Welcome to the "Best of the GP Soccer Podcast!" (S12 E13)

                    Welcome to the Best of the GP Soccer Podcast!

While the show takes its seasonal hiatus, you can still enjoy some of the best episodes of the GP Soccer Podcast! Host Giovanni Pacini has dug deep into the show archives to bring his worldwide audience some great interviews, coaching tips, and opinions. The GP Soccer Podcast is proud to be a member of the Sports History Network, and the show has earned some outstanding accolades such as-

* #1 on Top Podcast's "independently produced soccer podcasts".

* #2 on Feedspot Media's list of "Best Soccer Coaching Podcasts".

* #5 on Feedspot Media's list "Top 20 Soccer Podcasts" that are a "must listen".

* #6 on Skill Shark's "Top 10 Soccer Coaching Podcasts".

* Million Podcast's "Top 30 Soccer Coaching Podcasts"

* Million Podcast's "Top 10 Goalkeeper Podcasts".

* Noted as one of the "Best Soccer Coaching Podcasts of 2025" on Player FM.

The GP Soccer Podcast will return for Season 15 on September 9th with new shows airing every Wednesday. Those interested in advertising on the show can contact host Giovanni Pacini at gp4soccer@yahoo.com. Every episode of the show from Season 1 to 14 can be found wherever you tune into your podcasts!

Enoy this "Best of the GP Soccer Podcast" episode!  

Be sure to pick up Giovanni Pacini's new book- "The Importance of Unstructured Free Play: Coaching with a Street Soccer Mentality" available now on Amazon!

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

This is the GP Soccer Podcast with your host, Johanny Piccini. Well, hey there, everyone. Giovanni Pacini here, your host of the GP Soccer Podcast. Great to be with you once again. As I sit down here in my studio in my basement to record these shows, you know, every once in a while I'll give you a weather report. I don't know whether you're interested or not, I don't know. I just sometimes I feel compelled to let you know what's going on outside outside. But, you know, the last couple weeks I've been down here and didn't mind being down here because it was just absolutely dreary outside here in New England. But today, today, it's absolutely glorious. And as much as I love being with you folks, and I really love being with you folks, there's a part of me that wishes I was outside right now. And I'll tell you, uh, once this uh once this recording is done, uh this guy's heading outside to enjoy some lovely, long overdue New England weather. Hey, listen, um lots of uh terrific uh and very, very nice messages regarding the 200th episode of the GP Soccer Podcast, which occurred with last week's uh last week's episode. Thank you so much to all of you. Uh you know, I I I keep saying it and and I will continue to say it for as long as I uh I host this show. Uh this show belongs to you. I I come down here to the studio to to put together a show that uh it is informative, it's educational, it's entertaining, and um we reach 200 shows and uh hopefully there's two hundred and three hundred more shows to boot. But uh many thanks. Many thanks to all of you who uh share with me some very, very nice uh messages. We're we're at the tail end of season twelve. This particular season went by really fast. Don't ask me why. But it really has gone down gone by really fast. Um season twelve will the the last show of this season will air on June the eighteenth. June the eighteenth. And then as you all know, I take a little bit of a hiatus twice a year, just about you know, a couple of months. Um you know, it'll be in this case about July and August. We'll take a little bit of time off. But during that time when I'm on my hiatus, um I there's still lots to listen to because I air um the best of the GP soccer podcasts. And uh when I've got two hundred shows, there's lots to look back upon, lots to select, lots to think lots to uh uh lead me to think that, you know, I think folks would like to listen to this uh this broadcast again or this interview again. So for that uh those hiatus uh weeks that I'm away, you won't miss me. You'll still hear me uh because the best of the GP Soccer podcast uh will be airing and I will re be returning to the airways officially on September the third with a brand spanking new uh series of guests in conversation. Uh and it'll be season thirteen. Hopefully, hopefully a lucky thirteen, right? Um today's show. Uh I always say that it's a terrific show. A conversation with the coaches with Marcus Wood, uh who's the head women's soccer coach at Dallas Baptist University, a highly successful coach at that. We had a wonderful conversation, and as I noted to you on on many occasions, uh there's there's there's lots of times when I, you know, I'm meeting people for the very first time, you know, when they come on on the air to do an interview with me. And you know, most, if not all, of them go go really well. They really do. Soccer people, people who come on the show, they're so lovely and and so engaging and um and we have so many great conversations, but a lot of times some just stand out. And this is just one of those uh conversations with Marcus Wood that that just kind of stood out. And I think you're gonna really feel that um you know when when you hear that portion of the show today. In Coach's Corner, it'll be with uh guess who? Giovanni Pacini, where I'll be talking about playing without fear. Super important category, super important topic for all of you to tune into. Soccer news and analysis is uh again, once again with uh with yours truly. The European Soccer Report with a terrific Ralph Reno, he's got lots to share. Lots to share that's happened in the uh English Premier League and overall in Europe. In the American Soccer Revolution, with yours truly again. It's like oh here we go again. It's soccer club's dirty little secrets. Uh a few episodes back, might have even been last season, I did a couple of segments during the American Soccer Revolution where I revealed Club Soccer's dirty little secrets. And ladies and gentlemen, there are lots of them. Um so in that part of the show, I'll share with you uh some of the some of the things I've learned recently. In checking boxes here, I want to play for you uh an audio from Arsen Wenger, who is the FIFA technical advisor. Um he's uh seated alongside Stephen Martins, who's the FIFA technical director. And they're gonna talk very briefly about playing less and training more.

SPEAKER_05 5:23

Check this out. A 14-year-old boy plays in the top 20 countries from all over the world, 44 matches per season, including friendlies. How do you rate that? You think that's a lot?

SPEAKER_04 5:36

That's personally I was surprised by the number of games he plays because if you think that uh you play 40 weeks, uh 44 games for a young boy of 14 years of age, I I would say the time dedicated to training is too short. Yeah. Because he goes to school, he uh plays games on Saturday, Sunday, and basically the training part is reduced. We could do with 25 games and more training, you know. I I uh was always promoting young players, and I got many players at 18 years of age uh who had huge flaws in their game, no left foot, no headers, you know, because they had no time to train. In these crucial stages that they need to be able to do. In these crucial stages, and after it's very late because once uh from 18 onwards you go into top-level competition, you have no time to uh to work on these.

SPEAKER_05 6:23

So when I hear you speak here, I would say competition, yes, of course, drive development, because not enough competition is not good, but competition can also limit development.

SPEAKER_04 6:32

Can a little bit limit development, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 6:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:35

So I wanted to share with uh that little audio with all of you, again, courtesy of uh FIFA Technical Committee, um because that's an issue here in the United States of America, where we have kids uh generally speaking who are playing too many games and certainly certainly not training enough. Uh and I will even add a little caveat to that. When they are training, sometimes the environments are not conducive to you know putting forth an appropriate uh training session. Maybe it's a lack of space, maybe you're you're sharing a space with another team, maybe you don't have uh all of your players because they're off you know doing something else, or you know, they're running track or they're playing lacrosse, or there are a number of different dynamics which can affect the the the uh the effectiveness effectiveness, if you will, of an appropriate training session. Um but I think we all, when I say we, that's all of us who are involved uh in player development, certainly at the at the younger ages, um, that we take a step back and understand the importance that training, the appropriate number of times of training is uh very, very important.

