Episode 127: Ryan Bevins and JP Claxton, Fight Club

Written By Susie Gurley

On this episode of The Just Mom Podcast, Ryan Begins and JP Clayton dive into their organization called Fight Club (https://fightclub-us.com/), a movement created to give teens—especially young men—a safe place to talk about what they’re really feeling.
Fight Club was born from a simple but urgent realization: kids are struggling, and many don’t know how to talk about it. What started as a response to that need has grown into something extraordinary. Ryan and JP share how Fight Club addresses the very real mental and spiritual battles kids face today. Through trust-building, peer-led conversations (with no adults in the room during sharing), these groups go deep—creating space for honesty, vulnerability, and growth.
Fight Club is shifting the paradigm for young men, helping them learn how to name and express their emotions—often for the first time. Now with 29 groups and growing, the impact is undeniable. Some members have even taken the initiative to start Fight Club groups on their college campuses, carrying the mission forward.
Ryan and JP also open up about their own journeys in learning how to talk about their feelings and share powerful stories that highlight just how life-changing Fight Club has been. Additionally, Fight Club for girls has launched, led by Ryan’s wife.  Fight Club also has a new partnership with Kids TLC (https://www.kidstlc.org/), an inpatient mental health facility. This partnership brings Fight Club into a preventive care space, supported by two licensed therapists who attend Fight Club meetings.
This conversation is hopeful, honest, and deeply needed—for parents, mentors, and anyone who cares about 
the next generation. 
IG: @fightclub_us  FB: Fight Club

Susie Gurley

Susie Stapp Gurley was born and raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. She married her college sweetheart, Dan Gurley, shortly after graduating from TCU with a degree in advertising and public relations. In her first career, Susie worked in college admissions and academic advising. Simultaneously she pursued a master’s degree from The University of Central Missouri in sociology and then worked for the Sedgwick County, KS Department of Aging as a case worker. Susie stepped away from the professional world in 1997 to become a stay-at-home mom. She spent the majority of the last 25 years as a wife, mother, and volunteer, primarily in her church and her three children’s schools and activities.

Susie became a mental health advocate after her youngest son became a teen spokesperson about his battle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. In 2018, at the age of 15, Will founded the You Matter Festival, a music festival promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Will shared his personal mental health struggles with the 1,000-person crowd, which started his role as a local KC teen advocate for mental health. Because of Will’s involvement, Susie recorded a video #Zeroreasonswhy (https://zeroreasonswhy.org), a Kansas City area organization working to end teen suicide in the Johnson County, Kansas area. This video was viewed over 10,000 times, which was the impetus of the Just A Mom podcast. Susie decided that she needed to follow the brave trail blazed by her son and became an outspoken advocate for parents of children who struggle with mental illness. The Just a Mom podcast launched in September of 2022 and encourages parents to know that they are not alone and there is hope.

Susie served as the Executive Director of the You Matter Festival and is currently on the Friends of Johnson County Mental Health Board. Susie has grown three children, two daughters-in-law, and a son-in-law.

Next

Episode 126: Jeanette Yoffe, Therapist, Founder of The Celia Center, Author, and Court-Appointed Reunification Expert