Arch Bell is the U.S. correspondent for MARCA.com. He is also a contributor to ESPN FC and CONCACAF.com.

I like bringing people like Arch on the show because they provide a look inside the life of American soccer media. But Arch’s story isn’t like any other that I am aware of.

After growing up in Texas, Arch decided to venture out and see what was happening on the other side of the world. He ended up in Madrid, Spain. Then, he spent a decade in the tech startup world and eventually threw in the towel when he found his calling as a white American guy writing about soccer in Spanish.

He describes his story more elegantly during this interview, but I think that little piece of information sets the table appropriately.

Arch is one of the few that gives serious topics the serious attention they deserve. For example, Arch reached out to 3four3 co-founder Gary Kleiban in 2017 regarding a story about promotion and relegation in American soccer.

Gary was quoted in the article saying:

“(Promotion and relegation) facilitates economic mobility and social, along with political and cultural expression. At the highest levels of American football, everything is homogenized. There is no cultural diversity in the positions of influence. There is no competition of ideas.”

Here is a link to that article.

Here is another article that Arch wrote about Efra Alvarez, Alex Mendez, and Uly Llanez.

You should also connect with Arch on Twitter.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 163: Proof! Someone in American Soccer Media Cares About Promotion-Relegation. appeared first on 3four3.

Simon Murphy is the founder and CEO of a tech startup called RefLive.

RefLive’s Referee Management System is an online management dashboard and referee smartphone app to improve performance and retention while reducing abuse.

The last part of that sentence is pretty important.

Referee abuse is the number one reason that referees stop refereeing. A lot of us know it’s a problem. But Simon is one of the few that have decided to take that issue head-on.

During this conversation with Simon, we discuss:

You can connect with RefLive on Twitter or visit their blog to read interviews with referees from around the world.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 162: Who Else Wants to Stop Referee Abuse? appeared first on 3four3.

It’s difficult to wrap your head around how much Dr. Joe Machnik has done over the course of his career. He is an iconic American soccer figure with experience as a player, coach, referee, and broadcaster.

So it’s only fitting that this conversation with Dr. Joe touches on so many topics.

He shares stories about the state of soccer in the late ’50s and early ’60s. He shares stories of the ethnic leagues and the subculture of American soccer the players and fans were part of.

He is known by many as a special commentator and rules expert during Fox broadcasts. But that expertise has been forged over the course of decades. During that time, he has made a positive impact at virtually every level of the sport here in America – from youth soccer camps to the World Cup.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 161: These Stories about American Soccer’s History from Dr. Joe Machnik Will Blow You Away appeared first on 3four3.

Michael Prunty is a college and high school soccer coach from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

He found 3four3 around the same time that I did. (We both estimated 2009.)

Over the years, Michael and I have exchanged messages and Tweeted back and forth. But this conversation you’re about to hear is the first time we actually spoke to each other.

You’re going to hear Michael talk about coaching education. He has some strong feelings about the way we teach the game here in America. He went as far as starting a website to share his thoughts.

Here are a few lines from his website:

“The purpose is to develop a site for myself that I can document and share my continued growth as a coach. At this point in my coaching journey, I felt isolated and was searching for places to grow and be mentored. I had grown disenchanted by the current coaching education set-up. I had completed my courses through the NSCAA and felt those courses really helped to develop my earlier methods and also provided me the tools to examine the why behind my work. They provided me with a base to work from, but that is not enough for a coach to reach their potential. Informal education through watching other coaches work, social media, and personal reflection has proven to be just as important in my growth as a coach.”

Here are links to Michael’s website and to his Twitter.

One of Michael’s former players, Mandy Pocho, has already been on the show. He actually encouraged Mandy to reach out to us when she first moved to California and she made the drive from the Bay Area to Orange County just to hang out and BBQ with the 3four3 crew.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 160: A Conversation About Coaching Education You’ll Wish You Heard Sooner appeared first on 3four3.

Mike Woitalla is the Executive Editor of Soccer America.

He is also a coach, referee, and soccer dad.

I wanted to know more about the man behind some of the most powerful articles written about American soccer. And Mike was happy to answer all of my questions and share some of his incredible stories.

In this episode, we discuss:

You can find Mike on Twitter and all of his work is available at SoccerAmerica.com.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 159: What Everybody Ought to Know About Soccer America and Mike Woitalla appeared first on 3four3.

Tommy Hodul is a soccer writer, podcast host, press officer, fan, and all around great guy. He is also extremely passionate about growing soccer in his community – the City of Oakland. And that is why he a key member of Oakland Roots. The Oakland Roots website provides this explanation of who they are and what they’re about: It starts with…

Oakland first, always. More than just a club, more than just a game. Oakland Roots Sports Club seeks to harness the magic of Oakland and the beautiful game of soccer as a force for social good. Whether on the pitch, in the stands or within the community, Oakland Roots will represent our one-of-a-kind city with passion, pride and commitment to all things Oakland. Player by player. Supporter by supporter. Resident by resident. One day at a time. One game at a time. This is about Oakland first, always.

Introducing our first-ever player, Oakland native Devante Dubose.https://t.co/hKHZgUXmvq pic.twitter.com/Aseg92LJvL

Oakland Roots (@oaklandrootssc) February 19, 2019

That gives me chills. That’s what soccer should be about. It should be about your community. It should be about representing who you are and what you stand for. Soccer should have deep roots. Pun intended. This conversation with Tommy explores a bunch of topics, but specifically his thoughts and feelings about American soccer and the City of Oakland. Connect with Tommy on Twitter. You can also follow Oakland Roots.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program. Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 158: Who Else Wants to Build a Soccer Club That Represents Their Community? appeared first on 3four3.

This episode with John Kokkoris is one of my favorites.

Why?

Because of the language he uses.

But I’m not talking about cussing or anything like that. I’m talking about the way he describes different actions and moments of the game. He sounds completely different than the typical American soccer coach. It really impressed me.

He’s from New York and has a Greek background. Naturally, those cultures have influenced how he sees and teaches the game. But he also gives a lot of credit to his mentors that come from different backgrounds and provide different perspectives.

One of the best parts of the episode is when John talks about his desire to win. I absolutely loved that. And I hope you do, too.

I’ve never recommended this before, but I really think you should grab a pen and paper and take notes during this episode. It is loaded with gold nuggets.

Follow John on Twitter. From there, follow all of the links he has to find videos of his teams and programs he works with.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 157: Don’t Be Fooled! You Too Can Coach Possession Soccer and Win. appeared first on 3four3.

Bobby Mohr is a fantastic storyteller. Not made up stories. Stories that he lived and breathed while being a member of the U.S. Youth National Team. A member of the team that is often forgotten about.

Bobby is a former U.S. Youth National Team equipment manager.

One of the stories on his personal blog caught my attention. And that is why I reached out to see if he would be interested in talking about his experiences.

We actually ended up talking several times before recording and came up with the idea for a different type of intro than I normally do. So, in just a moment, you’re going to hear Bobby reading one of his stories. After that, you’ll hear our conversation about American soccer and the role he’s played in it.

It’s a perspective that we’ve never had on this show before. So, I hope that you enjoy listening to something a little and seeing the game through a new lens.

Be sure to follow Bobby on Twitter, Instagram, and check more of his stories on his personal website.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Christian Pulisic's Father, Mark, Shares Perspective

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 156: Here Is a Different Perspective on the U.S. Youth National Team appeared first on 3four3.

Stevie Grieve is the Head of Coaching at Burlington Soccer in Ontario, Canada.

He is also an analyst, coaching educator, and designer of the Tactical Teacher program which you can find by visiting onsidesoccerconsulting.com.

His coaching experience is scattered throughout the world. We unexpectedly spent a big chunk of time talking about what he was up to in India. But it ended up being one of the best parts of the conversation.

In this episode, we discuss:

You can connect with Stevie on Twitter. His Vimeo account is loaded with a bunch of brilliant, short clips.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 155: You Think American Kids Struggle to Get to Soccer Practice? Wait Until You Hear These Stories. appeared first on 3four3.

Nick Rizzo is the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Monmouth College. He is a part-time triathlete, professional Google-er, and eternal optimist. He’s also the co-host of the @chatsoccr podcast.

I’ve had my eye on his weekly #soccerchat’s and finally decided to reach out to him and ask if he would be interested in being a guest on this show. He countered with me being a guest on his show. And we ultimately agreed to be on each other’s shows.

Nick is full of energy and passion. You can hear the genuine excitement in his voice. He absolutely loves his job. And it made for a very lively, honest conversation.

You can find him and his #soccerchat shenanigans on Twitter. You can find their podcast on every podcast provider imaginable. If you’re looking for an episode to start with… try the one when they interviewed me.

Visit Bounce Athletics online to search products and take advantage of the discount they are offering 3four3 listeners and members. When you’re ready – email [email protected] to start the order process and mention 3four3 to get 10% off your first order.

Other relevant episodes and resources:

Never miss new episodes:

This is brought to you by the 3four3 coaching education program.

Learn more and join over 400 coaches using our proven possession-based methodology.

The post Episode 154: You Don't Have to Be in the Premier League to Absolutely Love Your Coaching Job appeared first on 3four3.