The Soccer Geeks Podcast

🎉It is a #SoccerGeeks party with all our past guests. Hear about the growth of soccer development over the last few years from tactics to life lessons. Learn more about SoccerGeeks on our website: https://www.soccergeeks.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/soccergeeksusaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/soccergeeksusa

It is important to educate college athletes about their rights as players so that they can advocate for themselves and avoid potential pitfalls. To learn more about CACE Answers, visit https://caceanswers.com/

Failure is a part of every journey but learning how to deal with setbacks through resilience -- it is essential to having the mental strength to push through adversity. We are joined by Founder and CEO of Soccer Resilience Wells Thompson, aka Sunshine, who discusses his setbacks in life and how he is using soccer, and his passion for the game to change the world. Wells believes that balance off the field creates enhanced performance on the field and wants to help improve the mental well-being of athletes through Soccer Resilience.To learn more about Soccer Resilience, visit their website: http://www.socceresilience.com/

San Diego Sockers captain Kraig Chiles provides insight on his experience as the director of coaching for the Cardiff Mustangs and how to create the best situation for kids and their development.Follow SoccerGeeks on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SoccerGeeksUSA

It is important to educate parents, players, and coaches about physiology and when to receive proper care from a movement specialist or physio. We chatted with Exercise Physiologist and Kinesiologist Rory Sutherland about decoding and addressing the myths about training and the importance of endurance and posture in the performance and recovery of players. Rory offers insights into injury risk reduction and how players can stay healthy and extend their careers.About Rory SutherlandRory Sutherland, MS, CSCS, EP-C, FRC is the Academy Director of Sports Performance for San Diego Surf Soccer Club and owner of Sutherly Performance. Sutherly Performance is an in-person and online service leveraging technology and evidence-based practice for those looking to increase various aspects of sports performance.

Conversation with Adam Belz, host of The Scuffed Podcast, and discuss his passion and connection to the USMNT and how it has translated into his coverage of the team. We talked about the USMNT, the growth of the program, and what we can expect going forward with the upcoming World Cup.

International experience and exposure to the game from Larry Draluck. He talks with us on how it shaped his coaching methods and philosophy.About LarryLarry Draluck is a Nationally Licensed USSF "A" Level Coach. He began his college soccer career when he accepted a four-year scholarship to attend C.S.U. in Los Angeles where he earned his Bachelors Degree in Physical Education. During his senior year, Larry was named Most Valuable Player on a team that went to the NCAA Championship game and was ranked Number One in the Nation.After his college playing career, Larry went on to play professional soccer for UAG in Guadalajara, Mexico; then returned to the United States finishing up his playing career by being selected to The United States National Maccabiah team that competed in Tel Aviv, Israel, 1985.A former Division I Head Coach for both Men's and Women's soccer, Larry began his youth coaching career in 1984 when he started the first Girl's team at South Pasadena High School. Over the last 19 years he has remained heavily involved in all levels of youth and club soccer having led his teams to several state championships. Larry has also been a part of Cal South's Olympic Development Program since the program's early days in 1984; his former and current players fill rosters of State, Regional, National, College, as well as Professional Teams.

Christina Unkel takes us through her journey as a young athlete and how we can prevent referee burnout.

Jimmy gives us insight into facing the impossible and how being an afterthought can be used to fuel your fire and overcome adversity.

Insights from a military spouse entrepreneur that knows the importance of age-appropriate development training for children learning the game. Amy Schweizer gives us the perspective from her former soccer playing days and how that’s helped her develop the curriculum. When she noticed the need of social interaction and physical activity overseas at military bases kicked off the baseline for the programs she runs through Tiny Troops Soccer. You can connect with Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amytinytroopssoccer/About Amy SchweizerMy entrepreneurial journey began in 2015 as the founder of Tiny Troops Soccer and it became successful quickly. Those who have participated in the program have expressed how excited they were to have a physical activity to do with their preschool-age kids. Shortly thereafter, I had to hire coaches and support staff which opened the door to being a pioneer in the entrepreneurship community. I found myself mentoring military spouses and encouraging those who were looking for a fulfilling way to use their professional skills and contribute monetarily to their family.Tiny Troops Soccer is a beautiful marriage of my passion for soccer and my respect for military families. I am humbled and ever thankful for those that continue to make Tiny Troops Soccer a premier youth soccer program - we’re near 35 military bases across the country!

