Almost Pro

Almost Pro Sharing the stories behind the almost. 🎙️ Listen in and connect with others who’ve lived the highs, lows, and life after sport.

🎙️ Almost Pro – Sport Podcast
Hosted by Frances & Laura

Every week, we share the untold stories of athletes who came close to going pro, or reached the top of their sport without the “pro” salary to match - alongside the coaches, experts, and mentors who helped shape their journey. We focus on the raw, real, and unseen elements of what happens beyond the spotlight: resilience, identity, transitio

n, and the human side of sport. Driven by a shared passion to unpack the moments that shape who we become through sport, Almost Pro exists to remind us that success isn’t only measured by titles or contracts - it’s found in the stories, lessons, and growth along the way. Welcome to the Almost Pro community. Whether you're tuning in, sharing your story, or joining the conversation, we're so happy to have you here! The story isn’t in the title - it’s in the journey. 💙🧡

⚾️ Sometimes the thing that changes your path ends up revealing your purpose.In this week’s episode of Almost Pro, we si...
05/29/2026

⚾️ Sometimes the thing that changes your path ends up revealing your purpose.

In this week’s episode of Almost Pro, we sit down with Andy Bass.

From professional baseball to mental performance leadership with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andy’s journey is one of resilience, perspective and growth.

Throughout the conversation, Andy shares his experiences with:
• The yips
• Imposter syndrome
• Athlete identity
• Overthinking and self-trust
• The evolution of mental performance in sport

But more than anything, this is a conversation about what happens when the path you planned changes, and how those experiences can shape the person you become.

Thoughtful, insightful and incredibly human, Andy’s story offers valuable lessons for athletes, coaches, parents and sport industry professionals alike.

🎙️ Pro Baseball, The Yips, And Getting Out Of Your Own Head | Andy Bass

🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

MLB HighPerformance SportsPodcas

Confidence is part of elite sport.It has to be.The pressure, scrutiny and expectations at the highest level demand belie...
05/22/2026

Confidence is part of elite sport.

It has to be.

The pressure, scrutiny and expectations at the highest level demand belief in yourself.

But when does confidence cross into ego, entitlement, or superiority?

In this week’s AP Bites, we explore the fine line between confidence and arrogance in modern sport - and why swagger, dominance and confidence can sometimes become confused with leadership.

Because some of the greatest athletes ever carried confidence without making others feel small.

🎙️ EP.005 — Confidence vs Arrogance in Sport

Now streaming on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Link in comments.

AthleteIdentity

Meet Malhar Atré - the latest member of the Almost Pro crew! 🇮🇳🇦🇺A national level swimmer and multi-sport athlete from I...
05/15/2026

Meet Malhar Atré - the latest member of the Almost Pro crew! 🇮🇳🇦🇺

A national level swimmer and multi-sport athlete from India whose journey through swimming, cycling, water polo and sport management eventually brought him to Australia in pursuit of something bigger than competition alone.

In this episode, Malhar shares:
🏊 The realities of pursuing elite sport in India
đźš´ Transitioning across multiple sports
🏏 Working within the Indian sporting system and BCCI
🇦🇺 The stark contrast between sport in India and Australia
🎯 Why he’s now pursuing a future helping shape sport from the organisational side

A really fascinating conversation on ambition, opportunity and finding new ways to stay connected to the dream.

🎧 India To Australia: When Ambition Outgrows Environment is OUT NOW on YouTube, Spotify and all podcast platforms.

đź”—Spotify episode link in comments

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums and mother figures behind the athletes, coaches, teams and sporting dreams.Thank you ...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums and mother figures behind the athletes, coaches, teams and sporting dreams.

Thank you for the sacrifices no one sees 🤍

Can your beliefs actually cost you your career in sport?In modern sport, athletes aren’t just being judged on performanc...
05/08/2026

Can your beliefs actually cost you your career in sport?

In modern sport, athletes aren’t just being judged on performance anymore.

They’re being judged on:
• what they post
• what they support
• what they say publicly
• and sometimes even what they stay silent about

In this week’s AP Bites, we explore the growing pressure athletes face between authenticity, public expectation, organisational values and career security.

🎙️ AP Bites:
BIG conversations in sport.
Small enough to fit into your lunch break.

Listen now on www.almostpropodcast.com

Back in the USA 🇺🇸⚾️After an incredible week recording Almost Pro together in Australia, the first stop back was the loc...
05/07/2026

Back in the USA 🇺🇸⚾️

After an incredible week recording Almost Pro together in Australia, the first stop back was the local Minor League Baseball game watching the Daytona Tortugas take on the Clearwater Threshers!

One of the coolest parts of being in the Almost Pro space for me and Frances is getting to experience different sporting cultures and systems wherever we go, while still watching athletes give everything they’ve got chasing their goals and hearing past athletes cheer them on from the sidelines.

Different game. Different environment.
Same love of sport.

For the first time ever…Almost Pro. Same place. Same time.📍 Brisbane, AustraliaAnd we couldn’t think of a better guest t...
05/02/2026

For the first time ever…
Almost Pro. Same place. Same time.
đź“Ť Brisbane, Australia

And we couldn’t think of a better guest to do it with.

This week, we sat down with Laura’s brother, Jake Spellacy.

His story spans:

Rugby union.
Rugby league.
And a comeback against the odds.

From a serious spinal scare and multiple injuries… to nearly walking away from the game completely… Jake’s path through sport has been anything but straightforward.

But he never really left.

Now, he’s back building his game in rugby league — and continuing to soar.

This one’s special. For a lot of reasons.

🎧 EPISODE OUT NOW – link in comments

We said things were about to get interesting…Recording in the same country for the first time everso OBVIOUSLY the occas...
04/30/2026

We said things were about to get interesting…

Recording in the same country for the first time ever
so OBVIOUSLY the occasion needed to be celebrated

…with an awkward best friend photoshoot

Not sure what this says about us
but you’re welcome

🎙 Special episode coming this week

04/29/2026

We’ve been keeping a secret… 🤫

Almost Pro.
Same place.
Same time.

đź“Ť BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

Recording together, in person.
For the first time EVER.

This week is about to get VERY interesting đź‘€

Stay close… you won’t want to miss what’s coming 🔥

Address

105 E Orange Ave
Daytona Beach, FL
32114

Website

https://linktr.ee/almostpropodcast

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