Pitch to Pro
Pitch to Pro is the official podcast of Ozark United FC. This will be our platform to tell our story about the club and the special place that we call home, Northwest Arkansas. This is a journey. We want to bring you along for the ride. We'll share what's going on behind the curtain, help educate the community at large about soccer, Our league, and give updates on the progress of the club along the way.
Together, we'll explore and unpack our journey to professional soccer, the magic that is NWA, our community, and talk all things soccer from on the pitch to behind the scenes, telling the story of our club.
Pitch to Pro
Stoppage Time Special: The Growth and Future of Soccer in Northwest Arkansas
Join us for the Stoppage Time edition of the Pitch to Pro podcast as we dive into the inspiring transformation of soccer in Northwest Arkansas. Our guest, a seasoned coach, reminisces about the humble beginnings of just two soccer clubs in the region and the incredible growth to nine clubs today. You'll learn about the dedication and passion of young coaches and the shift to year-round training programs that have paved the way for more skilled players. This vibrant sports community is reminiscent of the excitement surrounding the Golden Knights' entry into the NHL in Las Vegas, which our guest experienced firsthand.
As we anticipate the future of soccer in NWA, the conversation shines a spotlight on the Ozark United club and its exciting potential for local talent, especially within the girls' ECNL program. Picture yourself in a brand-new stadium, feeling the camaraderie among fans, and witnessing the powerful impact of sports in uniting communities. Our guest shares their enthusiasm for the community's support and the promising future that lies ahead for soccer in Northwest Arkansas. Don’t miss out on this engaging discussion that promises a thrilling journey for soccer enthusiasts in the region!
Welcome to the Stoppage Time edition of the Pitch to Pro podcast. This is a highlight reel of some of the best moments from the show so far, and every other week we will be bringing you a special 5-7 minute segment featuring the best stories, tales and moments of the podcast.
Speaker 2:Talk a little bit about how you've seen the game change in NWA, probably from, I'm imagining you know, from your first kind of time, and then now coming back and being here a few years and kind of where we're going and what you're seeing from from the game and the growth there in in the area yeah, I think the biggest, biggest change is is obviously more players are playing the game.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So, um, you know, my first time around there was really only two clubs in the area and now it's grown to, I think, nine clubs, if I'm not mistaken. I mean, don't quote me on that, but I believe that's what I heard. And then I think, from a standpoint from coaching, you know, we've got some good coaches in the area. We've got some young coaches that are upcoming Great passion, really good people, really good people.
Speaker 3:And then the other thing is just from a standpoint from you know, basically doing your two days a week for an hour and a half, you know, and then playing in the state league and then taking the summer off and taking the winter off, you know, because of where we're at in the weather. Um, that's changed. Like, now we're an all year round program. It seems like all the clubs are now all year round. Um, we're out there training in the cold, you know, um, you know.
Speaker 3:And then, um, and then with the pathways that we have here, you know. So, um, now we're training three days a week, sometimes playing three games in a weekend, especially if you've got a showcase or you have an event out of town, right? So now it's changed things, you know. We're starting to develop kids, not to say that we didn't have really good teams back then, because we did. We had a team here and there, you know, maybe one in Little Rock, a couple up in Northwest Arkansas did some good things, some really good teams, but it seems like we're producing better players now and so it's just evolved, you know, and it's going to continue to evolve. So I'm pretty excited about where Northwest Arkansas is, for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the level. You know I wasn't as involved coaching as you were, but I did referee in my first stint here and even from that standpoint you know watching some of the level that's grown. And I think your point earlier about making it more of a year round thing, I think the level of commitment from some of these players which just helps, you know, grow the talent base too and the level Right 100, you know. So you're touching the ball more, you're, you're just natural coming to you at your feet and and the ability to, to dedicate the time it's just only going to make you better. So, uh, it's great to see, it's awesome what you're doing at comments, especially on the, especially on the girl's side. I love the development there in the ECNL. It's incredible to have that. You know, pathway started now in NWA man. But yeah, if we could close with one thing, man, what are you looking forward to with the club coming?
Speaker 3:I'm looking forward to going and seeing the game and being in that shiny new stadium.
Speaker 2:Maybe in the supporter section, being a little rowdy.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. And just seeing the talent yeah, and we've got to start somewhere, but I'm real excited about that and just seeing the passion of the community come together and and and all that, it's uh, it's pretty exciting because, um, you know, it's like in vegas. You know, I spent a lot of time in vegas. Um, you know, I probably spent about 20 years in vegas coaching, um, and uh, you know, when the golden knights came in the nhl yeah, it was, it was vegas born was a motto and that's what I kind of feel like what ozark united is. It's, it's, it's, uh, northwest arkansas born. You know what I mean. Yeah, so it's not like a transplant, it's not a, uh, a usl club, that's that's, you know, moving. It's, it's the community's very own professional club.
Speaker 2:So I think that's really, really cool and at this level too, and you've seen it, you've been around um, if you have the vegas lights out there, uh, in in the championship, they're so grassroots based, yeah, and just so embedded in the community, um, so I know I keep saying it, but people I'm a broken record at this point, so it's fun to hear. You know, we always ask people. You know, what are you excited about? Um, and I think it's just that connection to the club as a pro, soccer is just different as a as a fan, than than these other sports, and I love them. But for me, I'm I mean, I'm biased, I'm a soccer nut, but you know I can sit here and say that all day. But, uh, well, man, thank you so much for just your passion, your dedication to the game and growing good human beings on and off the pitch. It's incredible what you guys are doing over there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Thank you for having me. It was my pleasure and you guys are doing great things. You know you and Warren and Chris, so we're behind you, man.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us for this stoppage time special of the pitch to pro podcast. If you've enjoyed the conversation, you can click watch the full episode here. Be sure to tune in next Thursday for a new episode of the Pitch to Pro podcast, the official podcast of Ozark United FC, available on YouTube, instagram and everywhere you get your podcasts.