Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

A Pro Soccer Offer at 15. A Family Decision. If your child received a professional soccer offer at 15, would your family say yes straight away? Jonny Shore's family took months. College was still on the table. The NYCFC midfielder tells Liron and Matt how they made that decision, what changed after he signed, and how his parents supported him when playing well did not bring the next opportunity. For parents wondering how kids become professional soccer players, this is one family's answer, with the parts that do not make the announcement: online school from 10th grade, two seasons on the second team playing against adults, a season where he played well and got "pretty much no looks" from the first team, a debut at 17 that came faster than he expected, and a back injury that took most of the next preseason. Jonny says he has no regrets, and he still tells every kid to have a plan B. He also understands why another player might choose college. Liron and Matt also ask him what coachability means and what coaches owe young players in return, and what he would tell a nine-year-old who is scared to make a mistake. For parents, this is a player's account of when support helped and when pressure got in the way: parents who let him play, friendships that made the academy years special, the moments he needed clearer feedback from coaches, and why, even in the first team, he keeps coming back to enjoying the game. In this episode: Joining an MLS academy at 10 and adjusting to the competition, travel, and training schedule Why young players need room to make mistakes, and how his parents supported that What coachability means, and why coaches also owe young players clear feedback Weighing a pro contract against college, and why Jonny still recommends a plan B Switching to online school and missing birthdays and weekends with friends Why playing against adults made the academy-to-second-team jump so difficult The season with no first-team looks, and working back after injury Keeping friendships and interests outside soccer, without measuring progress against social media Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents navigating youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player. (00:00) - Opening (01:55) - Upper West Side to Manhattan Kickers (07:22) - The Academy Shock (11:37) - Play Your Own Game (13:52) - Coachability and What Coaches Owe Kids (16:10) - What Families Give Up for Soccer (18:30) - Plan B and the College Question (21:58) - A Pro Offer at 15: The Family Decision (28:28) - From Waiting to an MLS Debut (33:43) - Injury, Setbacks and Earning Your Place (39:13) - Enjoy the Game and Stop Comparing (43:41) - Closing: Keep the Dream and a Plan B View full transcript

What U.S. Soccer Says Must Change in Youth Soccer How is U.S. Soccer trying to fix youth soccer? Its chief operating officer says the current system is "not acceptable," families are not appropriately served, and the federation owns improving and clarifying the pathway. The World Cup filled stadiums and pulled in tens of millions of viewers. Then the run ended against Belgium, and the federation started saying two things at once: the event was a success, and the development system has to change. For a parent in the car on the way to practice, the second sentence is the one that matters. Dan Helfrich, Chief Operating Officer of U.S. Soccer, describes what he wants a new system to look like: soccer in schools and parks for free, local competition that does not price families out in money or time, development centers where a kid can be seen without a tryout or a check, and a wider talent funnel that stays open past the early-teen years when kids are still growing. He agrees that most young players should be able to find good competition much closer to home, while acknowledging that lower-density communities need different answers. He says U.S. Soccer will not own and operate leagues. These are goals and early design principles, not announced policy. Dan is also a soccer parent. He asks to return in 9 to 12 months so Liron and Matt can review what has changed and what has not. Parents should hold U.S. Soccer to that check-in. In this episode: The "spider web" of governance and why Google Maps cannot navigate the pathway Soccer in schools and parks as the first step toward affordability Why an 11-year-old's future does not depend on one national tournament, and where travel can shrink Why U.S. Soccer does not want to own youth leagues, and what it wants to own instead Why scouting becomes self-fulfilling and how video and a wider affiliate network could change that Keeping the talent funnel open through adolescence, when dominant 11-year-olds stop dominating The cost of a good game, travel as an unforced error, and where new money could come from Coach and parent behavior: the U11 throw-in that says everything Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America, the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player. (00:00) - Opening: The USYS News (03:03) - The Summer That Changed Belief (07:25) - The Spider Web (09:46) - US Soccer Owns This (11:37) - What A New System Looks Like (19:13) - Abolish Travel? (22:22) - Not Owning Leagues, Borrowing Ideas (26:20) - Who Gets Seen: A Wider Funnel (33:38) - The Cost Of A Good Game (38:22) - College Soccer (42:27) - Coaches And Parent Behavior (45:42) - Wrap-Up: The Parent To-Do List Click here to view the episode transcript.

