYS] Follow Adam: @Mr_Schlen [https://x.com/Mr_Schlen]   👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com   00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:29 Welcoming Adam Schlenoff 02:53 Roots In Education & Influence on Coaching 05:28 Trust in the Locker Room 06:48 Early Sports Journey 10:17 Multi Sport Debate & Nuance 13:58 Realities Of College Baseball 20:17 When The Game Ends 22:02 The Beautiful Game 25:03 Coaching Breakthrough Years 29:50 Building Trust and Culture 32:35 Coaching Philosophy on Failure 38:56 Recruiting Puzzle Pieces 43:56 Stats Open the Door, Character Gets You In 47:45 Next Chapter & New Challenges 51:16 How to Connect, Support & Join Adam

044 – Johnny Martin Returns (pt. 2 of 2)

Part 1 was the warmup. Part 2 is game time. Johnny leads us through a live values exercise — step by step — that will challenge you to do more than name what matters. It will ask you what you're actually willing to lose to keep it. Real values have to be clear, tested, and behavioral. If they don't cost you anything, they're just words. Athletes, ATLAS athletes, coaches — this one's for all of you. Notebook out. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:45 Real vs Processed Relationships 02:36 Discipline in What We Consume 04:31 The Dichotomy of Discipline & Mental Health 06:35 Athletes & Veterans Transition 08:03 Mindset as the Separator 10:54 Underdog Beliefs & Environment 11:52 Values Exercise Framework 15:12 Choose Five Values 15:38 Turn Values Into Behaviors 16:19 Run a Values Audit 18:44 The Cost of Values 20:59 Work Without Recognition 23:22 Revisit Values Over Time 25:50 Coaching Without Judgment 27:27 Closing Thoughts & Gratitude

044 – Johnny Martin Returns (pt. 1 of 2)

Johnny Martin is back. When it comes to coaching high performers, Johnny is a legend. You don't need notoriety and fame to make an impact - and Johnny has impacted elite athletes, veterans and business leaders for years. If you haven't heard Episode 026, go there first. This conversation picks up where that one left off — and it gets real from the first sentence. In Part 1, we get into curiosity as a performance tool, what real confidence actually looks like, how the best coaches show up the same in every room, and the three questions Johnny uses with every high performer navigating transition. This one is for athletes, coaches, and anyone who wants to perform at a higher level — in sport or in life. Subscribe and hit the notification bell so you're ready for part 2. Trust me, you won't want to miss it. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:19 Coaching Active Athletes & ATLAS Athletes 03:10 The Identity of Athletes at Turning Points 06:15 Missing the Game & Radical Ownership Shift 07:37 Time Boundaries & Showing Up 10:07 Curiosity & Three Non-negotiables 12:57 Rapid Fire Warmup 17:38 Success Goes Beyond You 19:13 Curiosity About Real Ones vs Imposters 22:13 Curiosity About Authenticity (& Three Authenticity Pillars) 25:12 Character at Home 27:03 Curiosity About Alter Egos & Control 28:10 Curiosity & Coaching High Performers 30:47 Curiosity & Social Media 33:30 Closing Thoughts, Prep for Part Two, Support & Gratitude

043 – Let Go to Move Forward

There's a moment every athlete knows. You're in a funk, you're slumping, you're losing confidence, you're not performing like you used to — and instead of moving forward, you grip tighter. To the stats. To the reputation. To the player you remember being. To the past. That grip feels like effort — doing the work you're supposed to do. But what if it's actually a trap? When your identity is anchored to a past version of yourself, your brain treats the gap between then and now as a threat — and it shifts from performance mode into survival mode. Tight muscles. Overthinking. Playing not to fail instead of playing to win. You're not broken. Your brain is responding normally, but that doesn't mean it's what's best in these situations. It's trying to keep you safe, but it's holding you back. This episode is about learning to put down the old version — not because it didn't matter, but because you can't build who you need to become if both hands are gripping so tight to who you were. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com 00:00 Intro & Highlights 01:19 Spring Reset & Quitting 03:44 High School Identity 05:44 College Reality Check 07:23 Winter Break Quit 08:24 Mental Highlight Reel 10:35 Brain Threat Response 13:02 Letting Go Science 15:54 Reset Routines Cues 19:28 Build New Identity 22:49 Reinvent To Last 24:38 Closing Thoughts, Assessments, Support & Gratitude

042 – Suffering & Self-Reliance for Athletes

We don’t feel suffering or pain because of life's challenges. As an athlete, you may not be struggling because of the pressure and the competition. We struggle because we try to avoid that suffering. We try to avoid the pain. We try to stay clear of the challenges.  We resist. In this episode, I break down suffering, self-reliance, pressure, grit, and resilience - and what they actually mean in real life. Drawing from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance and powerful conversations with Tony Robbins, Alex Hormozi, Chris Williamson and Arthur Brooks, we talk about: *  Why pressure builds identity *  Why confidence comes after courage *  Why avoiding discomfort weakens you *  And how suffering can shape you instead of crush you If you’re in a hard season - on the field or after sport - this one’s for you. 👉 Learn more about 1:1 Coaching for active athletes and ATLAS athletes at nextseasonathletes.com