E97 Joshua Brunais and Jake Kaplan, CP Soccer

·46 min·2 clips

A traumatic brain injury from a helicopter crash became the catalyst for discovering Paralympics soccer.

This episode features hosts Liz Broad, an accredited sports dietitian, interviewing two members of the USA Para CP Soccer team, Joshua Brunais and Jake Kaplan, as they prepare for the Parapan American Games in Chile. Joshua is a Paralympian and Army veteran, while Jake has played CP soccer since high school. Joshua medically retired from the Army after ten years due to multiple traumatic brain injuries from events like a helicopter crash and explosions in Afghanistan. He discovered CP soccer through a veterans' soccer getaway organized by the VA, where coach Stuart Sharp noticed his potential. Jake, born with left-sided hemiplegic cerebral palsy, found the team online during his senior year of high school and emailed Coach Sharp, receiving a response within two hours. At his first training camp, Jake lasted only five minutes in a scrimmage before severe cramping and dehydration forced him out. Joshua is classified as an FT2 player, dealing with significant balance, coordination, and visual processing issues like convergence and depth perception problems. Jake is an FT1, the most impaired classification on the field, managing stiffness and spasticity in his left leg and hip. Both players are defenders, with Joshua also pushing forward and Jake often positioned centrally. They explain that the seven-a-side format involves more running and sport actions per player than traditional soccer, despite the smaller field. The team has a pioneering centralized training program in Atlanta, though only four players currently participate full-time due to budget and retention challenges. A typical training week includes four on-field sessions, a technical session, a local 7v7 league game, and one to two gym sessions. Joshua notes that training with only four players increases volume and repetition, making sessions intensely competitive. For nutrition, the team receives guidance from strength coach Dan and previously worked with dietitian Jackie, focusing on meal composition and hydration. Jake consulted nutritionist Jay Short to gain weight, moving from 126 to 129 pounds by increasing his calorie intake and incorporating more fruits and vegetables. Both athletes use electrolyte supplements, with Joshua finding they help retain hydration better than water alone, especially in Georgia's heat. They monitor training load through RPE scales and technology like PlayerMaker devices, which track steps, ball touches, and movement intensity. Jake finds regular athletic trainer and physical therapy sessions, including dry needling, crucial for managing muscle tightness. Joshua emphasizes that soccer provides emotional stability and vestibular rehabilitation, fundamentally improving his quality of life after his injuries. Jake believes the sport has made him a more creative player by forcing him to problem-solve around his physical limitations. They advise coaches to hold athletes with impairments to the same standards as able-bodied players to foster growth and accountability. The tone is conversational, educational, and deeply personal, blending athletic insight with lived experience. Listeners interested in adaptive sports, veteran stories, or sports nutrition will find this episode compelling. Those seeking highly technical dietary analysis or game strategy might find the focus on personal journeys less engaging.

As heard by us

A grounded look at CP soccer prep, with nutrition details that feel lived in rather than scripted.

This episode follows Joshua Brunet and Jake Kaplan as they prepare with the USA Parasoccer CP football team for the Parapan American Games in Chile. It gives the sport and the food talk the same weight, which works here.

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Why you'd press play

You want a grounded look at how two athletes fuel for Parapan American Games prep without sports-radio noise.

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