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Ranting Soccer Dad

Ranting Soccer Dad

By Beau Dure

Frank but fair conversations and occasional silliness about youth soccer.
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RSD20: Mediating the NASL/USSF suit with Neil Morris

Ranting Soccer DadNov 29, 2017

00:00
01:32:10
Intro: Why the US Men Will Never Win the World Cup

Intro: Why the US Men Will Never Win the World Cup

A reading of the introduction to my new book is at the 15-minute mark, after a brief autobiography to explain my perspective as an old but still upbeat soccer supporter.
Oct 26, 201926:56
RSD 2-7-19: Dan Loney drops by and doesn't talk about pro/rel

RSD 2-7-19: Dan Loney drops by and doesn't talk about pro/rel

We were going to talk about promotion and relegation. Really. We just didn't get around to it.

Dan and I have been talking soccer online for a couple of decades, and we've been accused of being shills for Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer. And we've been accused of being the same person. We submit this podcast as proof that we're not, though someone will probably figure I just recorded both voices and spliced it together in Audacity, like the inverse of Jim Henson and Frank Oz teaming up to be the Swedish Chef.

And THAT, we talk about. 

We also trip down Memory Lane to remember a coven of soccer bloggers and journalists, along with MLS Cup 2009. And we talk about soccer hipsters.

But you have to listen to the end to hear the Dave Chappelle joke. And the nice tidy ending.

Feb 08, 201901:09:16
RSD short: A meditation on losing and coaching

RSD short: A meditation on losing and coaching

You can’t fix luck. But can you rethink things? Can you find holes in what you’re being taught? Why do people who follow the rules always lose? If you hurl a bag of balls, cones and pinnies off a cliff, does it make a sound?
Nov 18, 201813:41
RSD 10-9-18: We need refs! Not just me!

RSD 10-9-18: We need refs! Not just me!

One thing we all know but becomes more vivid when you become a referee: We need more referees. A funny story or two from a long weekend on the field illustrates the point.
Oct 09, 201827:09
RSD short: Funny youth stories, USSF arrogance and NASL spin

RSD short: Funny youth stories, USSF arrogance and NASL spin

How's the new "Play/Practice/Play" model working? Probably not as well for me with the number of kids I'm coaching. That's the first topic here. Then it's funny reffing stories. I get to USSF coaching education arrogance around the 18-minute mark, and then I defend Jason Davis and Nipun Chopra against the NASL's spinning efforts. Finally, a reminder to get moving if you want to run for USSF VP.
Sep 20, 201841:06
RSD short Aug 10 2018: On Twitter and Cordeiro

RSD short Aug 10 2018: On Twitter and Cordeiro

Personal news: I'm boycotting Twitter over the Alex Jones situation and related misdeeds, and The Guardian has just posted my story on Carlos Cordeiro's first six months. Youth soccer news: What can Cordeiro's task force do to stop the insanity?
Aug 10, 201816:32
RSD Short: New US Youth chairman, WoSo and aspirations

RSD Short: New US Youth chairman, WoSo and aspirations

New format for the pod! Today’s topics are the new U.S. Youth Soccer chairman (with some discussion of USSF president Carlos Cordeiro), WoSo and feminism (with some discussion of Hannah Gadsby), and some RSD content updates.
Aug 03, 201820:42
RSD38: A productive promotion/relegation chat

RSD38: A productive promotion/relegation chat

Soccer writer Kyle Williams joins the podcast this week to talk about promotion and relegation, proving that we can talk about such things without bloodshed.
Jul 24, 201801:23:55
RSD37 (pt 2): Shoeless Soccer's Nathan Richardson
Jul 18, 201848:26
RSD37 (pt 1): Drills? Travel? PLAY! Guest: Nathan Richardson
Jul 18, 201851:30
RSD36: Player pathways, college and elite leagues, with Lesle Gallimore

RSD36: Player pathways, college and elite leagues, with Lesle Gallimore

Lesle Gallimore has been head women's soccer coach at the University of Washington since 1994, and she's the current president of United Soccer Coaches. 


In this conversation, we talk about how college coaches adapt their recruiting to the new "elite league turf war" environment. And we talk about how players adapt and whether they *can* adapt. 


For example: Could Gallimore's most famous player, Hope Solo, work her way through the system today and be discovered? 


Coincidentally, Solo made a lot of news this week, and I discuss that before the interview (which was recorded before all that news happened). The Gallimore interview starts around the 10-minute mark.

Jun 08, 201842:25
RSD35: Dennis Crowley on putting together a soccer pyramid

RSD35: Dennis Crowley on putting together a soccer pyramid

Dennis Crowley didn't just start a soccer team. He created a laboratory for "open-source soccer." 


He shares business and financial info on his NPSL club, the Kingston Stockade, on Medium. And though Kingston might not be the likeliest market to have a club that would climb an open pyramid to Division I, he has become one of the most thoughtful (or reasonable, if you like) advocates of promotion/relegation.


In this conversation, we talk about the challenges of putting together a pyramid in the lower divisions. Yes, there's more than "U.S. Soccer stinks," though he argues the federation could be doing more to facilitate change and stability. And at the end, he shares his experience of seeing the Stockade make their Open Cup debut.

May 18, 201857:44
RSD34: The USL/youth hybrid Richmond Kickers, with Daryl Grove

RSD34: The USL/youth hybrid Richmond Kickers, with Daryl Grove

The guest is Daryl Grove of the popular Total Soccer Show podcast. The topic is his hometown club, the Richmond Kickers, which has a couple of decades of history as a youth soccer club with a professional team on top of and integrated into its internal pyramid. 


Yes, really. It's not just a pro team that started up some half-assed youth programs. It's not an MLS team that has Development Academy teams and little else. See its tryout page to see how many levels of travel soccer it offers, and then look at its "Little Kicks" page to see former pro player Luke Vercollone's programs for preschoolers. The Kickers also join forces with the rival Richmond Strikers for the Richmond United Development Academy pro

May 14, 201847:50
RSD33: Soccer played in Germany, with Ian Plenderleith
May 04, 201801:04:58
RSD32: Christian Lavers on ECNL/DA, U.S. Club/U.S. Youth competition

RSD32: Christian Lavers on ECNL/DA, U.S. Club/U.S. Youth competition

Maybe they're not turf wars. Maybe it's just healthy competition.


Christian Lavers is fully immersed in the complicated landscape of U.S. youth soccer. He's a technical director with FC Wisconsin and an executive with the ECNL and U.S. Club Soccer. And miraculously, he still sounds optimistic. Even "nice." If you're looking for mud-slinging, you're not going to find it here. Instead, you're going to hear a candid but polite take on why we have multiple national championships and other stuff that those of us who cover youth soccer complain about. 


He's aware of the travel requirements these days -- "not every game should require a hotel stay or flight," he says. But he sees different organizations filling different legitimate needs.  


Leading

Apr 25, 201851:41
RSD31: Grassroots and futsal, with Leslie Hamer and Jason Longshore

RSD31: Grassroots and futsal, with Leslie Hamer and Jason Longshore

It’s a futsal/grassroots doubleheader! After a brief intro (no full rant this week), you’ll hear from Leslie Hamer, who works with futsal at every level from the grassroots to the pros. She has been getting futsal into New York City public schools and now into colleges.


Next up: Jason Longshore, whom you may know as a commentator on Atlanta United games but has spent much of the last 12 years working with Soccer in the Streets, an organization that brings soccer (or futsal -- whichever makes sense for the available facilities) to underserved communities and schools. You may know them from their effort to put a small soccer field at a MARTA (local transit) station.


Apr 11, 201857:33
RSD30: Announcement time

RSD30: Announcement time

This week: The Ranting Soccer Dad Guide to Youth Soccer is officially underway. Check out the first couple of entries and support it on Patreon.


In the podcast, I spend about five minutes explaining all that. Then I go on a rant about the generation gap in understanding soccer and why we don't have a glorious promotion/relegation pyramid just yet. (Plus a few ideas on how to get there. Or how not to.)

Mar 28, 201822:53
RSD29: A random but interesting coach/parent, Mike Davitt

RSD29: A random but interesting coach/parent, Mike Davitt

Do you know Mike Davitt? Until a few weeks ago, I didn’t, either. He’s a longtime soccer coach who, like many longtime soccer coaches do, also became a soccer parent. He’s originally from Kearny, N.J., hallowed ground for U.S. soccer.


After listening to a few of my rants, he emailed me and said he didn’t think youth soccer was doomed. It might even be a good thing.


I’ve been hoping to find people like that for the podcast, and so we chatted. Our conversation (starting around the 15:00 mark) ends up with an interesting idea on educating coaches, which is an issue that popped up in the big election. We talk about the positives of having an alphabet soup of leagues and organizations, how to help parents make educated decisions (23:00, including a suggestion that we should stop using the word “academy” unless you’re in the DA), how to watch out for players

Mar 14, 201853:09
RSD28: SAY Soccer’s Doug Wood
Mar 07, 201856:27
RSD27: Julie Foudy finds reasons to be optimistic about youth soccer

RSD27: Julie Foudy finds reasons to be optimistic about youth soccer

Today’s guest has an impossible task: Make me feel better about youth soccer, and soccer in general, and youth sports in general … maybe just life in general. But she’s faced tougher tasks. She’s Julie Foudy, Hall of Fame soccer player and ESPN journalist.


After I make an announcement and then rant about curling commentary, the interview starts around the 13:20 mark with a discussion of what’s good about youth soccer, whether soccer can have the same supportive atmosphere of extreme sports (20:30), the lack of women in coaching (26:20), her experiences as a soccer parent (31:20) and then U.S. Soccer politics, including the role of the Athletes’ Council (40:10). She also talks a bit about the U.S. women’s team heading into the SheBelieves Cup (51:10).

Mar 01, 201858:11
RSD26: Charles Boehm on the U.S. Soccer election and youth soccer

RSD26: Charles Boehm on the U.S. Soccer election and youth soccer

This week’s guest, Charles Boehm, is a player, coach, referee and writer -- check out his intro at the 2:45 mark and learned where he played alongside future non-U.S. national teamers. Like me, he was in Philadelphia for the United Soccer Coaches convention and attended many of the U.S. Soccer presidential candidates’ sessions.


We talk about what makes a soccer person and what makes an elitist (5:30), whether Eric Wynalda is the front-runner (8:00), the “anyone but (so-and-so)” approach to voting (9:45), what the candidates showed us in Philly (13:05), Kathy Carter and Soccer United Marketing (24:10), what’s changing in U.S. Soccer (30:00-ish), then youth soccer and the surprising focus on ODP (38:15).


I didn’t get around to finishing my thought on why I was once the best U12 center back in Athens, Ga. The answer is the same reason why I was once a competent over-30 coed indoor goalkeeper: Reckless disregard for my own safety. It surely had nothing to my sk

Jan 24, 201844:42
RSD25: Phillypalooza election preview, the disappointing USSF coaching education overhaul, and being nice

RSD25: Phillypalooza election preview, the disappointing USSF coaching education overhaul, and being nice

Point 1: Why this weekend will be huge for the U.S. Soccer presidential election. (2:02)


Included in that: Why I’m skeptical of current election projections (including a NewsRadio reference), what the Number 1 issue in this election should be (8:10), a few surprising things on Paralympic soccer (8:30), a question of what we’re really saying about futsal -- the next beach volleyball? (9:30), SUM and pro/rel (11:30), and finally back to the Number 1 issue and how it overlaps with other major issues (18:00).


Point 2: The new U.S. Soccer coaching curriculum, grassroots level (22:15)


Included in that: Welcome to Disney (25:55), introducing tactics at 4v4? (26:20), the painful irony of the chosen video clip (27:15), U6 parent coaches developing their own coaching philosophy? (28:00), the nice tone (32:25).