The Long Game. How Do You Keep Kids Loving Soccer? How do you keep kids loving soccer when the game keeps asking them to carry more? This final episode of our Summer Best Of series steps back from rankings, pathways, costs, and development models to ask a bigger question. After a year of conversations, what actually matters when the final whistle blows on a child’s youth soccer journey? Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia revisit some of the voices that shaped the first season, including Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, Don Farr, Tali Sommer, Ryan Farr, Andrew May, Peguy Luyindula, and David Rodriguez. Together they explore listening before solving, protecting enjoyment, giving late developers time, and remembering that the child has to stay more important than the sport. The Long Game closes the series with optimism. Youth soccer is still worth believing in, but only if we never lose sight of why children started playing in the first place. In this episode: • Why listening should come before solving when a child wants to quit • What parents often forget while chasing development • Why freedom and enjoyment create better long-term players • How Ryan Farr’s journey challenges early specialization • Why growth goals matter more than outcome goals • Why the child has to remain more important than the sport • What the best guests from Season One taught us about long-term development • Why the future of American youth soccer is still worth fighting for (00:00) - The Long Game (01:37) - Listen Before You Solve (05:13) - Why Parents Love Watching (08:27) - Playing Free (11:21) - Late Development Is Real (14:15) - Growth Over Goals (18:13) - The Child Before The Sport (20:37) - Why We Still Believe (21:51) - End of Season Reflections Click here to view the episode transcript.

Parents hear the word development everywhere in youth soccer. Clubs say it. Coaches say it. Trainers say it. But if training does not transfer to the game, the word can hide more than it explains. In this Best Of Part 3 episode, Liron and Matt revisit clips from Sean McCafferty, Juan Santamaria, Nil Congost, Christian Gonzalez, Evan Rosenthal, Matt Poland, Dr. Chris Platts, and Jose Campos. The episode moves from winning and false progress to skill, recognition, specificity, sacrifice, late developers, and the coaching humility required to see the player in front of you. In this episode: Why winning all the time can create false progress Why wanting to win is still part of development How environment challenges talent Why technique is not the same as game skill Why general practice creates general outcomes How parents get pulled toward training that looks good but may not transfer Why the simple action under pressure is often elite Why coaches and parents should be careful when predicting a player’s future (00:00) - What Is Development? (01:17) - False Progress (04:05) - Winning Matters (05:49) - The Barcelona Fantasy (08:37) - Technique Is Not Skill (12:13) - Specific Training (14:37) - Style Before Substance (18:10) - The Last 15 Percent (21:20) - Late Developers (26:45) - Coaching the Player (29:15) - What Parents Should Look For Click here to view the episode transcript.

For parents, that question is not only about fees. It is about sacrifice, access, pressure, private training, travel, college hopes, and whether the money is actually helping the player. In this Best Of episode, Liron and Matt revisit the cost conversation through clips from Peguy Luyindula, Danny Buttita, Evan Rosenthal, Dr. Chris Platz, Justin Phelps, Tom Bowen, Ryan Farr, Phil Gordon, and Alex Rando. The episode moves past the easy complaint that youth soccer is expensive. It asks a better question: what are parents buying, what are they not buying, and does the spending match the child’s why? Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents trying to navigate youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player. (00:00) - The Cost Question (02:06) - Why Soccer Costs More Here (05:05) - Pay-to-Play and Access (08:06) - Scholarships Inside Clubs (10:20) - Start With Why (14:38) - When Sacrifice Becomes Pressure (17:08) - The Scholarship Reality (18:26) - Academics and the College Path (20:50) - College or Contract (23:12) - Ask Better Questions (25:10) - Never Spend Blindly Click here to view the episode transcript.

