In this episode of the Social Kick Podcast, we welcome back NCAA Champion and Polish Olympian Kacper Stokowski. Known for his legendary celebrations and underwater dominance at NC State, Kacper is now pivoting his competitive drive into the world of sports business. We discuss his new venture, Level Up Mentorship, a platform designed to bridge the gap between young athletes and elite mentors. Kacper shares his personal journey from a young swimmer in Poland with unanswered questions to an elite athlete realizing the power of a one-on-one connection. We also get Kacper’s takes on the current state of swimming, including: The 19-Second Barrier: Why we haven't seen a 19-second 50 backstroke yet and who he’d bet on to do it. The "Wolfpack" Culture: Lessons learned from Braden Holloway and how swimming for "the Diamond" shaped his business philosophy. Monetizing the Sport: How mentorship can create revenue streams for non-revenue collegiate sports to prevent program cuts. Injury & Comeback: Kacper opens up about his recent back struggles (the "old man problems" of underwater specialists) and his excitement to return to the water with a smarter, higher-intensity training approach. Whether you're a parent navigating the NIL era, a young swimmer looking for a pro's perspective, or just a fan of the sport, this episode is packed with insights on how to "Level Up." 0:00 - Intro: Remembering Kacper’s epic block celebration 2:08 - The 19-second 50 Backstroke: Why is it so elusive? 5:24 - Discussing the "Swim Inflation" and 42-second backstroke times 7:12 - Audience Questions: The art of the celebration—authentic vs. choreographed 14:31 - Breaking the unwritten rules of swimming "decorum" 17:05 - What is Level Up? Solving the lack of resources for young athletes 23:38 - Moving beyond "doom scrolling" to real mentorship 35:30 - The challenges of being an international recruit in the NCAA 41:54 - The most common question: "How do I become a pro?" 44:36 - The long-term goal: Saving collegiate programs through revenue sharing 52:10 - Recovery update: Dealing with bulging discs and the return to the pool 56:47 - Rapid Fire: Pull-up goals, bench press stats, and Masters predictions

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In this episode of the Social Kick Podcast, we sit down with Sean Kao, the founder and mastermind behind Aquatic Sports Performance (ASP). Sean has revolutionized the way elite swimmers approach the weight room, training some of the fastest athletes on the planet, including Caleb Dressel and Michael Andrew. Sean takes us through his journey from being a sprinter at Arizona State University under the legendary Bob Bowman to building a world-class training facility from a garage. We discuss his "Rate Limiting KPI" philosophy, the reality of "neural load" in sprinting, and the grit required to build a media brand and an elite pro group simultaneously. Whether you’re a coach, an athlete, or a swimming nerd, Sean Kao’s insights on the business and biology of fast swimming are a must-watch.

The 2026 NCAA Swimming & Diving season is officially in the books! Bryan and John are back from Atlanta (Georgia Tech) to recap a wild week of record-breaking performances and controversial format changes. From the Virginia Women securing an epic 6th straight title to the Texas Men going back-to-back, the dynasties are alive and well—but the sport is changing. We dive deep into the "no B-finals" experiment, the decision to open the meet with the 1650 Freestyle, and why Josh Liendo and Hubi Kos setting NCAA records in the morning was met with "crickets" in the stands. We also discuss our Social Kick Afterparty at Margaritaville with Olympic Champ Daniel Wiffen and our vision for turning the NCAAs into a 6-day combined "festival" of swimming.