Point 3: Socc

Jan 18, 201844:11
RSD24: An election-related New Year’s resolution
Jan 03, 201825:17
RSD23: The convoluted U.S. Soccer presidential race and the educational Soccer Parenting Summit

RSD23: The convoluted U.S. Soccer presidential race and the educational Soccer Parenting Summit

Beau flies solo for the likely 2017 RSD finale and talks about the magnificent seven or the elite eight to reach this stage of the USSF presidential race. At the 15-minute mark, he tries to sum up 20-some hours of the Soccer Parenting Summit. Happy holidays, and get more details on this pod later this week at RantingSoccerDad.com

Dec 13, 201738:43
RSD22: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Paul Lapointe

RSD22: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Paul Lapointe

If you want to skip Beau's rant on the good and bad of US Club Soccer, Sunil Gulati and Twitter, skip to the 15-minute mark. That's where you'll find the interview with Paul Lapointe, one of the first candidates to declare his intent to run for the U.S. Soccer presidency. 


We talk about promotion/relegation, the role of the president, equal pay for the U.S. women's team, women's soccer promotion/relegation/Open Cup, the fragmented world of futsal, the fragmented world of indoor "balls and walls" soccer, youth soccer and coaching. All in less than 45 minutes. 

Dec 06, 201701:00:06
RSD21: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Eric Wynalda

RSD21: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Eric Wynalda

Eric Wynalda has played in multiple World Cups, Germany, MLS, etc. He's been a successful coach and commentator. 


Yes, we talk about promotion/relegation. In fact, we did it first just so you single-issue types can listen and then bail out. If you want to hear about EVERY issue facing the next USSF president -- well, we got to maybe half of them. There are lot of issues. In rough order, we talk about: 


1. What's different or similar between the concerns of the Twitterati and the concerns of the typical state or national association. 


2. Whether people are nervous to speak up about the USSF power structure. 


3. Women's soccer: The new collective bargaining agreement and the NWSL. 


4. Youth soccer: Has the federation done too little? Too much? 

Dec 01, 201701:15:23
RSD20: Mediating the NASL/USSF suit with Neil Morris

RSD20: Mediating the NASL/USSF suit with Neil Morris

Neil Morris covers his local teams -- North Carolina FC and the North Carolina Courage -- for WRAL. His work includes a terrific podcast, the Inverted Triangle. In his day job, he's an attorney and mediator. 


So why not combine his areas of expertise and try to mediate the NASL/USSF lawsuit? We gave it a whirl, with Neil playing the role of mediator and your host flipping between the roles of NASL and USSF advocates.


The conversation starts around the 8:45 mark. We quickly explain what's going on in the real world with the lawsuit, and then Neil explains the mediation process. 


I present a hypothetical NASL offer, prompted by Neil's helpful questions and prodding, around the 25-minute mark. (Highlights: Cosmos owner on the USSF Board, drop divisional sanct

Nov 29, 201701:32:10
RSD19: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Kyle Martino

RSD19: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Kyle Martino

A vote for Kyle Martino is actually a vote for a network of people that he believes can solve the problems in U.S. Soccer. He’s going to bring them together in early December to flesh out a “progress plan” that he outlines on his site.


He’s already hard at work building this consensus, and this interview has a few glitches because he was on the run as we chatted. He had to run at one point to do a live interview, and the phone connection dropped as he hopped from train to train.


The former MLS player and current (though on leave) NBC analyst grasps the complexities of the U.S. Soccer presidency for which he’s running. Like a couple of other candidates, he’s out talking with youth and adult constituencies to find out what they need. He has mixed feelings about the incumbent, Sunil Gulati, whom Martino firmly believes has run his course as president but still has a lot to offer U.S. Soccer. He’s shocked to hear

Nov 15, 201744:34
RSD18: U.S. Soccer presidential candidate Mike Winograd
Nov 08, 201752:08
RSD17: Adding tiers to the U.S. soccer cake, with NPSL’s Jef Thiffault

RSD17: Adding tiers to the U.S. soccer cake, with NPSL’s Jef Thiffault

Jef Thiffault is the managing director for the NPSL, an elite amateur league that's been sometimes pulled into promotion/relegation discussions. But he used to work for MLS and SUM.


Mind blown yet?


It's actually an encouraging discussion that gives the impression that we have some smart people in U.S. soccer, toiling far away from the courtrooms and big-league boardrooms. And we might see a sea change in elite amateur competition that just might spill upward to the pros.


Interview begins around the 10:30 mark after I give a long introduction and rant a bit about the NASL and so forth.

Nov 01, 201732:16