Summer is here, and so is our first Best Of episode. But this isn’t a greatest-hits collection. Instead of replaying our biggest social clips, we went back through 35 episodes and chose the conversations that quietly shaped how we think about youth soccer. We call this episode The Maze because that’s what the American youth soccer system often feels like. Every decision feels urgent. Every club promises opportunity. Every badge seems important. Looking back, we realized these conversations were all answering the same question: How do parents know they’re making the right decision? Featuring insights from Sean McCafferty, Andrew May, Ditmer de Jong, Filippo Giovannoli, Jose Campos, Tom Bowen, and more, this episode explores club fit, player development, rankings, self-regulation, physical maturity, and why finding the right environment matters more than chasing the biggest badge. In this episode * Why fit beats prestige * Why parent ego quietly shapes decisions * How self-regulation separates long-term players * Why rankings only tell part of the story * How biology fools parents and coaches * Why challenging yourself is essential for development (00:00) - The Maze (02:36) - Badge, Fit, and Timing (06:17) - The Ego Trap (10:10) - Self-Regulation (12:03) - Europe and Environment (14:37) - Rankings and Identity (17:24) - The Bigger Pond (20:52) - Biology Can Fool Us (23:46) - What We Learned Click here to view the episode transcript.

Winning is part of development. Juan Santamaria, Sporting Director and Vice President at Cedar Stars Academy, joins Chasing the Game to talk about competition, mentality, playing time, college recruiting, MLS academies, and what parents misunderstand about the pathway. This episode gets into the uncomfortable parts of serious youth soccer: losing players to MLS academies, helping families through the college process, the cost of showcases, why players need to drive their own recruiting, and when parents have to step back. Juan also gives a clear answer on what a player needs by age 13, what parents should stop chasing, what they should ask clubs, and the warning sign that a player may be in the wrong environment. More from Chasing the Game: Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America chasingthegame.us (00:00) - Winning Is Allowed (01:45) - Meet Juan Santamaria (05:52) - Losing Players to MLS Academies (11:06) - What a Sporting Director Actually Does (18:09) - Can Cedar Stars Keep Top Players? (24:11) - “You Have to Be a Monster” (29:03) - The College Recruiting Reality (35:00) - MLS, Europe, and the Pro Path (39:00) - The Cost of the Pathway (46:00) - When Parents Need to Step Back (49:00) - Winning Is Part of Development (51:40) - Quick Fire: Resilience, Pathway, Complacency Click here to view the episode transcript.

Harris Faulkner Gets a World Cup Crash Course A six-time Emmy-winning Fox News anchor is heading to France vs. Senegal with her daughters and needs soccer rules for parents before the World Cup. Harris Faulkner knows pressure. Live television. Breaking news. Election nights. But soccer brings a different challenge: stoppage time, offside, VAR, red cards, chanting fans, and two teenage daughters watching every reaction. So Liron and Matt give her the Chasing the Game version of a World Cup crash course. Not the expert version. The parent version. Enough to follow the match, understand the drama, and maybe say one smart thing at the perfect time. In this episode: Why the World Cup is the easiest way into soccer What parents should know before sitting in a stadium Why does the clock count up and stoppage time feel strange How offside and VAR work without ruining the game What yellow cards, red cards, and substitutions mean Why France vs. Senegal carries real World Cup history Why Mbappé and Mané matter The soccer lines that might impress your kids once (00:00) - Parent in Need (01:13) - Harris Faulkner Joins (03:37) - Soccer or Football (06:12) - How to Be a Fan (08:17) - Why the World Cup Works (11:22) - France and Senegal History (12:21) - Kickoff and the Clock (16:10) - Offside and VAR (19:49) - Cards and Substitutions (23:39) - Mbappé and Mané (28:04) - Soccer Lines That Work (33:10) - The Coachable Parent Click here to view the episode transcript.

