Welcome to our brand new series on Cool Careers in Sports! Karis Hudgins is a student sports broadcast director at UNC Greensboro, where she directs live ESPN+ productions for Spartan Sports Network, and recently went viral for giving the world a behind the scenes look at what it actually takes to call a live college softball game. In this episode, Karis pulls back the curtain on the mental load, the fast decisions, and the relentless live pressure that goes into every broadcast — and how she landed a gig with the Savannah Bananas straight from an Instagram DM.

Episode Highlights:

• What a sports broadcast director actually does and why the mental load is way bigger than it looks
• How Karis went from taking photos at a soccer game to directing live ESPN+ productions as a student
• What it was like to work a Savannah Bananas game with 12 cameras and two directors in her ear at the same time
• Why the failure reset routine she uses in live broadcast is exactly what we teach our athletes on the field
• The reality of being a young female in a male-dominated field and how she is changing that
• How she landed a Savannah Bananas contract straight from an Instagram reel
• Her best advice for any young person curious about a career in sports media

Viral Reel behind the scenes: https://www.instagram.com/p/DW7sYtYgN6z/

Connect with Karis:

IG: @veggies.and.books

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

We are pulling this one from the archives because Taryn Kern just received her AUSL Golden Ticket! In this original interview, she opened up about the mental game that made it all possible and what she was still learning. We can't wait to watch her get drafted live on ESPN2 on May 4!


Episode Highlights:

• How she navigated the recruiting process during COVID without ever visiting the school
• What it felt like as a freshman and immediately need to lead and perform at a Big Ten powerhouse
• The breathing routine she uses every single at bat to slow the game down
• How she stopped letting record chases and external pressure get into her head
• Why she started letting a bad game ruin her whole day and what she did to stop
• What coaches are actually looking for beyond skill level at every level of the game
• The mental tools she used in softball that started showing up in every other area of her life
  
  

Connect with Taryn:

IG: @tarynkernn

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

Why does my daughter crush it in practice and completely fall apart in the game?
Coach AB and Coach Kara are giving you 3 Easy Challenges To Try This Week (that have nothing to do with softball)


Episode Highlights:

• Challenge 1: The Solo Mission — how giving her real responsibility and real consequences builds real confidence
• Challenge 2: Compliment a Stranger — why this challenge is one of the most powerful confidence builders
• Challenge 3: Try Something She’s “Not Good At” YET — and why being a beginner again is exactly what her softball game needs
• Why praising effort over outcome is the secret ingredient that makes all three challenges actually work
  
  

This week, pick one challenge, set aside time to do it together! Find us on socials and let us know how it went!

The Fearless Warrior Retreat is built around this exact same idea. How to empower her to reach her full potential and Unleash Her Warrior!

4 Day, 3 Night Experience - Mental Skills Training, Identity, Leadership and Mentorship by Olympians, College, Pro Players!

✨Get Early Access✨ by adding your name to the Retreat Waitlist.
https://www.fearlesswarriors.org/retreat-waitlist

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

Sydney Stewart just made history. Jennie Finch walked onto the field at Arizona and handed Sydney her AUSL Golden Ticket, making her one of only 17 collegiate players in the country guaranteed a spot in the professional draft. When we first recorded this conversation, Sydney was a junior transfer just arriving in Tucson with something to prove. Now she is a first-team All-Big 12 and second-team All-American catcher with 40 career home runs, 150 RBI, and a professional contract on the way. Go back and listen to the mindset that built all of it.

Episode Highlights:

• Starting 44 games as a freshman at a powerhouse D1 program
• How she earned the trust of veteran teammates
• The grounding routine she uses to slow the game down under pressure
• Her failure recovery process
• Her World Series experience and trusting her preparation
• Real talk on the transfer portal
• Why embracing slumps is the mindset shift that separates good hitters from great ones

Connect with Sydney:

IG: @sydneyystewart

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

Campbell Petrick is not just a guest on today's episode — she is a Fearless Warrior mentor and two-time retreat leader who has shown up for our athletes in a big way. Currently a senior pitcher at Midland University, Campbell brings radical honesty and hard-earned wisdom to every conversation. She opens up about tearing her ACL, MCL, and meniscus just weeks into her freshman year of college, losing her identity as a softball player, and how she rebuilt herself from the inside out to become a First Team All-GPAC pitcher with a 15-6 record and a 1.86 ERA. This one will hit home for any athlete or parent who has ever faced a setback and wondered what comes next.

Episode Highlights:

• How a devastating 3-ligament knee injury her freshman year became her greatest teacher
• Losing your identity when softball gets taken away — and how to find yourself again
• Why having a separate identity outside of softball makes you a better competitor
• The pre-game breathing and grounding routine that elevated her pitching
• Multi-sport wisdom: what basketball taught her that softball never could
• Real recruiting and transfer portal advice from someone who has lived both
• The one thing she would tell her younger self about gratitude
  
  

Connect with Campbell:

IG: @cammpetrick

Get on the Retreat Waitlist for all the Info: Dates, Location, Tickets Available, and more!

https://www.fearlesswarriors.org/retreat-waitlist

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

In this episode of the Fearless Warrior Podcast, I sit down with Janet McCormick, a Mental Performance Coach, to explore what truly separates good athletes from great ones. We dive into the hidden mental barriers athletes face, why “working harder” isn’t always the answer, and how coaches and players can better communicate, lead, and grow together.

Episode Highlights:

• The unseen mental side of athletic performance
• A different way to think about leadership on teams
• What sustains team culture
• Simple shifts that can change how athletes compete

Connect with Janet:

IG: @mindovertalent

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

We are diving into the archives today and going back to 2020 with Jenna (Lilley) Weisberg, a retired professional softball player. She is an alum for the University of Oregon and Team USA. Jenna opens up about the mindset required to compete at the elite level, and shares her honest insights about overcoming adversity.

Episode Highlights:

• Day in the life of a D1 softball player
• Importance of teammates and team culture
• Overcoming injuries and mental health struggles
• Practical recruiting advice for young athletes
• How writing down your goals can impact long-term success
• The importance of playing with passion and energy

Connect with Jenna:

IG: @jennakate00

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching
  
  
  

On this week's episode of the Fearless Warrior Podcast, I interview Kim Zuroff, a seasoned executive coach and keynote speaker, who helps high-level professionals cut through the chaos, gain clarity, and lead with confidence. We explore how to build sustainable high performance through clarity, one keystone habit, and consistent action, without burning out.

Episode Highlights:

• Defining a clear vision to avoid the wrong ladder
• Consistency over intensity as a winning strategy
• Boundaries with technology as performance tools
• Mindfulness practices for presence and focus
• Playing the long game and enjoying the process

Connect with Kim:

LinkedIn: Kim Zuroff

IG: @kimzuroff

More ways to work with Fearless Warrior

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org
• Instagram @fearlesswarrior
• Instagram @fearless.coach.ab
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlesswarriorcoaching