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. 43 - MLS Next is Coming to NWA: What It Means for Players
Kevin Tello is coming home to Northwest Arkansas with a mission. The newly appointed Director of Ozark United FC's MLS Next Academy joins us to share his journey from LA transplant to rising Division I coach, and why he's passionate about building a professional pathway for soccer players in the region he once called home.
"When I was a player, and I've talked to other coaches that had grown up in the area, we would have killed for something like this," Tello explains, his enthusiasm palpable as he describes what the MLS Next program will mean for talented young players in Northwest Arkansas. After developing MLS draft picks at the collegiate level, Tello brings a wealth of experience in identifying and nurturing elite talent.
What exactly separates good players from great ones? While technical skills matter, Tello emphasizes that decision-making ultimately defines elite players. During the upcoming evaluations, he'll be watching for more than just skill—he wants to see intensity, intelligence, and approach. "If Sporting Kansas City was here watching your eval, how would you react?" he challenges potential players, setting the bar high from the start.
The conversation reveals a coach who measures success not just by wins or player advancement, but by meaningful impact on young people's lives. "If I can just be an imprint on one player, one family, and that's the player that goes pro, or becomes another successful member of our community... that's to me the most important thing at this point in my career."
Ready to be part of Northwest Arkansas's soccer revolution? Player evaluations begin next week for this groundbreaking program that promises to transform the region's soccer landscape. Don't miss your chance to join the journey from 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.
Speaker 2:Pitch to Pro Podcast is proudly sponsored by PodcastVideoscom. By PodcastVideoscom.
Speaker 1: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.
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Speaker 1:Hey everybody, welcome back to the Pitch to Pro podcast. I'm your host, wes Harris, managing Director, ozark United FC, northwest Arkansas's professional soccer club, playing in the United Soccer League. Everybody, I'm really excited about my guest today. It is our newly appointed director of our Ozark United FC MLS Next Academy Coach, kevin Teo, coming to us live from Memphis. He's still wrapping things up in Memphis as he makes his move out here to NWA Coach. We got evals coming up next week. There's a whole lot of work to be done. I know you're excited and I'm ready to unpack it with you. But you know, before we jump into all that and what this program means and what you guys are excited for, I just want everybody to get a chance to know you. So, first of all, welcome, thank you for joining me and making the time. And, you know, just give everybody a little bit of a you know quick color on who you are and a little bit about your background.
Speaker 3:Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm, of course, excited about Ozark United. About me, I'm a transplant, like a lot of us. I'm originally from Los Angeles, california. My parents are both immigrants from Central America. We moved to Northwest Arkansas, I would say around seventh grade, eighth grade somewhere around there, and that's actually where I started playing soccer was with with south springs.
Speaker 3:Um, you know what now is on springs, uh, soccer club, I see, whatever they're calling it now. Um, but I remember it was just me and a couple of my friends was kind of going all around with the circuit to play soccer, so played at some pretty high, was able to then go play at washington baptist university. Um, you know, as soon as I graduated with my undergrad I moved back to learn, to start, and so I kind of worked a couple quote, normal jobs and I I knew that coaching was what I wanted to do. So then I started kind of this, this coaching journey. I became a volunteer at conway high, I got my master's degree and then it just kind of, you know, just steamroll and I volunteered at hendrix.
Speaker 3:I got that coaching job at bologna. I met my wife you know, girlfriend at the time, fiance then got on board with colby and you know his staff as a volunteer that started national park, and then you know, I've been here. Um, it's, it's been an exciting journey, but I think we're we're thankful to not only move back home, but move back home to a project that I'm very passionate about, which is soccer in northwest arkansas.
Speaker 1:That's, that's awesome. What a journey, um, coming from la to to arkansas. Uh, I mean you know you spent a good good chunk of your time here, though you know kind of growing up and and getting to experience the growth that we've, that we've seen and and I'm sure have also watched, uh, from afar. As your time in memphis I mean you know I'm sure you is is like others, I feel like I go on vacation for a weekend and I come back and you know there's already five new things, but I'm sure even even more pronounced for you yeah, I've been the freaking uh, what's the new highway to go to Siloam?