Why does a youth soccer player look technical in training, then struggle when the game starts? That question drives this conversation with Christian Silva, founder of Silva Academy and a former professional player. Christian pushes past the easy labels parents hear all the time: technical, confident, talented, improving. His point is sharper than that. A player can look great in a session, beat cones, win drills, and still not understand when or why to use the skill in a real game. Liron and Matt talk with Christian about what technical ability actually means, why the skill is not just the move, why supplemental training has to connect back to the team environment, and why parents often misread confidence. Christian also explains why yelling from the sideline can hijack a player’s decision-making, why watching full games still matters, why highlights can distort development, and why the best soccer parents may need to ask more questions before chasing another trainer, team, badge, or shortcut. This episode is for every parent who has watched their kid look great in practice and then wondered why it did not show up on game day. (00:00) - Why training and games can look so different (02:24) - Christian Silva on the real development gap (05:55) - The stop moving lesson from Germany (08:30) - What technical actually means (10:30) - The skill is not the skill (12:30) - Supplemental training and game transfer (17:00) - How to judge progress in a match (20:10) - Benchmarks, foundations, and catching up (23:00) - Why training has to come alive in games (25:00) - How parents can hijack decision-making (28:20) - Pay-to-play, access, and open systems (32:30) - Too many programs, not enough clarity (35:00) - Knowing your own kid (38:00) - Tryouts, benchmarks, and control (40:30) - The reality of chasing pro soccer (42:40) - Confidence as controllables (45:20) - Why watching full games still matters (50:45) - Rapid fire: scanning, adversity, and questions (52:10) - Final takeaways for parents View full transcript

A post can open a door, but it can also distort what families think progress looks like. In this episode, Liron and Matt talk with David Rodriguez, founder of Footy Access, about one of the most loaded words in youth soccer: exposure. Parents want their kids seen. Players feel the pressure. Clubs understand the value. Platforms create visibility. But being posted is not the same thing as being developed, recruited, or ready. David explains how Footy Access thinks about coverage, why families cannot pay to have a player featured, when social media can help, and why a young player still has to hold up when the camera is off. In this episode: Why David started Footy Access after seeing a gap in youth soccer media Why views and followers can become misleading metrics How Footy Access sources stories, rankings, and player coverage What exposure actually means for players, clubs, and families Why social media is not a replacement for showcases, scouts, or development Why parents cannot pay to have a player featured When posting helps a player and when it becomes noise Why families need a clearer “North Star” before chasing visibility (00:00) - Social Media Pressure (02:30) - How Footy Access Started (05:45) - Views Are Not the Goal (07:15) - Sourcing the Story (08:55) - Highlights, Rankings, and Scouts (11:28) - Keeping Coverage Positive (15:31) - What Exposure Means (18:49) - The Business Model (21:18) - Not Pay-to-Play (25:32) - How Players Get Validated (28:56) - What Parents Misunderstand (32:21) - Pro Dreams and the North Star (40:01) - When Posting Becomes Too Much (52:02) - Final Takeaways Click here to view the episode transcript.

What does a youth soccer coach do when parents are not watching? This week on Chasing the Game, Liron is joined by Patrick Ouckama and Phil Gordon, whose coaching path has taken him from D.C. United to Nottingham Forest. That journey gives Phil a rare view of two very different soccer environments: the American youth system and the English academy world. The conversation keeps returning to something most parents do not always see clearly. Coaching is not just the session. It is the planning before training. The conversations after practice. The hard roster decisions. The scouting meetings. The staffing behind the player. The hours spent thinking about development long after the whistle blows. Phil talks about the dedication required to coach well, what changes when you move into a Premier League academy environment, and why staffing and structure matter so much in player development. For American soccer parents, this episode offers a useful look behind the curtain. Not because England has all the answers. Not because Nottingham Forest is a magic model. But seeing how another environment supports players and coaches can help us ask better questions about our own. In this episode, we cover: - What parents often miss about the work coaches do - Why coaching is much more than running a training session - How Phil’s path moved from D.C. United to Nottingham Forest - What the UK academy environment feels like from the inside - Why staffing, scouting, and support roles matter in development - The difference between coaching in the U.S. and England - How geography changes the academy experience in the UK - What American players bring, and where they can still grow - Why parent-coach relationships can shape the development experience - How families should think about college, contracts, and long-term pathways (00:00) - What Coaches Really Do (03:00) - Phil Gordon’s Coaching Path (06:00) - Work Ethic From The U.S. (09:00) - What Parents Don’t See (12:00) - Rosters, Playing Time, Hard Choices (15:00) - Parents And Coaches Together (18:00) - What Changed In England (21:00) - Staffing, Scouts, And Infrastructure (25:00) - Geography And Academy Options (29:00) - American Athleticism, European Technique (33:00) - Watching The Game Differently (36:00) - College, Contracts, And Choices (42:00) - What Has To Give (45:00) - The Dedication Behind The Job View full transcript