When it comes to being recruited by your target college soccer program, having a framework to follow, you can get started as early as 8th grade. We chatted with Recruit Fluency’s Eliott Mark about the education parents need to have their children recruited and what red flags parents need to look for in various recruiting programs.About Elliot Mark For over 20 years Elliot has been a noteworthy leader both on and off the field, a top Division I athlete and coach. Now Elliot is using his experience in sales and marketing to help young athletes find the college of their dreams. You may know him from his work at SoccerLAB but Elliot can also be credited with contributions to youth sports organizations and special needs programs throughout the country. Elliot spent 2006-2010 as the 1st Assistant & Head of National & International Recruitment at Florida Atlantic University. He helped guide the Burrowing Owls to an Atlantic Soccer Conference Championship. He holds a BA in Psychology from Lehigh University where he was a Regional All-American Center Back & two-year Captain for the Men's Soccer Program. Additionally, Elliot holds an NSCAA National Coaching Diploma and Goalkeeping Diploma, with a continuing education certificate from Columbia University.

UNC Asheville Assistant Coach Joe LaCasto shares what it is like to transition from playing regularly to coaching on the sideline. Joe shares tips on how to get recruited from playing in high school and what to look for in a soccer program. About Joe LaCastoLaCasto graduated from UNC Asheville in May 2019 after playing four seasons for the Bulldogs as a midfielder. He was a regular in the lineup during his career, appearing in 73 games and starting 58, including all 17 contests of his senior season.A native of Huntington Beach, California, LaCasto earned distinction on the Big South All-Academic Team as a junior and senior and was selected as the Bulldog Award Winner for men’s soccer at the 2017 ASHPYS.As a team captain during his senior campaign, LaCasto earned the second-most playing time for the Bulldogs, recording 1,410 minutes on the pitch. He scored one goal on the season and had a pair of assists, including a helper on the game-winning goal on the road against Wofford. He also was named to the UNCW SpringHill Suites Classic All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the event.As a junior, he scored a career-best two goals during the season, including one to help preserve a 2-2 draw against Big South Conference-foe Presbyterian. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, starting 16-of-19 contests, notching one goal and piling up five assists, finishing second on the team with seven points.

“My impact can be made off the field”In this episode, we chat with Andrew Hosmar, the Business Intelligence Advisor for the New England Revolution, about falling in love with the game again from the business side and realizing the impact he can make working in an MLS front office. From a business perspective, we can utilize data to make strong decisions and support them for the growth of the game. Hear about his journey from on the pitch through injury and moving into his current role. About Andrew HosmarAndrew Hosmar, Business Intelligence Supervisor with the New England Revolution, works alongside the sales and marketing departments to provide actionable, data-driven insights to aid revenue growth and build fruitful corporate relationships. With the implementation of new CRM software, he creates and maintains dashboards to help determine the success of marketing campaigns and develops insights to guide lead generation for new ticket sales. He combines his passion for American soccer and business by driving positive change. He continues to search for growth by connecting and learning from domestic and international clubs. His true passion is to help people create wins both on a team and individually, and he accomplishes this through the intersection of sport and marketing.

