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: John Harkes' Journey from the UK to the U.S. Soccer Scene
What if the journey of American soccer mirrors a thrilling western adventure, complete with risks, leaps of faith, and a relentless pursuit of growth? Join us in this Stoppage Time edition of Pitch to Pro as we unpack the riveting tale of John Harkes, who navigated the soccer landscapes from the UK to the U.S. Amidst the vibrant, chaotic, and rapidly evolving soccer scene in America, John shares his firsthand experiences and insights. From the early days of Major League Soccer to the burgeoning rise of the USL, his story captures the resilience and vision that fuel the sport's development against a backdrop of uncertainty and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
John also sheds light on the indispensable role of community engagement in nurturing successful soccer clubs. Drawing on his vast experience as a player, coach, and executive, he illustrates the transformative power of grassroots involvement reminiscent of the UK, and how it's crucial for U.S. clubs to thrive. His narrative is a testament to the dedication of those who strive to elevate American soccer, underscoring the importance of building community-centered clubs that serve their fans and stakeholders. Whether you're a soccer enthusiast or someone fascinated by the dynamics of sports growth, this episode offers a compelling look into the heart and soul of soccer in the United States.
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 five to seven minute segment featuring the best stories, tales and moments of the podcast.
Speaker 2:People are like, oh, a league comes up and then it fails and it comes back up and then this one starts over here and there's too many leagues in this country, and that may be true, but we're still the wild wild west and we're trying to find ourselves, and that's okay. I think part of it. You know that structure. When you think back to the hey, I'm leaving West Ham United in London, just had our first child, cindy and I. Our son, ian, was born in Derby and then I moved to West Ham to be on loan with them and then all of a sudden we talked about coming back home. And I'm having conversations with Ty Bravos and he's like Archie, I'm thinking about going back to Major League Soccer. I said I didn't even think the league was starting yet and he's like, yeah, I know. And then here we are. We just played in 94 World Cup in our own country and now I'm competing in the Cocoa, america and Ottawa in 95. And there was a league supposed to start in 95. And then it got postponed and then it might start in 96. And so these are all leaps of faith, and who would have known that we'd come back and DC United would be the club that it was and you know and compete and win, you know, five trophies in the first three years, like both domestic and international, and it's.
Speaker 2:You don't know these things, but you have to take some risks sometimes to make things happen. And that's the same with the USL. The USL is look, I mean, there's challenges. Without a doubt, we need more clubs and certainly USL League One, the third division, is growing and growing, and who would have thought to this league would start in 2019 and then 2020 would be COVID? Would you restrict to? This league would start in 2019 and then 2020 would be COVID, would restrict, shut down everything, and clubs would be like, oh, I don't need, I can't afford this anymore. You know, but they survived and a lot of clubs are still continuing on and pushing the game and you're seeing the growth in the championship as well, and clubs like Ozark United starting up in different areas of the country, which are phenomenal, so you know, and the Santa Barbers of the world and everything else.
Speaker 2:So you're like, let's go, keep doing it. These are the things that we need in our country. We need to work towards something, a goal, and that mission statement is more about let's serve the community with a great club, and it doesn't matter if you're an MLS or not. You're doing something that, even from an investor standpoint, sure, is it making you tons of money? Probably not. Is the valuation of your club going up? Absolutely, without a doubt. And so you're preparing for the future, right? You're managing that and you're building that, and it truly has to be a community club. If you're not doing it for that reason, then you're doing it for the wrong reason. So you know you're going to struggle a lot, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, I'm glad you brought that up because you know we talk about it and everything that we do. The community is at the center of it and, with them in mind and this is their club, we're just the stewards, um, but you you've lived it, you you've been there, done it both as a player, a coach, um, you know, executive in the media. Talk about what, in particular. I think it'd be great, uh, for your from your experience within the usL in particular, because I think that those clubs are truly just almost like the old school UK grassroots, the way that it still is over there in a lot of ways, very grassroots, just embedded in their community every day, beyond just the games. Talk about your experience there and what those clubs mean to their communities and the communities to the team.
Speaker 2:You mean in the UK or here, or everywhere here in the USL.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2:Because community engagement is critical to the growth of your club and also for you to be relevant. You know, it's, it's uh, when you show you care. I mean this is what I say to each of my coaching staff every single year. Every time I have a coaching staff, whether it be pro or even the youth game or whatever it's just like do not be afraid to show them that you care and that's critical. Um, you know, because everybody says it different ways like oh, the trust toin, all that stuff. It is inclusivity. You're letting them know that they are part of your journey too. They matter to you, and every fan that asks for an autograph, don't you dare shake them off or ignore them, because the day that they stop asking for it is when you're in trouble, and that's critical, and so it's a lifestyle, it's a. You know, it's a cultural thing that there's only a few people that really get it. They say it sometimes, but you have to make sure that you're taking care of the people that are coming to your games.
Speaker 2:Coming to your games, it's, it's really important, because then you share the love and you also share, you know, and the highs that come in the game and those successes, but you also share the, the losses, and you share together, through the, the growing pains and that adversity. That's there too, um, and when you do that with more people, that's when you get through. That truly is growth. So that becomes your foundation. And when you're all in it together, wow, you can't fail. You can't yeah, that's part of it, and you give them value. They are important. Fans are important. People that work on volunteer game day operations are important. Kids that are coming to you and that want to be future coaches or referees and they're asking you if they can come to training sessions and stand on the sideline. Absolutely, yeah, that's important. Those type of community engagements are critical. Being a mentor and giving back and growing, helping somebody else grow. If that's part of your journey, that's what you should be doing on earth, you know. And so if you do it, it's the best thing in the world.
Speaker 3:It's like wow, thank you God. Yeah, exactly, finding, finding that avenue to make the world a better place through soccer is one of the cool one of the coolest um you know coming together of purpose and passion. Purpose and passion that at least I've been super fortunate to be able to experience. But I love that approach and that take. I think we'll end on this, for for one of the cool things about Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas as a state is and it's zero disrespect to the uh, double A ball clubs that are here in in in baseball, with all due respect, we're going to be a different product in in first kind of real professional sports team in Arkansas, um, and it's going to be with with soccer on men's and women's. What, yes, that's exciting. Why should? If you're a Northwest Arkansas resident right now, from your lens and your experiences, what can they expect? Why should they be excited about this? Wow?
Speaker 2:Well, the number one thing is because it's a positive influence. It's something that's being done for positive change within your community, within your local town, within your state. It's a go-to experience and if you do it right and you build the club the right way, that game day experience wow that lasts forever. And the families come together and you know it's about the families. You know it's about that experience that they find when they go there and they're proud to put on your scarf and they're proud to wear your jersey and you know, through the losses and through the wins, they support your club. You know thick and thin, because you're transparent, you're an honest club.
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.