Speaker 3:right, like all that constructions. I drove past you know on 412 either day and I was like man, never seen this before. What the heck is going on. It's insane. It's insane how much everything's growing and, like you said, everything that's coming and that's why I that the area is experiencing and you know we want soccer to also grow along with the growth that we see from different aspects of North Dakota soccer.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and we're definitely seeing it, man. I mean, the numbers are just, they speak for themselves in terms of just participation, and you know, both at the club level, but importantly for me too is at the grassroots level as well. And the littles, and you know, the parks and rec programs are just, you know they're we're running out of space to put people in and you know that's a good problem to have. But also you know that's a whole other podcast on field space and why it's needed, why it's important. And you know let's keep up with the growth and all of the things.
Speaker 1:I think it's just a a great story of just what is NWA right now and all the things that we're experiencing with the growth. But anyway, it's, it's great to see, as a play former player, uh, current coach and parent and all the things. So we're excited. But talk a little bit for me about, um. You know the transition from player to coach. I think that's always an interesting one, um, that is really interesting to hear different people's perspectives and their journey, uh, from player to coach.
Speaker 3:So tell me about that I, I'd always knew, you know I wasn't the greatest player, I mean kind of pro, wasn't, wasn't in the in the car to me and you know I wasn't the greatest player. I didn't have a pro, wasn't, wasn't in the car to me and you know I was just able to recognize that, I think, sooner than some people. Some people continue to chase their dreams and obviously I I could have um, it's, you know, work, but I think I I fell in love more with the thought of helping my teammates get better, when I knew I wasn't, you know, making a starting whatever and you know, talking to some of the people that were my mentors as a player. That's what drove me to make that decision from it's time to stop playing to now become a coach Within coaching.
Speaker 3:Now, what are you passionate about within coaching? Is it the X's and O's? Is it the relationship side? Is it everything else that comes in it? For me, it was really, I think that, the strongest piece of it. It's like I enjoy every team that I play with, I enjoy every player that I work with.
Speaker 3:Um, and relationship side, right, I, I love my high school coach and you know, I know he's going to watch this and he changed my life right. Same thing with my college coach, um, same thing with my mentors that are coaching me as a coach, um, I think that's a side of of what I value and I I see kind of as a legacy that I want to leave. You know, for my kids and for everyone that I work with, it's like he poured everything into me as a person and you know, we all stopped playing one day, as opposed to saying, man, coach kevin gave me everything he had and we won a lot. But I don't know him as a person. I don't like I can grow as a person with my time with him there. You know.
Speaker 1:No, that's, it's super interesting. I think you you hit on something that was really um, I think is great to hear and people to, for them to understand. One, coaching is not a um. Coaching is not a um. One size fits all. It's not a one skill set is all. It's just like any other job. There's so many different disciplines within the coaching sphere, um, that, you know I I think people kind of miss. They just think, oh, soccer coach. So dive a little deeper into that. Like, what work for people that are interested in maybe pursuing a career in coaching? Or for people that are just interested in learning more? What are some of the different things that you've experienced? Or, or you know an organization. I know you got to get to a certain level right, you know there's different disciplines within coaching, but at those levels you know what are. What are some of the things that you know? A coaching staff divvies things up and and you know how you guys work together and talk about that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think I've been, you know, blessed to work with him. A lot of staff said we do a good job, kind of divide and conquer with everything. When I was a head coach and I know, you know, a lot of people want that desire to be a coach I was in charge of doing everything and I had a responsibility. And then I had to delegate to my assistants and I had to be responsible, like you know make sure that the assistants that I hire are able to do what I want them to do, whether it's from, you know, video analysis, standpoint, or running a session or a specific unit, group or whatever you know for for talking now, just kind of everything that entails for us here, right? So let's say us cause I'm still here for another couple of days, you know, for us to run an NCAA program. That makes you know the NCAA tournament, makes you know trainings, which is the big meat of everything. But then, with any training, what are we covering? You know, what are the nines getting out of it, what is the goalkeepers getting out of it, and everything in between, right, because yes, we want to win on saturday, friday, saturday, but how can we get there? And then from there it just kind of you reverse scaffold it. This is the picture we want to win against whoever. How do we do that? And then it just kind of trickles down all the way down. We tell the guys, if we can control everything they do 24 hours a day, we would, because we know how much it takes into it.
Speaker 3:For me, a big piece of what I do here I do all of our video stuff and I do a lot of kind of I grab how we play game to game, training to training. Then find a way to translate that into this is what we need to work on offensively, this is what we need to work on defensively. But then, outside of that, you're navigating. You're still navigating families. They're still navigating players, because they're still people. You know their budgets because they got to pay tuition. Um, travel, we got to travel. We got to see these guys and we got to work with strength coaches, athletic trainers, academic people um, it's a lot, right, it's not. And it's funny when guys see us at 2 o'clock in training they're like Coach, what did you do today? I've been in the office since Saturday and I haven't stopped. If anything, I'm ready for training because I get to relax, but there's a lot to it and I think that's another podcast too. What is a Division I program or what's a high-level academy? What all do they cover?