unknown 7:39

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 7:40

And we have to be super sensitive to the training to game ratio. Now that obviously from you know, if you're talking about U6 is U8s, you know, the training to game ratio is a lot different than if you're talking about senior level players. You know, they're they're 15, 16, 17, 18-year-old players. Uh you know, at that level they can they can train a heck of a lot more because they're just older and uh and f uh physiologically more resilient. Uh but there is such a thing as a training uh to game ratio, and and it is it is so uh it is so non-existent in this country. Uh we've got we've got kids playing way too many games and not training enough. Subsequently, you see some of the things that Arsen Thinker talked about from the players that he's seen um even outside of the United States of America uh where kids just lacking tech you know technical ability. Um something I thought was worth sharing with you. Again, checking boxes, checking boxes. As you all know, I've been covering um very closely uh the situation with the Boston Legacy FC, uh not the least of which is is the new name, and I like it. I think I think they got it right this time. Um couple of things. They're playing next year at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Revolution, uh, because White Stadium, which is under uh under construction or renovation, if you will, uh is not gonna be ready for next year. And as you all know, I've been reporting very closely uh the legal action that had been taking uh that had taken place against uh the club, uh stalling you know the opportunities to kind of move the project along and have it ready for next year. Uh but that's not gonna be the case. But they will be playing uh at uh at Gillette Stadium uh down in Foxboro, Massachusetts. And the other big news for the club is a new coach. It's a new coach, which is fantastic. Felipe Patal. She was hired to be the club's first uh coach. Uh she's 36 years of age and she's a native of Portugal. Uh-huh. And she has coached in Benfica since 2020. Uh-huh. And now she's led that team to five consecutive championship titles in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino. Uh-huh. And in 23-24, she guided the Portuguese team to the quarterfinals in the UEFA Women's Champions League for the first time in their history. And then last year, she was one of six finalists for the Cover de Balondor, the first women's coach of the year award. Now it ended up going to U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes, maybe deservedly so. Uh, but Patau's addition to the team comes at a time when it's still still trying to get off the ground. Yes, indeed. There's there's been some um you know there's been some challenges, not the least of which is as uh I mentioned the uh the the stadium. Uh but it it appears things are starting to settle into place uh for this franchise, for this club that has uh been faced with uh, like I said, a lot of different uh a lot of different challenges. So there you have it, folks. Checking boxes, checking boxes, the opening of the GP Soccer Podcast. Once again, many, many, many thanks to all of you for all the kind words for last week's 200 show, and God willing, there will be 200, 300, 400 more for as long as I can uh use these pipes and talk all things soccer, I'm gonna do it. GP Soccer Podcast, Giovanni Pacini here. We're gonna break for commercial message, don't you dare go anywhere. Soccer is known around the world as both a sport and an art with players of all ages and abilities enjoying the game. Now, the art of the game is only realized after hours of mastering ball skills, learning to communicate with your teammates, and receiving support and instruction from the right coaches. With over 100 years of coaching experience, Director John Barrata and the coaching staff at the Beautiful Games Soccer Academy are pleased to offer their expertise to the players and their parents. Coach Barada is one of the most decorated and accomplished soccer coaches in the Northeast with a proven track record of developing both talented players and coaches. The Beautiful Games Soccer Academy believes that success on the soccer field reads success elsewhere in a young adult's life. Players who attend the learn the importance of forming good habits, attempting new challenges without the fear of failure, and seeking out support and advice from others. The program fosters the creativity within each player and encourages them to experiment, improvise, and problem solve on the fly. At the Beautiful Game Soccer Academy, every day starts with a smile on our face and a ball at our feet. To learn more about the Beautiful Game Soccer Academy, visit www.beautifulgamesa.com.

SPEAKER_07 12:11

Hey, this is Mike Noonan, headman soccer coach of the 2023 NCA national champion Clemson Tigers. You're listening to the GP Soccer Podcast with Giovanni Pacini, my good friend.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

Now, today's guest, um, someone I'm just really meeting for the first time, which happens quite often, as you all know. There's there's a lot of people who I I interview in the GP Soccer Podcast, people that I know from my world uh in the sport of soccer, and then there's some people who I have just literally met for the first time. And then this morning will be one of those uh one of those uh occasions. Our guest today, on conversation with the coach, is Marcus Wood. And he is in his third season as the in as the head women's soccer coach at Dallas Baptist University. Widely regarded as one of the nation's top soccer coaches, Wood has compiled the career record of, where will you hear this one, 418, 47, and 37, I'm jealous, over the course of 24 seasons. And his 869 win percentage ranks as the third highest all time in the history of NCAA women's soccer at all levels. He is also one of only 31 coaches in women's collegiate soccer to reach the 400 wins in a career. Now, in his first two seasons at the helm, Wood guided down Dallas Baptists to back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division II tournament, would also led DBU to the Lone Star Conference regular season titles in each of his two years and hoisted the uh Lone Star uh Conference Championship Trophy in 22 and 23. A two-time LSC coach of the year, Wood has produced four All-Americans, 10 all-South Central Region selections, including the 2023 D2 South Central Region Player of the Year, Taylor Tufts. Well, Marcus Woods, welcome to the GP Soccer Podcast Conversation with the Coach.

SPEAKER_09 14:37

Giovanni, I'm excited to join you today. We're gonna have a great conversation.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

I look forward to it. Yes, indeed, yes, indeed. So here's where I'd like to start. Uh, we kind of uh talked about this before I hit the record button, but I'm curious, my audience is curious uh about all my guests, obviously you today. Share with us your story. You know, where did you grow up? Um, you know, other sports that you played, if you didn't just play soccer, any influences you might have had in your life, particularly in the coaching, uh coaching realm. What's the what's the Marcus Woods story?

SPEAKER_09 15:06

So I grew up in Iowa, which is a soccer desert. Um we're not known for great soccer. Uh my dad wanted to teach me uh baseball and wrestling. Those were his sports. I think I think every five-year-old boy in Iowa wrestles. Uh you've got uh Dan Dan Gable's our great story of the great uh wrestling uh coach in Iowa. So we all do that a little bit. My dad was real disappointed when I chose soccer at age 12. And there's the minor problem of that, there's just not a lot of great soccer in Iowa. Uh, but but I was very fortunate. Uh I had a great coach named Ben Pennington. Uh he was the boys' coach at Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa, and he's still the coach. He's almost 70 years of age and still coaching. That's a guy that loves it. Um, but he set up his program in a way that, you know, he knew he knew who the best fifth and sixth grade boys were in town, and he was recruiting everybody, getting all the best athletes involved. And so we formed this uh kind of soccer dynasty in Bettendorf, Iowa. Um, that that you know won state championships, and we were just all so proud to be a part of it. Uh that there were things like uh he was just an extremely caring man, a coach who invested so much in all of our lives. My parents wouldn't let me go to ODP at the time because they wanted me at church on Sundays. Uh so he so he drove me. He drove me to ODP. He's like, look, if I'll take your boy, he he was willing to make the investment to do whatever it takes for his talented boys in town to be playing soccer. Uh and and he just kind of created an and all of us. There's a there's there's you know four decades worth of of Bettendorf boy soccer players that developed a love of the game and a love of teamwork, and I think he was a big inspiration in my life to continue in the game. Uh I played college soccer at Olivet Nazarene, uh very good uh school in the in the Chicago area. Um and then and then uh pretty quickly after that, I was offered two jobs out of college. One one was working for Ford and paid pretty well, and one was a grad assistant soccer coach. And my passion was still with soccer, so I didn't care that the soccer thing didn't pay anything. I really just wanted to see where soccer could take me, and it and it's it's it's ever ever since I I've been able to get after it. Uh I coached two years at University of the Cumberland in the men's program. I was NAI men, uh coaching a lot of international players. Um went one year to Gardner Webb, which is a small Division I in North Carolina, and then after that, uh I was really hungry. It's crazy. After just three seasons, I was hungry to start trying my own stuff. Uh I knew I'd make a lot of mistakes, but was fortunate first time in Texas, was interviewing for the job at Harden Simmons and took that job and then was there for 22 years and loved every minute of it. And I I think getting in early was a real help. We lost a lot of games early in my career where I just looked at the other coach and and I I was willing to get into the film right away and study what the other coach was doing, and and that helped a lot early on in the career.

SPEAKER_03 18:00

Well, you and I have a little bit of something in common. You were at all of that, uh uh Nazarene. You said you attended school there, is that correct? That's correct. I was the head men's soccer coach at Eastern Nazarene College.

SPEAKER_07 18:10

How about that?

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Here in the Quincy, uh just in Quincy, Massachusetts, outside of Boston. I was there for several years back in the 1990s. Oh my god. Uh yeah, back in the 1990s. But uh yeah, I was there for for several, several years. Um then we've got a little bit of a connection, a little bit of a connection. So I'm curious, you were at Harden Simmons for for 22 years, and then you decide, you know, to leave and make the leap elsewhere. Share with my audience that process because whenever you're at one place, I don't care if you're a soccer coach or you, you know, you're whatever, a teacher or a lawyer or whatever, when you're in one place for that long, and all of a sudden you decide to go someplace else, that that's a big leap. Share with my audience the thought process that went into to leaving Hard and Simmons to to uh to move on.

SPEAKER_09 18:54

So we had a lot of success at Hard and Simmons. And after about four or five years, you know, I start getting calls every year uh that there would be other jobs. Uh and there there's a lot of bad college soccer jobs. I I you know there are. Even with the Division I title on them, I I talked to you know, somewhere between five to ten athletic directors in division one and and lots of division two, and that they just weren't funded in any way that gave the team an opportunity to really be successful. Um so you know, after four, after four or five years, you you start exploring these college and and and I got down to just a you know, my my wife asked me, are you ever gonna take any of these? Uh, and and I thought, well, you know, that there's just really a couple a handful of jobs that are I wasn't gonna jump from division three to power four, um, but there was a handful of jobs that really looked good, and Dallas Baptist was one we had on the radar, um, because they funded women's soccer really well. They have a great facility. Everything about it was set up to do well. Um so so when Michelle Leonard took the job from Dallas Baptist to Baylor, um we were really excited about it. And as a family, we made the move. My my daughter was going into a freshman year of high school. That was the probably the most difficult part of the move of her leaving a pack of friends. Um and Abilene was a really small community where really we knew after 22 years, we knew everyone in the community. There wasn't a time that you didn't go out to eat where you didn't know three or four families and the restaurant owner. And you know, that that that was a pretty neat part of Abilene, and then and then moving moving to Dallas. Uh that there is an element of starting over um in terms of family and friends. And you know, that that's that's a real challenge in a coach's life for sure. Uh when you do want to make a move, um it's just finding community again. And we're working at that. We're we're working at finding we found a good church uh near the university, and we're we're we're we're starting to find community here as well.

SPEAKER_03 20:48

Yeah, it's it's uh it's a significant leap. Um, you know, there's a lot to be said about finding a place where and you spent you spent 22 years at Harden Simmons that's comfortable and you have a family and your kids are settled and they're comfortable. Um, you know, playing devil's advocate, you know, you might say, well, why would you want to leave that? But then again, coaching, the coaching business is a is a funny business that you and I both very well know. And there's always that next, that next challenge, that next challenge. Um, and you make a good point about, you know, not all of them are are the best of s scenarios or best of situations. So yeah, you gotta find that right place that's well funded and helpful that you can believe in.

SPEAKER_09 21:25

Yes, Hardin Simmons absolutely um was almost like a near impossible place to leave. I had a great boss, John Nees, uh, and just really special people, everyone in the university. Uh the the students that would choose Hard and Simmons were incredible people. So it it it was near impossible to leave there. Um, you know, I I think what finally you know started to push us a little bit is you know just not having an assistant coach. The division three's and division division three is just such a vast um, you know, you have universities that are extremely well funded, like in the UAA, you've got Washington University. St. Louis and Emory and University of Chicago and then the NESCA. Yeah, very well-funded universities in Division III. And then there's a lot of uh universities that have uh more smaller budgets, smaller everything, and they're kind of finding a way to make it work. And starting at Harden Simmons, when I was a young young man, there was just no opportunity cost. I didn't mind working 90-hour weeks uh built building a program because I just loved it and there wasn't other things. But then when I got married and started having kids, I want to be around the family a little bit more. Uh and and then things like not having a full-time assistant coach started to become a factor. Um, my wife had counted one one weekend where I was gone 40 out of 52 Saturdays in the calendar year. And I don't think there's many college coaches that would say that's that unusual. You know, it's just it's just you're you're on Saturdays, a lot of times you're working. Well, where now you want to be involved maybe in some of your kids' activities, having an assistant coach that could maybe take five to 10 of those weekends off to go to the whatever the next recruiting event is has been very helpful at this stage in my life.

SPEAKER_03 23:02

Well, you know, I I being here in New England, as you very well know, New England is arguably the most competitive region in Division III in the United States of America. And you mentioned, you mentioned UAA, the NESCAC, the NUMAC, uh, some of the top Division III, um, not just you know athletic programs, but but academic uh institution as well. They are strictly particularly the you know Nescacs are which are considered the the little ivies. Um yeah, I made a, you know, I made a personal choice a number of years ago to stay in New England. I had opportunities to leave New England and coach at higher levels. Um family was very important to me, you know, um, and friends were very important to me, community was very important to me, so I decided to stay in the New England area. And because of the number of Division III institutions and terrific institutions in and around the Boston area, I was able to build a career and staying at the division and staying at the division three level. So yeah, I I get your story. I get your story about you know the challenges that division three can pose.

SPEAKER_09 23:56

Um I'll be I'll be a lifetime fan of Division III soccer. I I I think I'll I'll always watch the men's and women's final four. Uh I was on the NCA committee several years where you know you got to watch those live. And and the the highest levels of Division III men's and women's soccer is just awesome. Uh and it's uh it's amazing that in a non-scholarship environment that these programs can put together just such a joy to watch soccer teams. Um so yeah, I'll I'll always be a lifetime fan of you know those great Division III soccer programs.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Yeah, we have uh here in the Boston area, Tufts University immediately comes to mind, um, on the particularly on the men's side. They won a uh, I don't think last year, a couple of years before, that they won like back-to-back uh Division III national championships. And um, you know, their claim to fame in terms of separating themselves from everybody else is going out and recruiting legitimate Division I level players to come to a Division III institution. I I can sell you firsthand, Marcus, you know, not that I'm gonna look for any pass in the back, but I was able to turn around a lot of soccer programs that didn't have a lot of success. And I followed that very same recipe. Can I go out there and find a legitimate Division I player or players who don't want to go to the big schools? They don't want the Division I business part uh of their college experience, but they still want to play competitive soccer. And uh, if you can do that, you can turn programs around pretty quick. And if you can get a lot of them, like Tufts University, for example, or in a lot of the teams in the Nescaq, yeah, you're right, you're spot on. The level of play is absolutely, absolutely terrific, absolutely terrific.

SPEAKER_09 25:27

Those student athletes are out there for all sorts of reasons. Uh, you know, that they want an engineering degree, they want, they want to become a doctor, they're worried about balancing competitive athletics in the full time of division one. So, so there are all sorts of players that have division three or division two scholarships that turn it down to go play division three soccer. You just got you got to find your niche. And each university that is is has a special soccer program usually has some sort of path to the elite player. Uh, and and once you have that path to the elite player, you can really really build a really special program.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

So let's talk a little bit about Dallas Baptist University. Share with my audience all about Dallas Baptist.

SPEAKER_09 26:07

I think that the the first uh great part of it uh is we are we are located in one of the great soccer hotbeds in the United States. Indeed. Uh and that's a that's a huge competitive advantage. We don't have to drive far um to get to get some of the best players in the country onto our campus. Um and then it's very distinctly a Christian university. Uh Jesus at the center of everything we do. And that's a recruiting niche for sure. Um there's a number of students that will turn down bigger stuff because they want to attend a Christian college, and that's very, very important to them. Um that that audience has been a good audience uh as a coach because you're not as worried about what they're gonna do on the weekends. We're a more conservative audience. We I usually don't come in Monday worrying about if they were at a crazy party on a Saturday night. Uh we're we're a pretty conservative group, um, but but uh, you know, great location, great soccer facilities. Uh we have a strange athletic department, and then we have Division I baseball, and then we're Division II and everything else. Uh and it's top 20 in the country, Division I baseball. Um, and they have to fund that pretty well. Well, there's also a law in the United States called Title IX that says if you're gonna fund uh men's sports a certain way, you've got to fund women's sports a certain way. So we're the great beneficiary of that. The women's sports at Dallas Baptist are very good. Our golf team right now is playing for a national title. Um we have a very good tennis, women's tennis team, women's cross country, volleyball. The women's sports uh do very well. Uh our women's soccer program, we really have no excuses. We should be around the top 20 in the country every year. It's just it's just uh the combination of location, facilities, the type of university, we we really have everything going for us.

SPEAKER_03 27:52

You know, you struck a quarterby once again, Marcus, when you you talked about uh, you know, coaching at a Christian college, as I as I did at East and Nazarene. Um you're going to get, well, once again, as I referred earlier, those division one, you know, level players, even Division II that are going to come to, in my case at East and Nazarene, was Division III, because they want that Christian environment. Um and yeah, you you're you're dealing with a smaller niche uh or a smaller pool, if you will, of players um that would consider a Christian college, but done well, done correctly, you can start to attract, and I'm preaching to the choir here, you can attract those division one players that will will turn around your program. And I had that same kind of success at Eastern Nazarene where I inherited a team that may be arguably one of was one of the worst in the in the country, in the country. Um, but then uh, you know, I I found like, well, there's my pool. Here's my pool. And um, and I I recruited heavily out of that pool, and we we got some pretty terrific plays and turned it around in short order. And uh we were we were competing with the big boys. So yeah, that that resonates. Certainly resonates. And yes, you're spot on, Marcus. There were no phone calls from my athletic director on a Monday morning as to what your players might have been doing. It was wonderful. It was wonderful.

SPEAKER_09 29:06

So the great models uh were Wheaton College out of Illinois and then uh Messiah. Uh the th those two programs nationwide. Um so I had I had a younger brother who was the Gatorade player of the year in the I and I went a high school All-American, and uh, and when he chose Wheaton, you know, I was really confused saying, you know, look, I got a soccer scholarship, and you're a whole lot better than I am. You should be choosing a scholarship. And he said, well, just come come watch Wheaton with me one time. And it was so inspiring the level of soccer. You know, his freshman year, he played in a national championship game that was uh 1997. Uh, they had a great team with Robbie Mao and Eric Brown. It was just an awesome soccer team. And then watching what Messiah did, uh, you know, all the great uh men's and women's programs at Messiah, it that's something we've tried to emulate. Uh, where we're we're very upfront about who we are in the recruiting process. And like you said, it really narrows the pool. But there is a pool of young ladies that that's exactly what they're looking for. Uh and and we're able to put together a very special team, uh, a very high character team, which it was also a great beginning point of building a great program. Uh it's just kids made of you know a really depth of character. Uh it's just really exciting to be a part of. We we still love coming to work every day. I'm I'm 50 years old, I've done this for a long time, and I still love showing up every day because the young people are just so inspiring and they're easy to serve and easy to work for.