Most soccer families are told the same thing: specialize early, chase the biggest league, get seen, and don’t fall behind. But Don Farr and his son Ryan tell a different story. Ryan played multiple sports, stayed connected to high school soccer, took a post-grad year at Northwood, and then became a standout freshman at Stony Brook. His path was not clean. It was not obvious. And that is exactly why it matters. This episode is about the decisions families make when there is no perfect answer. Academy or high school. D1 or D3. Exposure or fit. Scholarship or affordability. Dream big, but stay honest. In this episode: Why all three Farr brothers ended up with different soccer outcomes What high school soccer still gives players in certain communities Why Ryan chose Northwood instead of jumping straight into college The shock of entering a more professional soccer environment The real value, and limits, of showcases Why ID camps are often misunderstood How families should think about scholarship money and actual college cost What Ryan learned from his freshman year at Stony Brook (00:00) - America, Land of Soccer Opportunity (02:20) - Meet Don and Ryan Farr (03:45) - Falling in Love With the Game (06:10) - Three Brothers, Three Soccer Paths (09:20) - High School Soccer Still Matters (12:05) - Choosing Northwood Over a D1 Offer (15:10) - Finding a Position and a Purpose (18:15) - The Post-Grad Year That Changed Everything (23:55) - Inside the Northwood Environment (27:20) - D1, D3, and What Parents Actually Feel (31:20) - Showcases, Exposure, and Being Seen (35:40) - What Coaches Notice Beyond the Ball (38:55) - The Money Side of College Soccer (42:10) - Ryan’s Freshman Breakthrough (45:00) - Keeping the Pro Dream Alive (48:05) - The Truth About ID Camps (51:00) - What Parents Should Take Away Click here to view the episode transcript.

Youth soccer keeps changing. Most families are still searching for fixed answers. In this episode, Filippo Giovagnoli challenges some of the deepest assumptions parents have about development, culture, tactics, pathways, and what actually creates players. This is not a conversation about nostalgia or romantic ideas about European football. It is about adaptation. The modern game moves faster. Players have less time. Duels matter more. Decision-making matters more. Grit matters more. And the players who survive are often the ones who keep evolving. We talk about: Why winning duels is not just physical Why tactics too early can hurt development Why “soccer culture” alone solves nothing Why American soccer is improving faster than people think Why parents misunderstand data and pathways Why adaptability may matter more than raw talent Why intrinsic motivation changes everything Why Europe is not one simple blueprint For parents, the real question becomes uncomfortable: (00:00) - Start (00:03) - Not About Nostalgia (01:38) - Filippo’s Football Path (05:01) - Seeing Talent in America (08:33) - Why Duels Matter (11:32) - U.S. Development Is Catching Up (13:59) - Pro Clubs and Local Academies (15:31) - Europe Is Not One Answer (19:00) - Why Parents Get Lost (21:30) - Culture Is Not Enough (24:31) - The Pro Dream and College Reality (27:28) - The Dangerous Educated Parent (32:27) - What the Numbers Miss (37:31) - Desire Has to Come From Inside (42:31) - Too Much Tactics Too Early (49:59) - Grit Is the New Talent Are we helping our kids adapt to the modern game, or preparing them for a version that no longer exists?