Speaker 1:It's a lot. It is a lot and I know you're going to bring that same energy and bring it into NWA here with Ozark United and the MLS Next program that we're developing here and super excited to get started. I mean, evals are a week away. Uh, and man, you can the the. The positive tension is like palpable. Like it from players, families, like they're so excited, uh, and it's an anxious tension to like get started. You know it's not a, it's not a combative, like that's the wrong word, but you can just feel it right. Yeah, the excitement it's really really, really cool to see. So I'm excited, I can't wait to see the turnout and I, which I know is going to be massive, so it's great. Well, coach, talk to me a little bit about what drew you to this opportunity, like why you're ascending, you know, at a great D1 program in Memphis, you know, developing your career there.
Speaker 3:Why kind of make this pivot and come back to nwa for, uh, ozark united and the mls next program that we're working to, to build here yeah, you know, as I've gotten older, as I've continued on this career path, obviously I've had opportunities to, whether it's join mls academies or go to a bigger division one. Um, I think the what I've identified is the most important thing for me is my family, and then from there I look at my family and it stands out my community. I grew up in here, I grew up playing games at the rack. It's one of those things where I was talking to my wife, I saw this in a lot of people and a lot of my friends in Division 1. You're just kind of the call you wrote about man, why are you taking a step backwards? That's the other thing I told them. I was like I don't think this is a step backwards because you don't know the potential that this has, and that's what I see. To me this has so much potential and for me this has more of a potential for me to impact more players, more families. And again, as we talk, I think that's the biggest thing that drove me is like if I can just be a you know imprint on one player, one family, and that's the player that goes pro, or that's a player that now, you know, becomes another successful member of our community, you know, and he's huge, or whatever. I think that's to me the most important thing at this point in my career. It's can I be close to my family, can I continue to do the sport, you know, do what I love within the sport, and can I leave an impact.
Speaker 3:And, of course, you know, before this call, we know like this is going to blow up the potential that we have and the people that we have around this project are go-getters, and I find myself being the same way. I don't stop until kind of the problem is solved or identified a problem before. And how can we make this thing the next big thing? You know we're not going to go into uh, oh man, we just have mls snacks, like no, how can we excel and be the best? You know tier two mls next, and then jump into, you know, till you know tier one with the big boys, and then how can we the best, be the best there? Um, and that's, you know, as tier one with the big boys, and then how can we be the best there? And that's, you know, as my friends hear me talk about that, it then gets them excited about like oh man, cool, now definitely, can, you know, recruit some guys within kind of the way that you're talking about this and how excited and passionate you sound about it.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. That's awesome. I think, um, it's a great way to think about things and very refreshing, um for anyone in any career path is to take a step back and identify to you what's important, um, and not just in your career, but important, important that, first and foremost, outside of just your career. You're not defined by your career, um, some people are, and that's what they choose, and that's fine, um, but being self-aware enough and confident in yourself to be able to take a step back for a second and talk about and think about what's important, and then, if that's the thing that's important to me, then how do I then coordinate that within my career pathing and journey and find an opportunity that allows me to fulfill that?
Speaker 1:and make sure that that's there and so that's really really cool and refreshing man and I'm I'm just excited to to hear that passion come from you and know that you're going to absolutely set these guys up for success and the coaches, uh, and the and the program so really excited. But talk a little bit more about the program. And what does this mean if I'm a player in Northwest Arkansas? What does this mean for'm a player in Northwest Arkansas? What does this mean for the game in Northwest Arkansas as a player?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think, yeah, the biggest thing, obviously I started talking to other MLS next technical directors, whether it's within MLS Academy. They're kind of like us non-affiliates the biggest thing for me. Obviously, growing up in the area, it's something different, right. It's something that's not around, right. There's other things going on within the state that are super exciting, but this is setting itself apart because we want players that are committed. We want families that are committed.
