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
Ep. 36 - Transitioning from Player to Mentor
Join us as we chat with Ryan Williams, an inspiring figure in the world of soccer coaching and development. Once a professional soccer player, Ryan now channels his passion for the sport into coaching, sharing insightful stories from his journey. He candidly discusses the transition from player to coach, highlighting the challenges and triumphs along the way. Ryan's experiences with college teams have shaped his philosophy, making him a strong advocate for skill development and player empowerment. With his natural gift for teaching, Ryan brings a fresh perspective on fostering growth and creativity among young athletes, transforming them into cohesive units on the field.
Ryan opens up about the intricacies of coaching at Ozark United FC's U20 Boys Academy, where nurturing talent and competitive success go hand in hand. The excitement of tryouts, the process of integrating players from rival teams, and the importance of building a strong soccer vocabulary are just a few topics covered. We delve into the delicate balance of creativity and structured play, particularly for midfielders, and how this balance is crucial for adapting to the ever-evolving game. Discover Ryan's insights on how fostering autonomy and individuality prepares players for future success, allowing them to excel across diverse playing styles and coaching philosophies.
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.
Speaker 2:Pitch to Pro Podcast is proudly sponsored by PodcastVideoscom. Podcastvideoscom is Northwest Arkansas' premier podcast recording studio, Equipped with industry-leading equipment. The recording studio and services save you time, money and hassle. They are dedicated to helping you create, record and publish high-quality podcasts for your audience. Be sure to check them out today at podcastvideoscom. Hey everybody and welcome back to the Pitch to Pro podcast. I'm your host, Wes Harris, Managing Director for Ozark United FC, Northwest Arkansas's professional soccer club, playing in the United Soccer League. Today I am very pleased to welcome back our amazing guest, Mr Ryan Williams, for part two of our convo. He is the assistant director of coaching at Sporting Arkansas and assistant head coach at our Ozark United FCU 20 Boys Academy team. And Ryan, we welcome back first and foremost.
Speaker 3:Yeah, glad to be back most.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got to be back and you know, if you missed it we'll give you a brief recap. But if you missed it, ryan, uh touched on a little bit of his background and, in pathway to pro uh, coming all the way from uh Hawaii, uh tropical paradise, and playing soccer out there and just dreaming of becoming a pro and making it all the way to the USL championship with New Mexico United. So, ryan, thank you so much for joining us again. Man, and you know we talked a lot last time about the playing environment and your journey as a player and the adversity you went through, and you know the the triumphs that you got to experience as a player that few get to get to experience, right, but a lot of that was down to your hard work and determination and being able to come back. Talk a little bit now. Where I want to pick us up is your transition into kind of coaching. Did you know that?
Speaker 2:you know you unfortunately had your playing career cut a little bit short, right, but you know and that you know to to your point, um, you know you kind of got dealt cards right that some, a lot of it was out of your control and um but did you, did you know before then that you wanted to transition to coaching after playing like? When did that start to become, like uh, an option that you wanted to pursue?
Speaker 3:You know, even when I was finishing up playing, I just thought playing by choice, and when I was finishing up playing, I didn't really want to be a coach. But you know, I'll be honest, I think I was good at teaching. I did personal training. I was doing personal training. I worked with a lot of, a lot of teams, you know, on the side, but like being a coach, I didn't. I didn't really know if that was like something I wanted to do. But again, like even in college, like I was, I was training team, I was training players, I was training teammates. You know, like I was, I was training players.
Speaker 3:I was training teammates. I was really on the teaching side of things, and in college too, I was almost like I was actually running some passing activities in college. So in a way I was coaching. But did I want to do it? I didn't really know. And really when John Brown brown, the assistant position was offered to me, and well, when it was opened up it, you know I was like, okay, well, let's see what this is about.
Speaker 3:and so I pursued it and you know I was at john brown for for three seasons.
Speaker 3:Um, and there's there's parts of coaching I just really, I just really love, you know, especially that teaching side of it.
Speaker 3:Um, I I wanted to, when I was at john brown, bring what I knew and bring it to players who you know they're, they're top, they're top athletes, you know, and see if I could boost their playing right, because there's moments as a coach where, when, when, and these are really moments that I really that really is, uh, the drive for me in what I do is when the light bulb switches, when the switch turns on, I'm like, oh, when things click, because you're coaching, you're teaching, you're engaging, and when finally something clicks and you see the effect of it and everything is going, you see it in their eyes, their body language, their facial expression, and then you see it in their play, their performance and facial expression, and then you see it in their play, their performance, and they gain success there, like that is one of the coolest things. And so, like for me, like when I getting into coaching, like that was really something that really, I think, draws me in.
Speaker 2:so that's awesome. And now you're you're getting to do it at a bunch of different levels and age groups and you know, I think you you hit on that. You've obviously done it at a higher level than I have, uh, and then just like seven-year-olds, but even to watch at that level right, even even just to watch at that level, you know, 4v4 scrum ball, like seeing your team, by the end of the season, connect three passes in a row and like players trying to open into space, is I it to your point? It was one of the most fulfilling feelings and just like joy, like wow, like so cool, um, yeah, and then you know it, it obviously translates in a much different way and manifests in a much higher level, different way, at the college level, like you talked about, and with the U-20 boys in Ozark. But talk a little bit about the difference between you know what you're doing now with club and kind of the youth. There I think you have the 2010 team, if I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 2:Um 2012 team 2012 okay, yeah, and yeah you know that's, that's a, that's a real critical age group. Um, you know that 12, 13 year old, that is like right on that cusp, right of like how their next playing years are going to shift right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So how my role kind of looks different with the Ozark United, with the 2012 boys and what it does in the college side. For me it's just the teaching has to meet the age, right. So that's always a challenge whether bring it down, bring it up, that's always a challenge. But where I'm at is I take the players that I have and I have to move them into players that, or get them to a certain spot, right, and that's something I like doing. I like taking players, I like having players and let me see what I can, let's see where we can go with those players. And so it's with the ozark united. I love that. It's a it's a community of, it's our community of players and I get to engage our community, you know, and um see if I, if I can help these players get to where they want to go, because, at the end of the day, like you, reflect this community right it's?
Speaker 3:it's when you um, kind of tie it into the last time or the last episode, like in hawaii, when you're seeing players going and you're seeing them doing good stuff, while you're like, well, if he can do it, I think I, I can do it. And same thing here when you see players in northern Arkansas start going places and they're doing stuff and the community gets smaller and smaller. The soccer community gets smaller and smaller and you're like, whoa, so-and-so did it. But you have to know that because that's inspiration, that's motivating, it's tangible. You're seeing it and it's almost it's tangible, right, like you're seeing it and you're like I can get there too, um, and so like that's what kind of what I'm doing with the 2012s and the, the ozark united.
Speaker 3:Um, it obviously looks different at the different ages. The 2012 group is a interesting age because you know, like you said, it's, it's huge in their development, in the development years, um, it's yeah, the for for what? I think the, the engagement on the, on the intellectual side of the game, is very important, right, because that, like how they think through the game now, it kind of shapes how they're going to think to the game as they get older and as they get older, it's really hard to kind of get out of those ways, right? Um, it's hard to, it's hard to learn, or or um, your, your thought processes are really hard to change, like right now. It's. It's very valuable that. How did I say that? Right, yeah?
Speaker 3:you can, you can really mold those things um, yeah, so you can really mold it now, um and so yeah, we'll talk.
Speaker 2:I mean, you've you've been in northwest Arkansas as a player, a college student, um, and then now you know gone off and continue to play at a high level as a pro and then come back and been around in the area for a while now. You know started a family and now in the coaching space, how is the game like? Talk about the growth of the game in the area and what you've seen in your experience, and then you know kind of tie that into then what you're now getting to do with the U20 boys and how that's kind of culminating.
Speaker 3:Yeah Well, I coached a player at JBU who is from this area. Good way, he was a top, top player, actually, did some really good stuff like set some really high records at JBU and, as I've engaged, even with the youth youth side of it, there's talent. There's talent here, you know, and I think what for me is is really is really important, is to um is to meet meet talent with content, right like to, to, to push, I think, um, the talent, talents you're in as as uh things get again more tangible and they say in the pathway, right, that that helps Um. But like any education, you have to meet people where they are and be able to get them to where they're going.
Speaker 3:And so it's as a coach it can be, and I kind of I wrestle with this stuff because I'm fairly new. I'm fairly new into coaching. I wrestle with man, I want to win, I want to win, I want to win because that's how I was as a player and every coach is that way.
