TheJustKickinItPodcast

In this episode of Just Kickin’ It, we sit down with leading sports psychologist Dan Abrahams to unpack what it truly means to perform under pressure.This conversation goes far beyond surface-level “confidence” and mindset clichés. Dan introduces a clear, actionable mental framework built around attention, intensity, and intent—and explains why most athletes and coaches misunderstand what mental performance actually is.We dive into:The difference between mental health, wellbeing, and performance psychologyWhy today’s athletes are experiencing more pressure—and how language is shaping itHow coaches can identify what players are really dealing withThe power of match scripts, game face, and controlling your response—not your thoughtsWhy high performance isn’t about feeling good… it’s about executing actions under pressureIf you’re a coach, athlete, or leader trying to build consistency in high-stakes moments, this episode will challenge how you think—and give you tools you can apply immediately.This is more than mindset.This is a system for competing when it matters most.Questions or information on podcasts or other content reach out at: [email protected]

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 Soccer Tough, Soccer Tough 2, and Soccer Brain.In this foundational episode, Dan breaks down what it really means to develop a mental game in soccer — from why he believes football is fundamentally a game of mindset, to practical tools coaches and players can use right now. We cover:The "Three M's" — Mood, Motivation, and Movement — and why managing them is non-negotiableWhat mental toughness actually means (hint: it's simpler than you think)The Match Script technique — giving players 1–3 controllable tasks to come back to under pressureGame Face — how to help players build an identity on the pitch using key words and model playersWhy coaches need to be tolerant on outcome and tough on processBody language as a performance weapon, not just an aestheticThis episode sets the stage for the upcoming deep dive into Compete. If you haven't heard this one yet, now is the perfect time before the release of our new conversation later next week.

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 cognitive load should shape your weekly plan, and what coaches in places like Portugal and Spain understand about intensity that most coaches in the US are still missing.This isn't a lecture on methodology. It's a real conversation about what it means to develop players who can think, adapt, and solve problems on their own — and what gets in the way of that.In this episode:Why your players' athleticism might be masking a problem-solving deficitHow to plan a training week around emotional state, not just physical loadThe Usain Bolt principle — and what it reveals about game complexityWhy empathy might be the most underrated coaching skillWhat a Portuguese coach taught his team without ever explaining whyIf you coach players at any level and you want them to actually think the game — this one's for you.

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 instruction—it’s negotiation. Every interaction with an athlete involves influence, communication, and understanding what’s happening inside their mind. Chris breaks down practical tools coaches can immediately apply:How to uncover what athletes are really thinkingWhy “you’re right” is often a failure, not a winThe power of labeling to unlock player thinking and improve decision-makingHow tone of voice impacts performance and attention in high-pressure momentsWhy “why” questions shut athletes down—and what to ask insteadHow to navigate recruiting conversations and identify bad fits earlyYou’ll also learn how these techniques help athletes move from thinking to performing—unlocking flow, improving communication, and ultimately elevating performance on the field.This is more than a conversation about negotiation. It’s about becoming a more effective coach, communicator, and leader.

This episode with Raymond Verheijen is about football periodization, why many coaches overcomplicate training, and why the primary job of a coach is to structure football-specific work in a way that improves performance while reducing injuries.Verheijen explains that periodization is not a rigid master plan that controls a team. It is a tool for organizing training, practice games, and the weekly and monthly rhythm of work based on the characteristics of football and the functioning of the body. The model should help coaches avoid both overtraining and undertraining, but it must always remain subordinate to tactical goals and playing style.A central theme of the episode is his criticism of the growing dependence on data-driven monitoring. He argues that the coach’s first responsibility is to develop the ability to observe players and communicate with them, rather than outsourcing judgment to questionnaires, GPS, or heart-rate systems. In his view, data may be used to confirm an observation, but never to replace the coach’s eye. He is particularly skeptical of GPS, calling attention to its measurement error and the false confidence it can create.The discussion then moves into small-sided games. Verheijen argues that 4v4 or other reduced formats should not be random competitions where players simply run hard. Instead, these games should be a simplification of 11v11, preserving the team’s playing style, positional roles, and tactical responsibilities. If a coach structures small-sided games correctly, effort and accountability become obvious through football itself, without the need for artificial commands to “work harder.”Another major point concerns rehabilitation and return to play. Verheijen rejects the traditional separation between rehab and football training, where injured players train in isolation and later jump back into the team environment. He argues instead for a football rehab periodization, where rehab is an individual simplification of the team’s football reference. This reduces the transition shock and lowers the risk of setbacks and reinjury.He also criticizes the rise of generalized movement specialists who treat football like gymnastics by trying to impose ideal movement patterns. His counterargument is that football does not rely on one perfect technique or one ideal movement solution. Because every game situation is different, football requires functional variability in technique and movement. Players must be able to solve problems in many ways, not conform to one stereotyped model.On strength training, Verheijen makes the point that the term itself is often used too loosely. Different coaches use the same word to describe very different methods. He argues that strength work in football should begin with an analysis of the actual demands of the sport. Since most explosive football actions occur after deceleration and change of direction, weight-room exercises should reflect that reality rather than rely on generic strength methods disconnected from football actions.The conversation closes with discussion of the college soccer environment, which Verheijen sharply criticizes. He views the condensed preseason and congested Friday-Sunday competition model as fundamentally harmful to player welfare. His advice for coaches in that setting is to distinguish between fitness and freshness. Fitness is developed before the season; once the competitive schedule begins, the focus must shift to recovery and restoring freshness between matches rather than trying to continue conditioning players during the season.Finally, he discusses injuries at elite clubs and argues that the head coach and training methods are the biggest drivers of injury rates. He references research suggesting that coaches tend to carry their injury profiles from club to club. His conclusion is simple: demanding training is not the issue by itself; poor balance between intensity, volume, fatigue, and recovery is.

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 three elements combine to form what he defines as a football action, and real fitness is the ability to perform these actions repeatedly, at a high tempo, over the course of a match .The conversation challenges traditional methods of isolated fitness training—such as sprinting drills and conditioning runs—arguing that they fail to develop the very qualities players need in the game. Instead, Verheijen outlines a football-specific approach built on:Improving the quality of actions (more explosive, more effective)Increasing the quantity of actions (more actions per minute)Maintaining both quality and quantity under fatigueThrough practical examples, including small-sided games, football sprints, and structured game scenarios, this episode provides a clear framework for designing training that directly transfers to performance.A key takeaway is that many coaches who rely on isolated fitness are not solving a fitness problem—they are compensating for a lack of playing style and tactical clarity.This episode sets the foundation for understanding football periodization and offers a powerful shift in how coaches should think about training, development, and performance.