Your First Contract Is Not a Career A pro contract at 18 can look like the finish line. In this episode, Dr. Chris Platts explains why it is often just the start of the hardest stretch. For soccer parents, the pressure is familiar. The badge. The academy. The scholarship. The contract. Each one can start to feel like proof that the path is working. But Chris’ research with young players shows a more complicated reality. Families often make major decisions without first asking the simplest question: what are we actually trying to achieve? This conversation is about the years after the first contract, the risk of staying in the wrong environment, why late developers get missed, and how parents can become the anchor without trying to control every step. In this episode: Why “making it” needs a clearer definition What parents and players may not agree on Why the first pro contract is not the endpoint Why 18 to 23 can define a player’s career How academy systems can miss late developers Why bigger clubs are not always better environments When paying to play becomes a red flag How parents can ask better questions before big decisions (00:00) - What Does Making It Mean? (01:13) - Chris Platts’ Research Lens (04:10) - Define The Goal First (08:13) - Parents And Players Need Alignment (11:42) - The First Contract Problem (14:23) - Why Late Developers Get Missed (18:21) - The 18 To 23 Window (21:09) - Brand Attachment And Hard Choices (24:26) - What Good Environments Actually Do (27:06) - Short-Term Thinking In Academies (30:15) - Why It Is All Plan A (35:51) - Paying To Play Red Flags (38:56) - Is The Bigger Badge Better? (42:04) - Parents Need Better Information Click here to view the episode transcript.

Too Much Noise in Youth Soccer: What Actually Builds Players There has never been more around youth soccer players. More training. More clubs. More private sessions. More advice. And somehow, many players are still missing the basics. In this episode, Brian Chun and Edson Elcock join Liron and Matt to talk about what actually builds players and what just creates noise. They break down why simple training still matters, why repetition is disappearing, and why development cannot be outsourced to a trainer, a club, or a system. This conversation challenges both parents and players to rethink what progress really looks like. In this episode: • Why youth soccer has too much noise • What players lose when everything is structured • Why simple training still wins • The role of repetition and failure • Why parents cannot outsource development • The 14–16 age plateau explained • What honest coaching really looks like (00:00) - Cold Open: The Work Before the Pathway (01:25) - Meet Brian Chun and Edson Elcock (05:12) - The Noise in Youth Soccer (10:26) - Why Simple Training Still Wins (11:17) - Repetition Without Purpose (13:20) - Cones vs Real Pressure (15:00) - Creativity and Free Play (20:58) - Are Kids Told the Truth? (22:30) - Parents and Sugarcoating (25:36) - Learning Failure Early (29:30) - The 14 to 16 Plateau (35:21) - Reading Players as a Coach (40:00) - Development Cannot Be Outsourced

Youth Soccer Development: Why Clarity Matters | Christian Gonzalez What does a club really mean when it says it develops players? In this episode, Christian Gonzalez gets specific. We talk about why clarity matters in youth soccer, how vague coaching creates vague outcomes, and why real development lives in details, standards, and consistent correction. This conversation goes beyond branding and club language. Christian breaks down how New York Soccer Club thinks about coach education, parent communication, affordability, player feedback, and building a culture where development is more than a slogan. We also get into the New York and Westchester soccer landscape, MLS academies, college recruiting, the transfer portal, and what families should actually look for when judging a club. In this episode: Why clarity matters in youth soccer development The danger of vague coaching language Why general practice leads to general outcomes How New York Soccer Club approaches standards and coach education The competitive level in New York and Westchester Cost, access, and the pressure families feel Why correcting and criticizing are not the same thing How the college pathway has changed What showcases and ID events can and cannot do (00:00) - Why Clarity Matters (04:44) - How NYSC Was Built (11:10) - General Coaching, General Outcomes (19:59) - The New York Standard (30:00) - Cost, Access, And Pressure (40:00) - Correct, Don’t Just Criticize (45:01) - College Pathways Have Changed (50:10) - Showcases, ID, And Reality Click here to view the episode transcript.

What actually shapes a player. Talent, training, mentality, environment, or the people around them? In this episode of Chasing the Game , we talk with Gotham FC rookie Talia Sommer about the path that shaped her: growing up between New York and Tel Aviv , playing with boys, turning pro in Israel at 14 , choosing Butler over Atlético Madrid, and learning how to protect her own voice as the game got more serious. This is also one of our clearest conversations yet about the line between support and pressure . Talia talks honestly about parents, expectations, identity, creativity, free play, and why some players look technically prepared yet still miss the game's real, in-the-moment feel. For families trying to understand youth soccer development, especially on the girls’ side, this episode says a lot. (00:00) - Why Talia Sommer’s story matters (02:13) - Harlem, Tel Aviv, and falling in love with soccer (05:46) - Playing with boys, Manhattan SC, and Maccabi (08:05) - Turning pro at 14 in Israel and the road to Butler (10:14) - Parents, freedom, and the line between support and pressure (14:01) - "I need you to be my dad" (16:57) - Playing up, college, and learning from older players (19:03) - Israel vs. the U.S. vs. Europe in women’s soccer (22:54) - American players, creativity, and what can be missing (28:34) - Free play, extra training, and the 1,000 touches debate (35:45) - Choosing Butler over Atlético Madrid (39:04) - Advice for young players, and what parents should hear Click here to view the episode transcript.