Speaker 3:That competitive drive. Every parent is that way, every, I mean. If you're in a competitive environment, you probably want to win, no doubt? Like no one plays yeah, I don't know of anyone who plays soccer or coaches soccer, and so I like losing you know, so it's like you, you wrestle with that pride a bit, but they to win at the expense of development, like I.
Speaker 3:I don't know that's very good, it may be good feeling, but for development's sake the player is not getting anything Right. And I can only say this because I was this way as a player. You see through people, you see through stuff, even if you're winning, you see through it, and so being able to receive that, that content so important, because that if you're being challenged and you're you, you, you see your learning going up and up and up, well then your hope and your dream almost seems to be a bit more realized. Right, like if I feel like I'm being pushed and I'm being taught better and this is the same thing in school Like if you're, if you're getting content that's challenging and you're being engaged by a professor or a teacher that's, you know, really pushing you and really well, especially in the college, and I think in the college environment, you have a professor who's really pushing you and engaging with your old, say, papers or your own work and they're able to get you to where you want to go.
Speaker 3:Well, that's very, actually encouraging, right and so, and when that happens, you're like, okay, well, I think I can actually, I can actually um, reach something that I want to reach, um, but if I can't, then we'll, if, if, if I don't see that, you know, that class is not a fun class, in other words, that class is a joke. You don't take that class seriously, you don't take that team seriously, you don't take that season seriously. So it's like I find that it is especially at the higher levels to you know, it's, I guess, guess, important, but like, maybe there's a bit a better word than important or vital. It's vital that you get content right, because the content is like it's a kind of matches, that pathway right and so, yeah, at the one is like the 2012, the new 13s, u14s, yeah, trying to shape how they see the game is very important, but once it's shaped, you've got to be able to continue to push and push um so that's awesome.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean talk about you know transition a little bit here and let's talk about your experience. Uh so far, right, uh still ongoing. Uh with the u20 boys. Uh academy program with uh ozark united what did you see from the response to tryouts and the level and then how this group that truly was representation of our community at large from all corners and you know a lot of and you know I'll let you talk about it, but we had players that were rivals for the majority of their playing career now coming together and getting the best talent in the same place, under the same badge and playing together and competing at really, really high levels.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't really know where to start. There's a lot to it, I think. I guess tryouts, tryouts, the amount of players that that showed up, that was that was really awesome. And it you're seeing all these players and as a coaching staff, you're like, oh man, like we gotta sort through these players, you know, um, and that was a challenge in itself.
Speaker 3:But like just all those letters coming out, it I think it showed it showed something to the community right about this. Almost this. I want to be a part of this. There's togetherness, so to speak. All those letters coming out, I think it showed something to the community right About this. Almost this. I want to be a part of this. There's togetherness, so to speak, and while they may not think it at the time, like these players that you were saying, coming from different clubs in this area, together and they're playing, and not only just playing together, but they succeed together, right, and that's shown in what we've done in this fall season Experience.
Speaker 3:Again, I think when I look at the players who came in at this tryouts, right, and you're evaluating players, you know, you're seeing, how do you say that? You see, like technique, you see their feet right and some are close. Some are, you know, way higher than others, but then on the other side you're judging. On the other side of it you're judging again like your decision-making, and so the decision-making processes of what they're seeing in the games, what they're really trying to create in the games, was very little. You know how they connect with players or connect with teammates, that their random teammates, random kind of they've played against each other in the area but random teammates and how they can make those connections and then make plays happen.
Speaker 3:Um wasn't very high right their vocab.
Speaker 3:Their vocabulary wasn't very high. You know, um, and so, like you think about content, into what we've taken these players through. For me, vocables that's like that's a huge thing if you can't express yourself, if you can't express what's going, what's going on in your mind, um, and that's something that's. That's a skill constantly you constantly grow at. It's a huge thing If you can't express yourself, if you can't express what's going on in your mind, and that's something that's a skill you constantly grow at, especially as you get older and older. You try to grow that ability to express yourself. But if you can't express yourself on the field, well, you're limiting, right. So one of the things that we've done with the team is just Right. So one of the things that we've done with with the team is just vocab, vocab, vocab and connecting that with experience, right? So experience, can you any?
Speaker 2:other questions. I think I think one of the things the other things, too that I've heard from you both you and Scott one of the things, the other things, too that I've heard from you both you and scott, um that I know you've worked on with the u20 boys is the concept of talk a little bit about the concept of you know, instead of system habits, yeah, and talk about talk about the difference there and why and I think you're starting to see it too in other areas of the game, at at other levels, with other teams, especially at the highest level you talk about habits and then the system follows.