SPEAKER_03 30:32

Which means you never work a day in your life.

SPEAKER_09 30:34

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 30:35

There you go. There you go. So speaking of your team, talk, talk to my audience about your team, though. You've been here for three years. Um, but prior to your arrival, the the program was enjoying a great deal of success. I mean, the I think the last doing some research here, last 15 straight years, you had you had winning records. Um, so talk about a little bit of the history of the women's program, but certainly talk about your your team as it's as it's currently constituted.

SPEAKER_09 30:57

So I I think Michelle Leonard was probably the biggest turning point in the program. Uh, I had recruited against Dallas Baptists. They weren't formidable until 2008, it was the first time I recruited against DBU for eight years, and it wasn't that big of a problem until Michelle Leonard got there, and all of a sudden they became a problem, and they were taking players all the time. Uh by 2014, we never again got a player off of DBU. Uh DBU uh we built the Sedwick Soccer Fieldhouse. Leah Sedwick is the assistant at Baylor, one of the all great time great players at DBU. Uh, they built this beautiful soccer field house. We have this incredible facility that overlooks the field. They decided to fully fund the women's soccer program. You know, though those steps in 2014 are a big deal. To now, we're positioned in a way that we can contend for national titles and be one of the top teams in the country. Um, we we we would, Harden Simmons, we would scrimmage them each year, and we just saw them continue to get tougher and tougher and tougher. Uh, Michelle's last year, she took them to the final four. Uh, that was a team that really was could have won a national title. They're right there, had a couple mistakes in the final four game against St. Rose. Um, when Michelle, when Michelle left for Baylor, um, the Baylor program needed some players. Uh, so she took the three, three best players with her, the three All-Americans all went to Baylor with her. Uh, they also had five senior starters. So that first team I took, we were only returning two players. Uh uh, so that was a little bit of a scary moment. We and I really have no idea. I I don't know. I'm coaching the team and we're decent, but I have no idea how we're gonna be. And the majority, that whole roster, everyone playing. We played one senior, one junior, and then it was freshmen and sophomores. So it was sophomores that didn't get to play on the final four team, and then freshmen. And that team went 17-2-1, spent most of the year at number one in the country. Uh, we lost in the sweet 16 to Colorado Mines. Uh, coach transition are often difficult times where the players are saying, well, man, here's how the previous coach did it. That that I wasn't, I didn't have any of those challenges because the girls that were playing for us hadn't got to play before. So they were pretty excited just by anything we were doing because they were getting to play. Um, and I think that that group, it was a very fun season because we're all just kind of figuring it out together. Um, and and so so then you have the challenge in the offseason now of improving the roster. Uh, we were you mentioned Taylor Tufts in the open. We were fortunate to get her. She she she was a great player coming out of South Lake Carroll here in Texas, led them to a state title. She was the best player in UNT at UNT, was first team all conference USA, but was now graduating, had two years of eligibility, and just wanted to do her master's degree somewhere else. Uh, and and she picked us over a lot of power four programs. And that that that really kind of helped propel us over the last two seasons of having a player of that caliber. You know, she she was one of the best Division II players in the country the last couple of years. Um, and and we just tried to keep improving the program little by little um with recruit, recruiting both undergrad students and and a little bit of the transfer portal. Uh right right now is May, which is transfer portal season, and we're doing visits every day with transfer portal. Um, but but yeah, it's it's it's a great roster. Uh we play um we play very good soccer. We uh we're we're able to have the ball uh at Harden Simmons. I spent a lot of my time working on being organized defensively. And it was I spent much of my time here on that at the beginning. And then uh after a season, I realized, man, we have the ball an awful lot. Uh we're we're probably a team that has 60% possession on the season. Um so so you know, it it we're looking for high soccer IQ players, skill and intelligence. Uh, and in that combination, we're able to be a team that keeps the ball and plays a pretty attractive style of soccer.

SPEAKER_03 34:39

So hold that thought about the transfer portal because I want to get into that a little bit. Um so as a division two, you you're allowed to uh give scholarships. Are you at maximum um scholarship offerings at the we're in the Lone Star Conference, and I believe the whole league is fully funded.

SPEAKER_09 34:55

It's uh the the league's pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 34:59

And as as far as I look at your roster literally in front of me here, the predominance of your players are from Texas, and that for the obvious reasons, as you mentioned at the opening, uh the Dallas area is drenched with soccer talent. Um any any efforts or any moves, any interest on looking internationally, since you have scholarship opportunities, uh, that you could very easily go to a top player from another country and offer her a scholarship. Is it has that ever been part of your mindset or your approach or your philosophy?

SPEAKER_09 35:24

Absolutely. Um we're looking for a player, any any international, we're looking for uh probably a national team player who um is really going to be a start. And even even the idea of bringing them together. We we were in conversation with a couple of Jamaicans, um, you know, where they have a friend, they they have a kind of a safety net. Uh, but but we've started the process of of exploring internationally. It's a little tougher here. We have to pay a little bit more for them. For the American student, we can stack academic scholarship, soccer scholarship, and stacking all those scholarships really helps. It's a little tougher for the international, but we're willing to pay when we can find one of those real game changers. And I think that'll happen at some point over the next five years.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

So, as I know to you in your division two, and and division two, and you you know this as well as anybody, has been a bit of the Wild West. Um, you know, it's not quite Division I, it's not quite Division III. It's this it's this funky uh, you know, group of schools or or collection of institutions that make up Division II. Share with my audience, particularly those who maybe not be familiar with the, you know, our divisional alignments, division one, two, three, JUCO. What is Division II all about? What are the what makes it unique or different from, say, Division I and or and Division III?

SPEAKER_09 36:39

Well, I think I think the excitement, and even why it's exciting to me, is you have a real shot at a national title. You have a real shot to be one of the best teams in your region. In division one, we're still at a place, you know, we're 40 years in, and there's only 11 programs that have ever won a national title. Uh and that that up that upper group, this year's final four, seven of the eight were from the ACC. So you're looking at really there is only a handful of teams that really have a shot at a national title. Well, in division two, there's 10 or 15 of us that are real contenders. And that's pretty exciting to be able to be able to play for the big prizes and play play deep into the at the end of the season. Um, and and a scholarship's no different. You know, if if if school doesn't cost you much at Division II, there's often a case where we're willing to pay a little bit more than some of those division ones are willing to pay. So, you know, division division two, there's real opportunities for great student athletes. And right now on our roster, 15 players turned down division one to be here. And and I don't I don't think we're that terribly unique in that. I'd say a lot of the top 20, that's the case. So so so there's that there's a lot of times where there's just a better fit for a student athlete and their best opportunities are in division two.

SPEAKER_03 37:57

Now, I'm gonna ask you to speculate a little bit. You heck, you might even play some of these folks in in preseason or in or in your spring season. What would you say that the the difference is from those cream of the crop division ones that you were talking about earlier versus the cream of the crops where you're at division two? What are the what are the significant differences um between the two that that separates them as as you described?

SPEAKER_09 38:20

Um NIL money has changed the game a lot, and that's even in women's soccer. Um our whole spring schedule, we play, we play all five dates, we play against Division I competition. And if we play the mid-majors, uh the level is very similar. Uh we win a very high percentage of those games against the mid-majors. But but even right now, uh we had a power four tie this spring, we had a power four win last spring, and we had a power four win the year before that. So so DBU can be very competitive even with power four programs, but but what what they have that we don't uh is the the the complete game-changing player. The um the the the best players in the state are going to be at TCU, University of Texas, Texas AM. They're gonna be a little bigger, stronger, faster than we're gonna be, but also they're gonna have uh extra extra insight. They're usually gonna have a crazy special 10 and some playmakers that just make us tough, make it tough for us to deal with it. Most of the time when we play power four, uh they're gonna have a little bit more of the ball and we're gonna have to be the defensively organized team.

SPEAKER_03 39:27

So we touched upon the transfer portal and you know, nail the name, image, image, and likely. Share with my audience, particularly those who are from outside the country and they they don't quite know what this is all about. What is the transfer portal? What is the uh name engine uh likeness and how has that impacted college sports in general?