Speaker 3:You know you want to have some sort of seriousness within club soccer and that's why you're going to choose to come to our MLS Next program For players. What they'll expect is you're going to have coaches that are committed to you. Obviously, you can hear me talking, but I'm committed to this program. I'm not kind of pulled away by different things. This is what I want to do, this is what I'm committed for, and we expect the same from our players and from our families. You'll get that exposure that I know a lot of Arkansas players struggle with, you know, whether it's college or whether it's, you know, making that jump into an MLS academy. That's one of the biggest things that I want to work on is like how can we get these players that exposure to then make the jump. You know we want people to know, man, arkansas has good soccer players and not just Arkansas general, the Northwest right. And then trickle down Ozark United, mls Next programs had great soccer players. That's kind of what families, parents, players can expect with this MLS Next program.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. I mean, there are some amazing players. We have a lot of talent here in Northwest Arkansas and what's really exciting for me about this is being able to provide opportunities and having people like yourself involved with that passion, to be able to help facilitate that and foster that environment and, you know, continue to elevate the game. Is is just what it's all about for me, um, and so that's that's really exciting for me, uh, personally, um, but also for the club. I mean, that's what we're here to do.
Speaker 1:We're here to elevate and grow the game uh and use and use the power of sport to make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live, work and play, and part of that is allowing for growth of the game and elevation of the game within the area and providing opportunities to players or to fall in love with the game and continue to pursue, pursue their journey, whatever level that may be.
Speaker 3:So yeah, yeah, exactly. It's like it's a mitsukko if it ends with us, but we gave them the best experience if it's a division one, if it's pro, but they know that, the best experience possible within almost instruction yeah, no, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I mean, you talked a little bit about it, but what are coaches looking for in players? So we talked a little bit about what it means, right, opportunity, you know a certain level and commitment expectation. But, like, what are you looking for in players? And I think you kind of see this too You've coached at a bunch of different levels. What, in your mind, separates a good from a great player?
Speaker 3:so I've had the privilege of coaching, you know, two mls track picks. You know they, they developed through us and then they decided they wanted a different experience for senior year and then that upchanged them, right, but we still developed them to become that all-american player and you could tell right. Right, when I got here I could tell those players are special, right, or our guys are, now they're playing pro. We could tell those guys are a little bit different. I think the biggest thing you know, obviously they're technically good enough, they're athletically good enough, but it's the way that they approach the game that's different. You know it's the way that they come into training. It's the way that they come into training. It's the way that they train. You know, not necessarily that they have the best training or that they have the best technique, it's how intense are they seeing this activity? You know, if it's a passing pattern, that's unopposed. They are still trying to do it at the best of their ability and they're pushing their teammates to do it at the best of their ability and those are little things that we see. When we're talking now from a Division I coach going out to recruit, you'll see them go and set up their chairs early to watch more. How is the player doing? You'll see a lot of them stay after. How do they shake hands? How do they approach the opposing team?
Speaker 3:Those are the little things that coaches now are starting to look at, because culture is such a big part of that. When you talk about, you know, obviously in the pro level you're selling players and you have a new roster every now and then, but in the transfer portal within division one, culture is such a big part of it. The other thing that you know is the new trend of when we look at players is is their decision-making good? Right? Is the decision-making the best for that specific situation? Right?
Speaker 3:Again, you, you could look at a player that's incredibly athletic, incredibly gifted, but if his decisions are wrong it doesn't matter, but then it takes a coach to kind of come in and bring that out of thing. Um, when, that's what we're going to look at and train in tryouts, right, it's like these players that we might not know, that we maybe don't have the best you know information on before child, but man, that player is really good when you're making, I can see what he's thinking, right, it might he might not have gotten it off, but I can tell his his mind is working in the right way. He has a decent soccer at you, that's.
Speaker 1:I think that's the biggest thing, right or or it does come off and you're like, yeah, at a different level, that's not going to work. And if, if you're like, hmm, at a different level, that's not going to work. And if, if you're not seeing, like, if that's happening consistently, you're like, hmm, okay, you know, that's, that's something, something if we do take them we're going to have to work on. Or you know, maybe that separates him from a different player, and so on. So I tell people all the time yet technical can be taught. You know physicality, like you know you're, you're. You've got the body, you've got. You can bulk up, slim down, get faster. All those things hard work. But the the biggest thing for me, that is I don't know, and people may disagree, but soccer is all. Soccer is all about decision-making.
Speaker 3:I would 100% agree because, like for us this spring, we brought in a lot of transfers and we decided to to go a different way and we went AI G-code D2. Our philosophy just went that way and turned it that way. These guys do a lot of great things at the current level. Is that going to translate now? So a player that could dribble six people and get out of it and create this incredible adrenaline, is that going to translate for us? Or man, how can I tweak his strengths to work now, extend what we're trying to do right, and then you get into a whole different conversation of idps and all that stuff, which again would be a different podcast. But you're right, you know that was a good decision in that scenario. But well, that kind of now at the next level exactly, exactly, okay.
