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: What Makes Great Players Stand Out
Ever wondered what truly separates exceptional soccer players from the rest? The answer might surprise you.
In this Stoppage Time edition of the Pitch to Pro podcast, we dive deep into player development, purpose, and the exciting soccer landscape emerging in Northwest Arkansas. The conversation explores how finding meaning beyond your career creates a foundation for success, not just in soccer, but in life. When you're self-aware enough to identify what truly matters, you can align your career path accordingly.
The spotlight then turns to the groundbreaking MLS Next program in Northwest Arkansas, an initiative creating unprecedented opportunities for local talent. "We want people to know, man, Arkansas has good soccer players," says Kevin Tello, highlighting how this program bridges the exposure gap that many talented players face in the region. For families considering this path, the program promises committed coaches, structured development, and potential pathways to collegiate and professional opportunities.
Most fascinating is the discussion about what elite coaches actually look for in players. While technical skills and athleticism matter, the distinguishing factors are often intangible: how players approach training, their intensity even in simple drills, and whether they push teammates to excel. Division I coaches increasingly evaluate prospects based on preparation habits, post-practice dedication, and interpersonal interactions, recognizing that in today's landscape, culture can be as important as talent.
Ready to discover more insights that could transform your understanding of player development? Subscribe to the Pitch to Pro podcast, the official podcast of Ozark United FC, available every Thursday on YouTube, Instagram, and wherever you get your podcasts.
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:I think it's a great way to think about things and very refreshing for anyone in any career pass is to take a step back and identify to you what's important, and not just in your career, but important that, first and foremost, outside of just your career, you're not defined by your career.
Speaker 2: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 that, if that's the thing that's important to me, then how do I then coordinate that within my career pathing and journey and and find a, an opportunity that allows me to, you know, fulfill that and that that's there and so that's. 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 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 know you're going to have coaches that are committed to you. Obviously, you can hear me talking, but I'm committed to this program. You know 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.
Speaker 3: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'm 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 north of Stratford, and then trickle down Ozark to United. Mls next program had great soccer players. That's kind of what families, parents, players can expect with this MLS next program.
Speaker 2: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, um, 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. We're here to elevate and grow the game and use, use the power of sport to make northwest arkansas a better place to live, work and play, and part of that is allowing, uh, for, you know, growth of the game and elevation of the game within the area and providing opportunities to to players, so, um, or to fall in love with it and and continue to pursue their journey, whatever level that may be.
Speaker 3:So yeah, exactly, it's like it's a Mitsujiko if it ends with us, but we gave them the best experience of it's. A Divinity One if it's pro, but they know that the best experience possible within armless and instruction?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, absolutely. 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. 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 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 and those are little things that you know.
Speaker 3:We see when you're talking now from a division one coach going out to recruit, you know you'll see them go and set up their chairs early to watch more. How's the player doing? Well, you'll see a lot of them stay after. How does how do they shake hands? How do they approach the opposing team. You know, those are the little things that coaches now are starting to look at, because culture is such a big part of not 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 thank you for joining us for this stoppage time special of the pitch to pro podcast.
Speaker 1: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.