SPEAKER_09 39:45

Oh, it's been a massive impact. So transfer portal now it's basically free agency uh for college athletes. At the end of each season, they can uh they can ask the coat their coach to go to the transfer portal and just look at their other options, explore their other offers. And and and we're student athletes are now taking full advantage of that. Uh, I I think the number today is like 1,200 players are in the transfer portal. Uh it become and it's open for small windows. So this most recent window opened May 1st. There's usually one that opens somewhere in December at the end of the fall season. And in that time, it's changed the soccer coach's life because you have to look at these players. There's some very good players that are wanting. I I think we've heard from about 40 players, and we've done about six visits. Uh, we've got another visit coming up this week where it's a very good player coming from Division I. Um, in some cases, they even got playing time. They were just um wanted more playing time. You know, for whatever reason the student athlete is upset, they get they can now get get in the transfer portal and explore their options. Uh so that's become a big part of student athletes' life. It's it's changed the recruiting game. Uh, we we were surprised this time around. On May 1st, we scheduled three visits. They were the probably the top three visits we scheduled. And by the next day, they were calling us back saying, I committed to another place, had a full ride. Saying, like, wait, how'd you even visit? Uh uh, but but that that's that they knew that they had what they wanted. Um so so so they moved quickly. So the the transfer portal, there's a lot of colleges now that are making the primary focus of their recruiting, the transfer portal. Uh, and it just kind of makes sense. If if you can get a 21 or 22-year-old with already has college experience, that's usually going to be a little bit more helpful than a freshman 18-year-old that's uh uh adjusting to college soccer. Most 18-year-olds do have an adjustment to college soccer, that's a normal part of the process. Um, we we we found too a year ago, our our 2026 class is very good. Um, college soccer truth is uh that they they tweet a lot about soccer. Uh that they've said multiple times our 2026 class is a top 100 recruiting class, including division one. And I think that's true. The the young ladies we have coming are we we couldn't believe the level of player we're able to get. But we we think a lot a large portion of it is because division one's spending a lot more money in the portal and and and being less uh hungry to go get the the really talented kids out of high school. So yeah, transfer portal has been a big game changer in the recruiting process.

SPEAKER_03 42:14

You know, and this is just one man's opinion. And the downside to that, um there's there's no real level of commitment. You know, you and I are a certain age. When you went to college, you went for four years. You made a commitment as a young person coming out of high school, and you go in as a freshman at XYZ university, and then four years later you graduate. And there was something to be said about that uh, you know, that willingness to to put forth the effort to stick to it and get your degree in four years. Whereas now, as you just described, you could be a one and done. And that's actually part of the you know, the parlance these days. One and done. You go to XYZ University, go into the portal. What's my next best offer as a free agent? And you go there, and you go there.

SPEAKER_09 42:57

It's um Giovanni, there's so much value in struggle. Uh, and like, like, so so you go somewhere as a freshman, you don't get to play, or you don't get to play as much as you as you thought you said, well, how when are we gonna learn the character skill of resilience and and learning to fight? And uh we we see a number of student athletes that it's not exactly what they want, and and they're they're just picking up and going elsewhere. And I think that's gonna that's gonna hurt. That's gonna hurt a lot. Um, we we had a girl enter the portal that we thought, my goodness, you're on exactly the trajectory we thought you were gonna be on. Uh, you know, you were gonna struggle as a freshman, but but you're gonna be very successful as a junior and senior and just stick it out and go through the hard times. We're we're we're we're gonna miss an element of that for sure in college athletics. Uh, but that that that's the game, and we all have to adapt.

SPEAKER_03 43:44

Well, you just scribble this down. Go through the hard times.

SPEAKER_09 43:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 43:48

Uh, they don't go through the hard times. And I'm gonna pontificate for but a second. Um, yeah, these kids just don't go through the hard times and they don't realize um what they're missing out on right now. Relative to their own development as a human being, their own development as a young adult, you know, when you do go through those hard times. And then it just begs the question what happens when you get out there in real life and in the real world and you do have to face the hard times, and you've had no experience of it whatsoever during your college years, uh, because you're able just to pack up and leave. I don't want to deal with this hard time. I'm just going to go someplace else where I don't have to face a hard time. Absolutely. Yeah, it's it's uh it's a it's a it's a it's a terrible element uh to all of this. Um and then what about you know name image like name image likeness? Share with my audience um you know what that's all about.

SPEAKER_09 44:40

So primarily in division one, but in division in division one, now it's up pay-to-play. In division two, we have a very small thing. I think the limit is $599. So really division two down, it doesn't affect much of anything. Uh, but division one, uh there's one story in Texas. A young lady left a top Texas program to went to another school and she was paid $25,000 to go. And that that's really an unbelievable thought process that a uh a women's college soccer player can be get paid $25,000. Not only can she get tuition room and board books, she can be receiving $25,000 for her soccer ability. Uh and I think in women's college soccer, that's a small group. Uh, but but I I would suggest that probably the upper 20 or 30 programs are now very much going to be involved in that game of a little bit of pay to play. Uh you see it at the very, you know, we hear a lot about it in Division I football and men's basketball. And uh, you know, I think Arch Manning at University of Texas is making multiple million dollars now to play college football, but but but it's even touching women's college soccer where some of the upper players now are getting paid to play.

SPEAKER_03 45:47

Yeah, and this is, you know, it has everything to do with um colleges, universities at the big time Division I levels who are making literally millions and millions and millions of dollars off the backs of these student athletes who, you know, even if they were getting a a full ride, you know, they they were still oftentimes broke. Um so yeah, I don't I don't have as much of a problem with that as I do with the transfer portal. Um let's let's uh I'd love to get your take on uh uh on the on the women's game from I guess from 30,000 feet. What are your what are your thoughts on the state of the women's game in general from the collegiate level to the national level? Your thoughts on the NWSL and the level of play that we're seeing there. Um what's what's your thought about the women's game overall from a 30,000-foot vantage point?

SPEAKER_09 46:31

So Giovanni, if I'm if I'm gonna talk about Division I college soccer, I'm only coming from the perspective of a fan as a fan. Uh you know, I've I've coached in division three and two, but only been a fan of Division I. But but I I I I think we're in a pretty good place in Division I women's college soccer. Uh the there's as much parity as you've seen uh maybe in the the the first and second rounds of the NCA tournament are now very competitive games, and that used to not be the case. Uh it would be very one-sided games. The the argument that there's maybe not as great a parody as, well, seven, eight of the uh seven of the eight final four teams this year were ACC teams. That that that that's true, but that's always been the case. It's always kind of been, you know, out on the West Coast, you had Stanford and UCLA and USC, and but but now we don't even have a Pac-12. So uh I think we have better parity. There, there's the talent is spread out more places. It's not just the schools that can get the national team players that are competitive. You you're you're seeing a lot of very good Division I women's college soccer teams. Uh if I would say if we're gonna grow women's Division I college soccer, I think we have to do something better with our Final Four event. Uh, I've I've watched that from the outside for years, and and we still don't have something like a studio show. There should be a studio show, just like we do for the Olympics or you know, Division I basketball, where you're telling the stories of the players involved where you can you can just you can attract a wider audience. Um, you know, I I right right now that that event is not as big as it could be. And I look at like, say, a softball, uh, where they go to Oklahoma every year and it's packed out, and it's uh everyone involved in softball just knows they're going to Oklahoma to go watch the their World Series. Volleyball does something similar where their convention is there and every coach in the country goes there. So so if I'm saying, uh, is there a way to improve Division I women's college soccer? It's around our Final Four event and making an event that all of us went to. Um, you know, I I think guys like you and I that are just soccer lovers should be there. Right now it's not even on my radar to attend. And if we got the right event, we could we could make it an event, you know, even hold our coaches' convention there. Make it an event that everyone would want to attend.

SPEAKER_03 48:58

You know, this may sound corny, but the old saying goes, if you build it, they will come. Yes. Um and that's not to meant to sound silly, particularly in women's sports these days. As you very well know, women's sports now are, you know, they're they're at the forefront in every sport, not just in in women's soccer, but at the you know, the forefront um of high-profile coverage, high-profile games. Um it's not unusual now to flip on ESPN and they're leading, yes, they're leading ESPN with a with a women's sports uh report and video and commentary? Uh you're seeing more and more um, you know, uh women commentators. So yeah, you're spot on, my friend. Spot on. Um, you know, the the the time is ripe for something like that. And again, if they they they built it, they will come. Uh, your thoughts on the national team. They're kind of going a bit of a transition. Emma Hayes is now the the new coach, and um, you know, there's a new wave of players. What are your thoughts about our women's national team um as it is currently constituted under Emma Hayes?

SPEAKER_09 49:53

Well, just to start with, I'm a huge fan of Emma Hayes. Uh but before Emma Hayes, it looked like we were going a wrong direction and the world was catching us, and and and now Spain and Holland and England and Germany, and it just looked like the US was now going to be kind of in the mix and not the world power any longer. And Emma Hayes' ability to make just an immediate change on culture and belief and and and to to right away win a win a gold medal again, uh, and and even give us an identity and just be what we are with these you know three very special attacking players and um and and then and then find a way to build behind them. Uh I'm a huge fan of everything that Emma Hayes has been able to accomplish. Uh it's did it sound like Mal Swanson just had a child? Is that a true story? Um I I think one of our great attacking players is going to be out for the next year, which will give her a challenge to face, but I I I think we're moving a really good direction where we can remain as one of one of the superpowers of the world and give a lot of uh credit to the coach and even the hiring process to go find that right coach, um, pretty pretty special on what they're able to do to stay as one of the world powers.

SPEAKER_03 51:02

Well, a lot of money was thrown at Emma Hayes, as as as you might expect from U.S. soccer. Um, and I think they got the right pick. What she has brought to the squad, which I think was lacking a bit prior, was an edge to their game. An edge. There was there was never any question of there was talent out there. Um, but for whatever reason, there was a loss of an edge, that fight, the fighting attitude, that grit um that that wasn't there. And she has brought that to the table and a lot of discipline as well. And yeah, the results speak for the results speak for themselves. So yeah, they've been they've been terrific to watch.

SPEAKER_09 51:37

So every individual dialogue I see her have with a player, I'm usually taking note of that. That was a pretty good what she said to that young lady, uh, and knowing how to get the most out of these pros. And uh she she she has a very special way and demeanor that they love playing for and that shows on the field.

SPEAKER_03 52:01

And you need that at that level, you know, oftentimes it's not about the X's and O's per se, it's about your capacity to manage human beings, about your capacity to manage high-level, highly functioning, high IQ athletes and be able to manage them as human beings. And that's that's the special sauce. Yes that um not just Emma Hayes, but every successful coach has. Every successful coach, you know, you've got to have that. So, Marcus, would if people want to learn more about Dallas Baptist University, want to, you know, uh learn more about your soccer program, what's the best way to go about doing all that?

SPEAKER_09 52:34

All the social media's Twitter, Instagram. Uh the we we do a great job. Our social media team here does a great job of just getting information out. Uh, you can get on our website, all of our home games are broadcast. Um the the league did a contract with Flowsports, so we have very good broadcasts. They're they're enjoyable to watch. Sometimes, you know, division two and division three, you get this broadcast where uh the view is a long ways from the field. We have a very good broadcast with a great announcer, great storyteller, good view of the game. So all of our home games are broadcast and are a joy to watch. So, you know, I recommend in the fall getting on and enjoying some some Lone Star Conference Soccer.

SPEAKER_03 53:12

There you go. Our guest today on the GP Soccer Podcast, Conversation with the Coach, has been Marcus Wood. He is the head women's soccer coach at Dallas Baptist University. We're gonna break for a commercial message. You know how all that works. We'll re-engage on the other side. Don't you dare go anywhere. How would you like to have a soccer coach right in your pocket? Well, you can. The soccer foundation's program offered by Ethos Performance Group has been meticulously crafted by our team of strength coaches, physical therapists, and experts in soccer skills and tactics. This comprehensive, science-based app has been designed with one goal in mind to optimize your potential as a soccer athlete. This program is designed to teach the key fundamentals necessary to improve every aspect of your on-field performance by combining speed, stability, and mobility training with expert-designed soccer drills and skill progressions. At Ethos Performance, we believe that your dedication to soccer and sport practice should be reflected in your training program. So elevate your performance with a program designed specifically for and by soccer athletes. Enhance your speed and agility all while shopping the skills essential for success on the field. The Soccer Foundations program, your key to unlocking your full potential. To learn all about the Soccer Foundation's program and Ethos Performance, visit Ethos Performance Group.com and click Soccer Foundations.

SPEAKER_06 54:50

I have the great honor of playing against Pel A Kreut, Beckham Bower, Carlos Silvestre, Georgie Best, and I have the equal honor of being invited by Giovanni Pacini and GP Soccer Broadcast to discuss leading soccer culture, running, and making it through club to college pro national team and traveling all over the world with some of the most amazing experience. So I really would love for you to come in and listen up to GP Soccer Podcast. And I wish you all the best, David DeRico.

SPEAKER_03 55:34

And welcome to the GP Soccer Podcast, Coach's Corner, where you'll find great tips and advice on how to teach the great game of soccer. This is Giovanni Piccini from the GP Soccer Podcast, and this is Coach's Corner. From Unisport. Today's episode is about playing without fear.

SPEAKER_01 55:54

Football is supposed to be fun. But we hear about more and more young players who feel that they play extremely well in training and then don't perform at the same level in matches because they feel the pressure and are afraid of making mistakes. I've tried it myself, and if you like that as well, today I'll give you some advice on what you can do to get over fear and be more confident when you're playing football. So make sure you subscribe and let's go. Because the worst thing you can do when you go on the pitch is to be afraid. Afraid to mess up or afraid to make the wrong decision. And who knows, maybe then even cost your team a goal. Maybe you care a lot about what other people think about you, but if you're just looking to survive when you go onto the pitch and get it over with, you make it ten times harder for yourself. Because if you play with fear, you won't go for it, won't try the dribble, won't go for the optimistic passes, and will just play a safe negative game. So let's try and see how to get rid of that fear. The first thing you can do is to deal with your mistakes by accepting them. Not that you should live with screwing up, and it's great to demand a lot from yourself, but you making a few mistakes shouldn't ruin your entire game. But don't stop playing. Don't run around sulking and start making excuses because nothing good will come of that, and your teammates will most likely get annoyed and maybe shout even more at you, which in the end will only make you doubt yourself even more. Instead, you need to show yourself and your teammates that even if nothing else works, you'll fight as hard as you can for the team in order to be an asset. You can analyze your mistakes later. So forget them when you're on the pitch or buckle up and work even harder. And then it's important that you remember that you failed because you tried. You have the courage to try because you're a good player. Your self-image is extremely important because if you knock yourself down every time you make a mistake, you'll see yourself as the player who always screws up. And if you do that, how are your teammates supposed to see you any different? No, instead see yourself as a player who's brave enough to try risky things, who's confident, and who learns from your mistakes. And finally, if you are a little insecure, be positive even when others make mistakes. It's an easy win to give the focus onto someone else screwing up, but at the end of the day, being negative and shouting at your teammates isn't really constructive. Instead, encourage them to get back up and try again. And there's a good chance that they'll then change their tone towards you when you make mistakes as well. But there are also practical things you can do to improve your confidence. And the first thing is repetition. See, repetition creates muscle memory. You don't have to worry about tying your shoes or taking a sip of water because you've done it a million times before. So if there are things you want to be better at, repeat them over and over and over again. Because when the time then comes, you react on instinct, and even if there's still a little bit of fear left in you, it won't have time to affect you because you've already done it. But if all this mental work and repetition hasn't quite been enough, and you're still in a match feeling a lack of confidence and a little bit of fear, you can turn to looking at getting a little win. Set yourself a goal, whether that's nailing the next five passes, beating an opponent, or win the next physical duel, or something very specific that you can easily achieve. Because getting easy wins will build your confidence, meaning that you can focus a little more on being a good teammate or on communicating and trying more audacious stuff. Because a win is a win no matter what. So even if they're easy wins, take them if you need to boost your confidence a bit more in the next game. So, in other words, guys, uh playing with fear can really cripple you as a football player. But if you remember to deal with your mistakes well, get a better self-image, go for the easy wins, and do a ton of repetitions. I hope that you'll eliminate a bit of fear when you play. Do you have any advice or questions you want to share? Let us know down below. Go get a confidence boost by getting a new fresh pair of boots from Unispool in the league over there and learn how to improve as a football player in the playlist down in the corner. And with those words, guys, I'll be signing off for Che-O.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:34

And that's this week's Coach's Corner on the GP Soccer Podcast. I'm Giovanni Pacini.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:43

This is soccer news and analysis with Giovanni Pacini.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:56

From the Associated Press. Liverpool players have finally got their hands on the Premier League trophy, and Jurgen Klopp was back at Anfield to enjoy the celebrations. The Reds clinched a record-time 20th English top flag title on April twenty April 27th, but had to wait a month to receive the trophy after their final game of the season, a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace this past weekend. Liverpool finished the season on on 84 points, 10 clear of second place Arsenal. Klopp, who left as Liverpool manager at the end of last season, returned to Anfield for his campaign-ending party. The German was seen clapping and smiling as the team's players, starting with Captain Captain Virgil van Dyke, to a backdrop of fireworks and ticker tape, lifted the trophy. Trent Alexander Arnold, who was leaving Liverpool to reportedly join Real Madrid, was given a good reception after coming on as a halftime substitute and again when going to get the trophy. He was jeered by some Liverpool fans at a home match against Arsenal two weeks ago. Aston Villa has complained to the organization overseeing match officials in English soccer after manager Unai Emery accused referee Thomas Bramali Brama Bramal of making a quote big mistake that potentially cost the team a place in the lucrative Champions League. A win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday would have secured Villa a top five finish in the in the Premier League and a place in Europe's elite competition, and with it a windfall of at least ninety million dollars. Morgan Rogers thought he had given Villa a one-nil lead in the seventy-third minute. However, Brama Braumell blew for a foul by Rogers on Altay Ballander, deeming that the goalkeeper had possession of the ball before the midfielder kicked it away. Villa's players in Emory protested, but Pamal's decision decision stood, with the Premier League saying on X, quote, the whistle had blown by the by the referee before the ball entered the goal, therefore the incident was not reviewable by VAR. United scored about three minutes later through uh Ahmad Diallo and wound up winning two-nil, dropping Villa into sixth place, one spot out of the Champions League qualified qualification positions and into the Europa League. Red and white streamers explode into the air as the as Arsenal lifted its second women's Champions League trophy after stunning after a stunning defending uh defeating champion Barcelona 1-0 in the final stage in Lisbon, Portugal. Tough defense and a goal by Stina Black Blackstinius in the 75th minute from a passball by fellow second half substitute Beth Mead, who powered Arsenal to glory at the Estadio José Alvalde. Arsenal's title came 18 years after it became the first and still the only English club to win the top club title in women's soccer. Stuttgart men's Stuttgart's men's team ruthlessly capitalized on errors in Armenia and Bielefeld's defense to win the German Cup with a 4-2 victory in the final in Berlin. Enzo Millot scored twice, and Germany forwards Nick Voldemort and Dennis Under the others, as Stuttgart claimed its fourth German Cup win and the first since 1997. Bielefeld, the third division champion, was playing in the final for the first time uh as only the fourth representative uh that of that division uh to ever reach the Germans soccer's end season to showcase. The Women's World Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when the United States is expected to host a tournament of FIFA confirmed. FIFA has wanted to expand the women's tournament from 32 teams to match the men's World Cup, which has 48 teams for the first time next year, where the United States will host will host with Canada and Mexico. The decision is to add about four stadiums and cities to the 2031 hosting plan, which VISA FIFA has said could expand to Mexico and perhaps beyond in the Concord Capsule Soccer region. And that is soccer news and analysis. I'm Giovanni Piccini. Next up, the European and EPL report with Ralph Farino.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:33

In previous broadcasts, I've spoken about how few clubs have dominated the major leagues in European football. The English Premier League has fallen into the same trap in the Etiad Pet Guadiola era in the last few years. Previously, historically, English football, however, has enjoyed more parity and a variety of teams claiming titles and cups than other European countries. However, the 25-26 season seems to have broken the recent monopoly of City and Company to a degree that Newcastle United's legendary striker Alan Shearer has dubbed the season the Year of the Underdog. This title carries a significant weight in football history as hopefully it returns the sport's roots of unpredictability and excitement. Before examining closer the situation in the Premier League, a couple of outliers in British football supporting the belief that the underdog is having its day. First, north of the border in Scotland, Aberdeen defeated Celtic in the final of the Scottish Cup last Saturday. The significance of this result cannot be understated. Scottish football has usually been dominated by the Glasgow Giants, Rangers, and Celtics. These two clubs, often called the Old Firm, have a long history of dominance in Scottish football, which makes Aberdeen's victory all the more remarkable considering that in the last 14 seasons, Celtic has won the title 13 times. Over that same period, the Celts have also claimed five domestic troubles, adding the Scottish Cup and League Cup to the Premiership title. And this season they appeared destined to make that number six. They won the league by 17 points, having already added the League Cup to their trophy room. Aberdeen went into the match as massive underdogs as they only finished fifth in the Premierships. And the teams had clashed five times previously in the season. After a 2-2 draw in the first match last October, in the four games since, Celtic won them all, including some heavy defeats of the Dons, 2-5-1 wins and a 6-0 thrashing in the semi-final of the League Cup. However, last weekend Aberdeen put up a better showing, yet still appeared heading for a 1-0 defeat before they managed to equalize in the final 10 minutes. Aberdeen were put under tremendous pressure and extra time, but somehow they held out to win 4-3 on penalty kicks with their Bulgarian goalkeeper Dmitov Mitov the hero, saving two penalties along the way. While Aberdeen triumphed at Hamden Park, in Lisbon, at the sporting Lisbon Stadium, Arsenal women defeated Barcelona 1-0 in the Champions League final. It was another huge upset. Barcelona boasted a star-studded lineup with two Ballon d'Or winners in their ranks, and had also won the Champions League three times in the past four years. In the Women's Super League in England, Arsenal had ended the season a distant second to a dominant Chelsea squad that also won a domestic treble themselves. However, Barcelona had thrashed this same Chelsea team 8-1 aggregate in the semi-finals, so not too many pundits gave the gunners much hope. Yet, in a twist that no one saw coming, Arsenal emerged victorious, adding another significant underdog victory to the record books for the year. Midway through the season, Arsenal had changed their manager. It was a risky move, but Renee Slagers took over and has taken the Gunners to a first European Champions League title. In the first half of the match, Arsenal was bold enough to take the game to the favourites and they created several guilt edge chances before putting on a more resolute face after the interval as Barcelona put them under considerable pressure. The question was: would Arsenal rule those miss chances? Not at all as it turns out, with a late goal earning the cup for the female gunners and a place in football history. Football history reigns true on Merseyside, as Liverpool FC was presented with the Premier League trophy at Antfield the next day. While the Reds are the most successful club in English football, nobody saw this happening this season. Since the Reds' last title in 2020, Manchester City has dominated the English Premier League with an iron grip, while Arsenal knocked on the door and Liverpool's legendary manager Jürgen Klopp moved on a year ago. Enter a relative unknown on a slot in his place. The result was a title win for Liverpool with a comfortable ten points to spare. It was not a win for the underdog, but maybe a tale of the unexpected title triumph for the Reds. This surprising turn of events can only leave the football world looking on in admiration. Not so in the rest of the English game where accomplishments were the unexpected but were also triumphs for an underdog, so consider this list. First, Newcastle United won the League Cup, defeating Liverpool 2-1 in the final. This was the Geordie's first major trophy since 1969 and their first domestic trophy since 1955. It was a long time to put it mildly. Even longer was Crystal Palace's first major trophy. The first major trophy, the FA Cup, in their entire history of over 100 years, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final. Finally, despite having a forgettable league campaign, Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first silver war in 17 years when they edged Manchester United in the Europa League Cup final. This leaves 9 of the 20 Premier League clubs competing in Europe next season. Does this give potential for future parity in the EPL? It appears promising at first glance, and there are some encouraging signs. I would rate the top 12 current sides as very good. Beyond that, the teams placed 13th to 17th include two much improved sides with history, Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. There is also West Ham United, which won a European trophy only two seasons back, plus powerhouses, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, two of the so-called Big Six. They may be below past achievements and levels, but we can expect them to bounce back in the future. This potential for parity in the English game should give fans hope for an exciting future. Now, does this mean that the year of the underdog will extend to future seasons in the English game? Maybe, but I see two issues. First, for the second consecutive season, the promoted teams from the championship returned without much of a fight. The top 17 clubs at this moment look extremely strong overall, and for a new promoted team to work its way into that mix, they will need significant financial investment and strong management both on and off the field. It's something that's much easier to discuss than to accomplish. The other issue concerns free-spending clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City. Each of these clubs has pending cases with the Premier League concerning financial irregularities. And for me, the future and path of English football won't be truly resolved until their cases are brought to a conclusion. Financial controls would be desirable overall because until then Chelsea and City seemed to consider taking advantage of their economic power in one way or another. The cases not only raise questions about financial integrity of the game, but also have the potential to reshape the competitive landscape of English football forever. In the final analysis and at this time, I think we should enjoy the moment and the year of the underdog. It saw a degree of parity and a strong dose of jeopardy introduced into the game again. And before I forget it, let's not ignore the story of Tiny Waxham. With North Wales owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McKenley leading the club to three successive promotions from non-league to the championship, only one step away from the Premier League. The Red Dragons have role models already in the Premier League ahead of them in Bournemouth and Brentford. So can they similarly return top-tier football to Wales once again? Overall, underdog victories and stories add much excitement to the sport and bring the football community together to celebrate the unexpected. Long may it continue.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:13

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SPEAKER_08 1:16:20

Hello, this is Jason Carney, the director of coaching at FC Portland in Oregon. I'm the author of the book, US Grassroots Soccer, Great on Paper, Shit on Grass. You are listening to the GP Soccer Podcast with your host, Giovanni Pacini.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:38