Barcelona is the dream for a lot of soccer families. But what does that environment actually demand from a player, and what are parents really chasing when they look at Spain? Liron is joined by Patrick Ouckama and Barcelona-based coach Nil Congost of EOS Football for a parent-first conversation about Catalonia’s football culture, why promotion and relegation changes the standard, why technical training alone can mislead families, and what American players actually run into when they step into a more demanding football environment. This episode is about the gap between image and reality: purpose, pressure, adaptation, decision-making, and the kind of player who can truly benefit from training in Spain. (00:00) - Parents are overwhelmed. And guessing (02:00) - Andrew May’s path through top academies (04:35) - What changed in his view of development (07:25) - Why parents struggle to read the landscape (10:05) - How to judge a club beyond the badge (14:55) - The right questions to ask a club (18:45) - IDPs, growth setting, and real progress (22:10) - Pressure, private training, and parent ego (27:10) - Communication gaps between clubs and families (31:45) - Supporting players through hard moments (38:40) - What top environments actually do better (45:55) - The car ride home and parent-player trust (52:35) - You are the customer. Ask what you’re paying for (55:15) - Final takeaways for soccer parents

Parents in youth soccer are often forced to make big decisions with partial information, mixed signals, and a lot of anxiety. Andrew May, whose coaching background includes Chivas USA, LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and LAFC, explains how families can better evaluate clubs, ask sharper questions, and support development without getting lost in badge-chasing, pressure, or noise. This is a practical episode about communication, trust, expectations, and how parents can make better choices for the child in front of them. (00:00) - Start (00:03) - Cold Open. What MLS Academies Actually Want (01:01) - Jose Campos’s Journey to Orlando City (05:04) - What Different Soccer Cultures Teach You (11:36) - Building Orlando’s Player Profile and Culture (20:08) - Performance vs Potential. Early and Late Developers (24:59) - How Orlando Recruits and Builds Its Roster (30:01) - What Live Scouting Reveals That Video Misses (34:03) - America’s Diversity, Styles, and Player Profiles (39:03) - Trial Advice for Players and Parents (43:02) - Always Chase the Next Level (46:01) - The U.S. System, Pay-to-Play, and the Business Reality

What do MLS academies actually look for in a player? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America , Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia sit down with Jose Campos , Academy Director at Orlando City , for one of the clearest conversations we’ve had yet about how serious academies really think. Jose explains how Orlando City defines player profile, what “fit” actually means inside a pro academy, why growth mindset and coachability matter so much, and how scouts separate current performance from long-term potential. He also gets into what parents misunderstand about trials, why college is not failure, and how players should think about challenge, development, and timing. This episode is for soccer parents, coaches, and serious players trying to better understand MLS academies, the youth development process, and what decision-makers are really evaluating behind the scenes. (00:00) - Start (00:03) - Cold Open. What MLS Academies Actually Want (01:01) - Jose Campos’s Journey to Orlando City (05:04) - What Different Soccer Cultures Teach You (11:36) - Building Orlando’s Player Profile and Culture (20:08) - Performance vs Potential. Early and Late Developers (24:59) - How Orlando Recruits and Builds Its Roster (30:01) - What Live Scouting Reveals That Video Misses (34:03) - America’s Diversity, Styles, and Player Profiles (39:03) - Trial Advice for Players and Parents (43:02) - Always Chase the Next Level (46:01) - The U.S. System, Pay-to-Play, and the Business Reality (56:03) - What Players Still Need Beyond Training (01:00:00) - Host Takeaways and Final Reflections Click here to view the episode transcript.