Speaker 1:So what? What are you looking for in your players, uh, to be a part of this program? What advice do you have for them, uh, or their families? I mean, some of these players right are coming in at you, know, you, we have all the way down to you 13, right, so, you know, could be 12 years old, a really crazy standout 11 year old, right, uh, all the way up until these guys are potentially just graduated high school, um, and or are looking for that next step. So that's a big range, you know. What can you talk about in terms of what you're looking for for players and advice for them and their families?
Speaker 3:Yeah, within, within trial it's, I think, all the staffs that that we're going to have out there. We're looking for the intensity, you know, the intensity of the movements, the intensity of the actions. You know, if they're kind of just going through the flow and they think this is just another club trial and it's not, we want to be the premier, you know, youth soccer organization in the state. So it's one of those things where we want them to be intense with everything that they do. And that's okay. It's okay if you miss a shot and you shouldn't get 60 yards wide, that's fine. But are you doing it at speed game? Realistic? This is like I was talking to someone. This is for them. If Sporting Kansas City was here watching your eval, how would you react? How would you respond? We tell our guys here if we call National SC to come watch the training, how would you train today? Right, and that's the mentality that we want them to have every single day in training.
Speaker 1:Every single day, that's exactly right, so okay. Every single day, that's exactly right, so okay. Well, coach man, I'm so excited to get you out here and can't wait for evals next week and even the following week I know it's like kind of weeks spread over. It's going to be really, really exciting to see and just wanted to ask you if there's anything that you're looking forward to that you know we haven't already covered. I mean, we covered a lot, but if there's anything that you know, you're just excited. To come back to NWA.
Speaker 3:Man, I'm excited, honestly, to be back home, but I think I'm excited about, you know, the first team. I've been giving these players a true pathway to kind of see them, like you said, opportunities. You know I I look at other usl championships and kind of the way that they run their academies, like it'd be cool if one day, you know, we do sign this kid to a homegrown contractor. You know, okay, he's training with the first team in the mornings or whatever, like again to me, that's what excites me is like the potential of what this could become. You know, when I was a player and I know I've talked to other coaches that had grown up in the area like man, we would have killed for something like this. Right, and that's again going back to what we want these players to know it's like this is an exciting opportunity. You know this is something that's huge. It's not just oh, man, whatever.
Speaker 1:Like, no, this is gonna be massive, massive Right. So that's what we're excited about, us as well, and I think that that's really going to be I mean, it's already blowing up Right. But I think that, that, like people are, you know, visceral they, they see and, you know, believe in all those things, and we've got a ton of momentum and we're we're doing all the all the right things for the right reasons and continue to go on the project. But once it's, once it's here, that's that's when it'll change.
Speaker 1:For folks that are kind of, you know, excited but kind of, maybe in the back of their heads, right, especially as players, that being able to see it right in your backyard, um, I think is going to be another step changing moment, um, moment that makes it real for everybody, right, and and just unlocks a whole other level of excitement, passion to be able to see that you have this pathway right here in Northwest Arkansas, whether it's whether it's there or to help you get to your other journey. But having that to facilitate it, that pathway is just going to be game changing for for soccer in the area. So I'm with you, uh, can't wait and, uh, the the first kickoff is going to be just uh, uh, crazy, emotional, uh, you know just, oh, so that it's here, you know, for the area and all the hard work and the years spent doing it will be worth it.
Speaker 1:But, kevin, thank you so much for joining me. Man, I think we're going to call it for today. I'm sure we'll have you back on, I guarantee it. There's so much to talk about and can't thank you enough for believing in our program and in the project and just welcome aboard. Welcome to OZFC, man. We're we're just excited to get started.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm thankful for the opportunity. I'm excited to work with the players and kind of try to help them. You know, like you said along the journey, that's the biggest thing. How can I everything that I have? So I kind of want to just regard the ticket out right. It's all the family. How can I help? That's my big thing. So I kind of help.
Speaker 1:I love that. Well, that's it for this episode of Pitch to Pro. We hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to catch all of our episodes on pitch to procom, or look for Pitch to Pro on YouTube, spotify, apple or wherever you get your podcasts. For more content Until next time. Northwest Arkansas cheers.
Speaker 2:Thanks for joining us on this episode of the Pitch to 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.