Speaker 3:So talk a little bit about that yeah, you know, I I I think what I talk with sky about this. As a player, I never thought in a system. I never thought in the system, like I mentioned in the last episode, the game just constantly going on in my mind. I mean, whether I'm playing FIFA, whether I'm watching the camera, whether I'm watching highlights like I'm watching highlights, jobby highlights, you score highlights, whatever it is as a midfielder, I'm seeing those moments that they're in in the game and I'm seeing it on the field, but those are. I'm envisioning that I'm in those scenarios. I never see those scenarios as systems. I see those scenarios as moments in a game, and this is what I'm going to do.
Speaker 3:When Thiago Alcantara does an elastical between two players, and he'll do it in different moments of the field, for me it's just an action, that's just a moment in the game. I do think there's benefits to both of them. I think there's benefits to both of them Because when I was a pro, it was very much very systematic in that way, which is okay. Know, um, because when I was a pro, it was very much like very systematic in that way, which is okay, because that actually helped me as a pro. Um, it helped me in certain moments as a pro, but this idea of like actions, it's like everything is linked to decision, decision making and being able to recognize moments in the game right, like a 2v2 will always be a 2v2, 2v2 will always be a 2v2, a 3v3 will always be a 3v3, no matter what, what system you decide to play. You know an overlap is a decision you can use to, is a decision you can make.
Speaker 3:it can be an underlap, it doesn't always have to be um if it's for me, I think, especially at the youth levels, like and with a really really young levels system, system can be black and white and once it's black and white, it's predictable and it's. It's not about being black and white, but it's about creativity. Creativity is gray. Creativity is I get to decide what to do, I can I get to create what I want to create, um. So for me it's um and that's that's what ultimately.
Speaker 3:I think changes changes the game like this game this game is constantly changing, like there's there's things that are being done in the prank that you don't, you never see done, like the one that comes to my mind is arm slot or, uh, pochettino, the way they use the outside backs. I've seen runs by the outside backs and, like I've never heard of that run in my life. But again, like you talk about, like the creativity, like a player to to be creative and to like a player can think that, like, like these kids can think that they can come up with those runs on their own. If you allow them to come up with those runs on their own right, and it's like my way of thinking is it can be very limiting. You know, and the whole thing is, I'm not playing If these kids are playing.
Speaker 3:These kids have to be creative, these kids have to make the decisions, these kids have to see creative, these kids have to make the decisions, these kids have to have to see the moments right. And so for me, like um the actions, it's like a, it's a, it's a tool set. Like you have all. You have all these actions, all these um things that you can do in a game and for for, like, a training session or for a game. It's my job to facilitate, like, can you see the variety of tools that you can use in a given moment? Right, because it's not always one thing, one thing doesn't always work.
Speaker 3:One by one guy's body shape, maybe slightly turned, that actually several other options you can do, right, and that that high level detail, well, that comes from just playing um, someone's the distance of a defender may be a yard, a yard different from the last scenario. Well, that calls for a whole different thing. Right, and at the end of the day, it's um, we're trying to create um autonomy, we're trying to create individuality. Right, we're not trying to create players who, because in five years the game will be different.
Speaker 3:The us national team will be playing different soccer. The prim you'll national team will be playing different soccer. The Prem you'll be seeing different soccer. In the Prem. You know La Liga you'll be seeing different styles of soccer.
Speaker 3:So it's like you're not trying to create a player who fits the time right now, but you're trying to create a player who, when their opportunity comes, if they get an opportunity, wow, coach, looks at them and say I like what they have, I can bring them into what I'm doing, you know um yeah, so like for me it's like I think, well, my last thing, I think on the actions piece and actually like the actions focused open to the player for a future opportunity, right to fit anywhere, instead of like a very system like 433, 4231, you're going to play, uh, this type of a midfielder, you're going to make these kind of runs, you're going to be showing up in these spots. You're very limiting. Like a 12 year old, a 10 year old, a 10 year old, you're telling a 10 year old to be in this one spot. Well, you do that for a while. You get around a their next opportunity. Say they're trying out for a college sorry, they can only go to a college that tells that coach tells them to go into this one spot. It's very limiting, I think. I think it's very limiting. You know it's very restricting.