“You can be a mom and play at the highest level. I just love playing soccer too much that I am not ready to be done.”Natasha grew up in Arlington, TX and started playing at the age of 5 and often trained with the boys because of her stature. She knew that professional was the route she wanted to go and decided on playing soccer at Duke to kick off her adult soccer journey. Starting off as a pre-med undergrad, she eventually graduated with a degree in Political Science and minored in Sociology while playing for the women’s soccer team at Duke. Anasi’s post-graduation plan was to play in the States and that changed quickly.She landed in Iceland and within 24 hours she was starting at the attacking mid position. We talk with Natasha about her playing career throughout Iceland’s club teams, training 9 weeks after her daughter was born, adjusting and learning the language, and making the decision to get her Icelandic citizenship in December 2019. Shortly thereafter she got the call and was making her international debut in March 2020.About Natasha AnasiNatasha Moraa Anasi is a footballer who plays as a defender for Breiðablik. Born and raised in the United States, Anasi played college football for the Duke Blue Devils before moving to Iceland in 2014, where she joined Úrvalsdeild kvenna club ÍBV. She moved to fellow Icelandic club Keflavík ÍF in 2017. In 2019, Anasi received an Icelandic citizenship and in February 2020, she was selected to the Icelandic national team for the first time. On March 4 2020, Anasi made her senior debut for Iceland in a 1–0 friendly win against Northern Ireland. On February 20 2022, she scored her first goal for Iceland when she scored the first goal in Iceland's 2-1 victory against Czech Republic.Follow Natasha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaanasi/

“You don’t grow when you stay where you are and don’t step out of your comfort zone.” From a young age, Marley Canales knew that she wanted to play professionally and needed to step into that role despite the fear that might be present. She captained the UCLA women’s soccer team and now begins her NWSL career with the OL Reign. We chat with her about getting in the right mindset to play at a big program and how her ACL injury became a blessing in disguise.About Marley CanalesMarley Canales, a midfielder originally from San Diego, was drafted by OL Reign in the NWSL Draft. At UCLA, Canales was a third-team All-Pac-12 selection along with 1 of 4 players to start in all 20 games. Marley was ranked fifth on the team with three goals and three assists in the 2021 season along with captaining the club. Following obtaining her Bachelor’s in Psychology, she earned her Master’s Degree in Transformative Coaching and Leadership while at UCLA.

We chatted with Columbus Crew’s Miguel Berry at the start of the MLS season. He shared his perspective about growing from a college starter into an MLS backup striker and how to remain focused. “You’re a human being before you’re a soccer player” and that has proved to be beneficial as he navigates the next phase of his soccer journey. Listen in as he explains how Gyasi Zardes has influenced his growth at the Crew. About Miguel BerryBerry was chosen by Crew SC with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft before signing with the Club on February 27. The forward was sent on loan to United Soccer League Championship side San Diego Loyal SC in August 2020 and scored three goals in seven appearances with that club. He returned to the Crew in 2021 and put in 8 goals total in 18 appearances. At the time of the episode being released, he has scored 1 goal in the 2022 MLS Season. Miguel recently visited Europe in the offseason and gets to Spain whenever possible, where he was born. He is fluent in English, Spanish and German, and speaks some Catalan.

“Where are the biggest hurdles as a Director to grow the game in the U.S.A.?”The mentality of a young player is key to growing in the sport and requires keen observation. As a longtime coach and instructor, he knows that his role comes with great responsibility. As he navigated through the courses of obtaining his license, it was made clear that the role of a coach is more of an educator than an instructor. Jason chats with Benoit about the “less is more” approach and why parents play a key role in the growth of a player. Additionally, Benoit shares his journey as a young player in Australia, a coach earning his license in Europe, and how that affects his approach as a Director.NOTE: When we originally chatted with Benoit in early 2022, he was the Academy Director with San Diego Surf Academy and is now working with the Academy at LA Galaxy. About Benoit DavidBenoit David was born in Pambula, New South Wales, Australia and began coaching in 2008. While playing in France, he began studying to be a coach and obtained certification through the French Football Federation.Prior to joining the LA Galaxy as their U15 coach, Benoit was the Boys Director at San Diego Surf Soccer Club and held various coaching roles at FC Golden State and LAFC. Outside of being on the pitch, Benoit spends time with his family going on hikes with his pup, and following AS Monaco. You can follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/BenoitDavid1984 or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benoit-david-pambula/To connect with SoccerGeeks, follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/soccergeeksusa or visit our website http://www.soccergeeks.com/

