Kai Edwards - 'A humbling helped me be more human'

The first team Kai Edwards ever coached was a group of under-12s that included two players who would go on to be US World Cup stars: Kristen Press and Whitney Engen.

He is currently head coach at the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, leading the team to its most successful ever season in 2022.

In between those coaching gigs, Edwards, in his own words, "worked, competed, failed, got dropped out, and came back in".

When he joined us on podcast row at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia last week, Edwards explored his journey in more depth, talking about how he manages his ego, why he is no longer a "transactional" coach and how important it is to be human…

Hey coaches — quick heads-up. If your team’s moving up a format this season — maybe to 7v7, 9v9, or even 11v11 — it’s not just ‘more players. and bigger pitches’ The game changes. That’s why we’re running the Prepare Your Players for the Move series. On August 20 we’ve got the 7v7 Transition Masterclass, and on August 27 we’ll cover 9v9 and 11v11. You’ll get the formations, tactics and strategies you need to give your team the edge helping you win more games and develop better players. Just h