And welcome back to the GP Soccer Podcast. Giovanni Pacini here, your able host. I think I'm Able. Here we are, the American Soccer Revolution. And I kind of teased this at the opening of the show. We talked about uh soccer club's dirty little secrets. Um and again, I'll kind of reemphasize that I I've gone through this uh rather in detail uh I don't know, last season I guess. But in any event, um I I know a lot of people out there. When you do this for as long as I have and it's a long time, folks, we're talking uh I don't know, forty-five years plus uh from a youth coach to a club coach to high school coaching to college coaching to ODP coaching, uh coach developer, coach educator, a speaker, clinician. Uh you know, I basically folks, if it's round and someone's kicking it, I'm not too far away or somehow I'm involved. Now I I share that with you uh because over the course of all these years um, you know, I I I come to know a lot of people um you know from from from every level of the game. And and a lot of these people have become my friends. Like all of you. You know, you get into coaching, you you know, you do it long enough, you're not just colleagues anymore, they become your friends. And you know, uh when I started this podcast, I've had a lot of these people on and um most, if not all of them, listen. And when I started to go uh in more detail about my belief that the pay-to-play system must go, uh and my belief that the pay-to-play system can indeed be replaced by 100% sponsorship, making the game free for all those who participate. Uh I had more and more people coming up to me, hey Geo, man, I I I I just gotta vent. I gotta I I just gotta tell you some stuff. Now when I hear that, they all know that it's all I I don't I don't I don't announce who these people are. You know, I look at myself as a journalist, as a broadcaster, podcaster, or whatever you want to call me, um, and I don't reveal sources, I don't rat people out, I don't name clubs by by name. That's not why I do this. That's not why I do this. But I do share with you a lot of the venting that's taking that's that that takes place uh from these folks to me. Now sometimes it's just you know two or three people that kind of vent to me, but they're all kind of saying saying the same thing. Now, this past weekend, uh, and it's a big weekend as as I record this, we're uh you know just getting beyond uh Memorial Day weekend, at least here in the New England area, I think probably nationwide as well. The Memorial Day weekend is a that's that's a b it's a big tournament, uh big tournament time of year. But uh, you know, a lot of the things that that these folks have been you know venting to me about just go beyond what what transpired over this over the past weekend, that being Memorial Day weekend. Um one in particular as a poor person. Um I said you better pull over because you're gonna hit something if you if you don't pull over and take a deep breath. Um this particular coach, he he he coaches for, you know, I'm gonna call a higher profile uh club here in the New England area. We've got a lot of them. We've got a lot of high profile clubs here in the New England area. He coaches three teams. Three teams. A U-10, which he by his own admissions, he doesn't feel qualified to do because they're 10. And he's got a U-15 team, a U-17 team, of which he feels he's more qualified. Um he's taken some some you know education, some licensure that positions him to do a more effective job to teach the game at the 15s and 17s. But at 10s, he goes, I he goes, I'll tell you, coach, uh I I I don't think I I'm at the at my very best when I have the little kids out there. And he also complained about and justifiably so, he's got three teams, and sometimes all three teams aren't playing in this at the same venue. Um, I've had people call me, you know, tell me that tell me that they're in their car racing from one community to the next community because that's where their next team, you know, i is is playing. Um the other thing he was complaining about was the playing space, and I kind of teased at this a little bit at the opening of the show, uh, where he gets regularly one third of the field. So there's you know, obviously one team one one group will get a third, and another group gets a third, the other group gets the other third. And uh and sometimes they have to split that third in half to have a training session. Okay? And he's got nineteen players on his teams, eighteen, nineteen players on his teams. And if he goes, if I'm lucky, I get that whole third of the field. And if I'm really lucky, I get the third of the field that has a goal on it. At least we can do something to goal or defending goal, but if I'm in the middle third of the field, sometimes that's not the case. Um so the the the the space of which he's trying to conduct a training session is grossly inappropriate. It's grossly inappropriate. Um and then not to have a goal to you know attack or or to defend is another is an is another problem altogether. Um and i i some of the things that he spoke about, and I've heard from other other coaches, this is nothing new, um the rosters that are filled with you know less than adequate players. Because you gotta remember, folks, for these clubs. You know, if you get your kid in a soccer club, it's not unusual for it to be three, four, five thousand dollars to have your kid play in a soccer club. And these clubs say, well, gee, you know, we if we got we got enough decent kids, but we're gonna need another, you know, seven or eight or nine of them to fill a roster, right? And so they fill up that roster with the other remaining seven, eight, nine players who might not be worthy of playing at that level. But Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching, you do the math, you know, you take eight or nine players times you know, three, four, five thousand dollars. You don't have to be a an economic financial wizard to realize that's a boatload of money. That's a boatload of money that they're making. Um not to mention that a lot of oftentimes these players who are brought on just to fill a roster are not are not at a decent level, which takes down the level of training for the kids who are on this club or excuse me who are on these teams that are decent players. But they're surrounded by other players who who aren't that good, and it brings the level of training down. Down and kidding was on a roll. I I don't get all my players. It's rare that I get all my players. I've got kids who are playing all different sports. They're in high school, they're they're running track, they got they're playing lacrosse or they're doing something with the band. And you gotta say, sometimes I'm lucky if I get eight or nine players. And and the the real issue here, as as this coach was was uh sharing with me, he says, you know, we train twice a week. Twice a week, you know, with the with the 15, 17s and even the the the U-10s. He says, it's not enough. And then I don't have all my players. So then on game day, I've got players who who are seeing you know their their their their teammates for the first time for the week and they haven't trained at all. Subsequently it shows on the field. And he goes, we don't play well sometimes. Not because the kids aren't trying and they're not or they're not good kids, they're all great kids, but they don't come to training or they can't come to training, or we're the kids we do have in training, we're we're confined to these uh these uh you know small spaces, which is just not decent enough to put together a quality, appropriate teaching learning environment. Let me say that again. A teaching learning environment. The other thing that kind of caught my ear uh in this tirade uh was this particular club. Again, this is uh not unusual for the for your your higher level clubs where you've got you've got top, you know, you've got top level players that make up the the upper echelon um you know of of these clubs. And they come with they come with fancy names, you know, to to designate these these are the cream of the crop. And th these teams, boy, boy, uh boy, oh boy, you know, they're gonna get you know the the spaces that they need. They like they're gonna get the uh um you know goals when they need them, they're gonna get the the time frame and all that type of stuff. Which as I'm everybody else in this club that is not of the upper echelon of playing ability in the age groups are basically second-class citizens. That we're just gonna cram you a half of a third of a field um you know, and we're gonna call that training. That really, that really got me. And by the way, they're paying the same amount of money. They're paying the same amount of money. Right? So if you're a parent if you're a parent and uh you know you're forking out three, four, five thousand dollars and you see that your child, your, your, your, uh, your son or daughter is playing on a a third of a half of a third of the field uh with players who probably shouldn't be you know on the you know on the on the team. Again, that's no knock, but yet oh the the really good players over there, they get everything they want. And you're paying the same amount of money? Boy, I'd have a problem with that. I'd have a problem with that. But those are the things that occur in club soccer across this country. Because again, I'll beat the dead horse when it's pay to play and there's a bottom line and money can be made. You know, things just things just don't go in a in a moral fashion, in an ethical fashion, in a correct fashion, um, and to do what is right by these kids who are playing this game of soccer. And the people who are empowered to change this, to change all of this are you, the parents, the parents you can stand up to these club operators and demand that your players get the appropriate coach who has the certification qualif qualification to teach the game at the level at which he's he or she's overseeing. So if you're coaching a bunch of U-10s, then your certification qualification dictate well that's that's uh you know, uh m I should be I should be coaching. Right? Just think of your school system. You hear me say this all the time. The field is a classroom, the players are students, the coach is a teacher, and all the things that make for a dynamic, quality teaching and learning environment in any academic area are the same things that the same things that need to manifest themselves on the soccer field. And if you don't get that, then you should demand to the club the club officials uh why am I not getting these things? Why am I not getting a coach to certify and qualify for the age group? Why are we we're in inappropriate spacing here? You know, why why why am I paying the same amount of money for for this group you know, and they're and they're getting more bang for their buck, you know, because they're just better players. They're just better players. So I I you know, I'm just the uh I'm just the vessel here, folks. I'm the vessel by which all these people who come to me, and they do, and they do, they come to me, and I just share it with you. I am the messenger. I am the messenger. And I do hope, I do hope that uh it does resonate uh we can make some so that we can make some significant changes in how this game is played, managed, taught, coached, overseen, uh, so that maybe, just maybe, we can start producing you know better players both on the men's and women's side, and we get more kids involved, and we do a better job with with bringing on people who are certified and qualified. That's a whole other topic for another day. I'm not gonna go down that road. I could be here for hours on end. But again, you, the parents, need to speak up. Speak up. That's our show for today. If you like what you hear, please tell everyone to remember likes matter. Those little like icons or little thumbs up thingies, click them, hit them, pound them. You can follow the GP Soccer Podcast. All of our social media and new episodes are available every Wednesday morning. Don't forget to check out my website at gpsoccerpodcast.com. And if you are interested in advertising on the show, then email me at GP4Soccer, and that's the number four at Yahoo.com. This is your host, Giovanni Picini and I will catch you later.