What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear “soccer”? Gaps in development exist because of what we are used to and we chat with Joe about recognizing the gaps and what coaches and trainers can do to improve development. His coaching experience gave him the opportunity to see the difference between how we view the game and how we teach the game. He explains how by training in a setting with other players, you are able to find solutions as if it were a game of chess – simulating various scenarios of the game.About Joe PehanichJoe is the lead trainer and Founder of JPS Training & the Technical Director/Founder of Heads Up Vest (https://www.questath.com/). He possesses an “A” license and “GR Instructor’s” license with the US Soccer Federation. His path into coaching started early at the age of 18 and has continued over the last 22 years, where he most recently spent 3 years helping LAFC build their youth academy. Joe grew up in Palmdale, CA, and played at several elite levels in the SoCal soccer circuit. He met his wife Lauryn while taking a coaching course in 2011, and they are now raising three beautiful children in Anaheim Hills, CA.

How do we teach these kids life lessons so they can be ON when playing the game? In this episode, we chat with Shannon MacMillian -- retired soccer player, coach, FIFA Women's World Cup champion, and Olympic gold and silver medalist. As Director of Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks, she recalls the opportunities presented to her as a young player and how that translates to being a great coach. Jason talks with Shannon about being a Director and giving coaches the confidence to mold young people as people first, and players second. As the VP of Community Relations for San Diego Loyal, Shannon brings her experience as a mom, player, and coach together into being a leader for the growth of the game locally in San Diego and throughout the States.About ShannonShannon MacMillan played for the US women’s national soccer team from 1993-2005 and was a member of the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion team. Mac Millan also earned a gold medal in the 1996 & 2004 Olympics and a silver medal in the 2000 Olympics with the USWNT. She was US Soccer female athlete of the year in 2012. Mac Millan is the Executive Director for the DMCV Sharks, a youth soccer club in San Diego. She is also a Senior Advisor to the SD Loyal and Landon Donovan, a USL Championship team.In 2016, Mac Millan was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Shannon grew up in the San Diego area and currently resides in Cardiff, CA, with her family.To connect with SoccerGeeks, follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/soccergeeksusa or visit our website http://www.soccergeeks.com

We need to “simplifying things, but also focus on the individual and the player in terms of development” - especially with elite players as well.  We talk with Glenn Crooks, known broadcaster, journalist, podcast host, and soccer coach about how we can approach changes in the soccer landscape and what coaches might do. He expresses the need for coaches to develop passion in players and make it fun, whether they are at the grassroots or professional.About Glenn CrooksGlenn has called NYCFC’s matches since their inaugural MLS season in 2015 and also covers the team as a soccer writer for Pro Soccer USA. In collaboration with Pro Soccer USA, he hosts On Frame, a soccer podcast where I do everything from dissecting playing tactics and systems to chatting with players, coaches, and executives in American soccer. He has hosted the likes of 2019 National Soccer Hall of Fame inductees Sunil Gulati and Abby Wambach, New England Revolution head coach Bruce Arena, MLSPA executive board member Eric Miller, and many more on the podcast.His involvement in the sport spans nearly 50 years, ranging from the youth and college levels all the way to the pros. Today, the soccer world knows Glenn as the national radio voice for Major League Soccer’s New York City FC, analyst for the Big Ten Network, host of The Coaching Academy on SiriusXM FC, the On Frame and Soccer in the City weekly podcasts, and a contributor for Pro Soccer USA.Follow Glenn Crooks on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlennCrooksTo connect with SoccerGeeks, follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/soccergeeksusa or visit our website http://www.soccergeeks.com