Speaker 3:But if you, if I can, give a player who is playing a 10 and saying hey, like, look at all these different movements, that 10, that the number 10s in in liga mx, look at what these 10s in the hey, look at all these different movements that the number 10s in Liga MX. Look at what these 10s in MLS. Look at this number 10, honey Mokhtar. Look at what he's doing and look at what these 10s in Liverpool are doing Like, take that, take it and run, go do it, go do your thing in the game and you'll find this kid is going to be doing all different actions and like things that you didn't even think of and they go in. I think later on they go into a coach, a coach, a coach, their college coach, wherever it is the next level, whatever it is goes and sees this player and like Whoa, that's a, that's an individual right there, that's a thinker. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Like that's a thinker I can reason.
Speaker 3:I can reason with a thinkerer, you know what I mean. Like that's a thinker, I can reason. I can reason with a thinker, you know what?
Speaker 1:I mean.
Speaker 3:And so I think that, just like opportunity, wise like you, it's anywhere, like if you're a thinker, if you're a thinker of this game.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, to your point. I think it's an interesting way to put it where you know, habits and actions are tools in your toolbox that, when presented with, you know soccer, to your point. In my opinion, soccer is all about situational decision making. 100%, 100%, like at the highest level, right, and what separates and how to, how do teams win is, you know, it's about scoring goals, but it's it's situational decision making throughout the game, um, because everybody can execute, everybody has a good touch, everybody right, it's here and it's situational decision making. It and the chess match, that is the ninth minute, um, and so your your concept of focusing on. You know, obviously you gotta talk about system, but you focus more on building actions and habits that allow players toolbox to go here that fills this with very quick in the game in the moment.
Speaker 2:How do I attack, how do I manipulate, how do I do those things based upon those habits and activities that have been drilled into me over and, over and over and over, no matter what the system is or the situation is within the game. And that's such an interesting different, you know dynamic to to start to play around what you think about, um, yeah, and that builds and that and that builds on. You know, we, you talked about vocab with the u20s, like some of that is vocab about actions and habits, right, and yeah, what does this mean if I call out, if I call this out to a player on my team? Right, and how do we communicate and talk through that? So, really, really interesting stuff, man. Well, I'll end with this. What are you and you touched a little bit about this as a player um, when you were at new mexico united what are you most excited for with professional men's and women's soccer coming to Arkansas?
Speaker 3:Well, for me, I have a son and a daughter. My daughter was just born and so it's like for me, it's like both games, to take my family to these games that are around this community. Like man, I think that's so awesome. I saw it in New Mexico United. I saw it with New Mexico United To be like I don't have to go to KC for a game. You know, like I can go and be part of my community here. You know, pathways is one thing yeah, it's great, but I think for me it's like I get to do something.
Speaker 3:I get to go watch high-level games right in northwest Arkansas. I find that I get to bring my family, I get to experience with my family what I got to experience as a player with the Mexican United. I get to take them to a game and watch our team. It's our team. Watch our community's team. You know I can support this team. You know I love like the like. I love like towns. Like in England. It's like towns, they have their team. I love that. You know it's like for me, it's towns they have their team. I love that, you know it's like for me.
Speaker 3:Northwest Arkansas. That's our team, it's our town. Like, yeah, region town, it's our town's team. You know what I mean. So I think for me that's the piece where I look forward to the most, Like it gets to be our team.
Speaker 2:That's cool. That's cool Well, Ryan. Thank you so much, man. It's been another insightful and just really fun combo and appreciate everything that you're doing with our youth in the area, again instilling that passion Beautiful game On to the next generation. Appreciate everything you're doing with our U20 Boys Academy and can't wait to continue to see the success there with those boys. And just all the best to you. Really appreciate you joining me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, wes. Thank you for this. This was good.
Speaker 2:Thank you for catching this episode of Pitch to Pro. Remember to follow us on all socials at Pitch to Pro and visit pitchtoprocom or YouTube and Apple or Spotify wherever you get your podcasts for more great content. Until next time. Northwest Arkansas cheers.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining us on this episode of the Pitcher Pro podcast. Be sure to tune in again in two weeks for the next installment and check out the Stoppage Time series for a recap of today's episode. Be sure to find us at Pitch to Pro on YouTube, instagram and everywhere you get your podcasts. Until next time, northwest Arkansas cheers.