On this episode, Pete Stuart and I take a deep dive into the world of youth soccer.

Pete is a 3four3 coaching member and someone that Gary and I had the pleasure of meeting during a trip we took to Denver in 2016.

During this episode, Pete talks about his start as a youth coach and also his evolution to where he is at now. He has a unique program in Colorado and is currently working alongside coaches from Barcelona. It might not be as glamorous as you think when you hear the word “Barcelona” but the story is interesting and what Pete is taking away from it is remarkable.

Of course, we talk about some problems.

We talk about coaching education. We talk about recruiting. We talk about how to handle certain situations and the different approaches and solutions we each had.

It’s been a wild year for the podcast, but it’s great to get back to the roots of this show and talk exclusively about youth soccer.

Enjoy this episode with Pete Stuart!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to 3four3 FM on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

The post Finally, An Episode About Youth Soccer Coaching and Player Development with Pete Stuart appeared first on 3four3.

No introduction does it justice.

Just listen to our thoughts…

The post 3four3’s Thoughts on U.S. Getting Bounced from 2018 World Cup appeared first on 3four3.

This might be the most difficult summary I’ve ever had to write for this show. Not in a bad way. In a very good way, actually.

My struggle is this- I want there be some element of surprise when you hear Seth’s voice. I don’t want you to get this story by reading it. It’s important that you hear it.

And I want you to be caught off guard by the wide array of topics we cover. I want you to ask yourself, “Is this guy for real?” So, I can’t divulge too much information right now. But, because we touch on so much, I also want you to be prepared for what you’ll hear. I have to tell you just enough right now so that when you hear it, you understand it and appreciate it, without having to second guess yourself or wonder if you heard him correctly.

The stories in this podcast are 100% real. And Seth Jahn is a pure, 100% badass.

Seth is a United States Army Special Forces Veteran. (U.S. Army's 20th Special Forces Group Airborne to be specific.) He joined the Army in 2005. Seth would later find himself fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. And on multiple occasions, he found himself in a hospital. He remembers waking up after being in a short coma. He also remembers when doctors told him he would never walk again.

Prior to serving in the Army, Seth was a soccer player. He was actually one of those well-rounded multi-sport athlete kind of kids. He grew up in Bradenton, FL. and was offered scholarships for multiple sports right out of high school. He ended up playing soccer for St. Andrews University in North Carolina. After just one season of collegiate soccer, Seth made the decision to turn pro. And after just one year, his career as a professional soccer player would be over.

The decision to stop playing was his own. And you’ll hear him talk about the epiphany he had and the moment that he found himself questioning what his true purpose was.

That epiphany would ultimately steer him down a wild and crazy path that took him inverted over Russian airspace and has landed him on the U.S. Men’s National 7 A Side soccer team, also known as the Paralympic Team. He’s climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

He’s climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He’s had two professional Muay Thai fights. And after we hung up from our phone call he informed me in a text message that he also holds a seat on the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Athlete Advisory Counsel. Like I said, this guy is a badass.

During the episode, you’ll hear me tell Seth that he should be on the Joe Rogan Experience or Jocko Willink’s podcast, not mine. His story is literally amazing and so inspiring. It’s hard for me to describe how honored I am that he accepted the invitation to come on my show. Thank you, Seth.

I’d also like to give a quick shout out and thank you to Seth’s good friend Ryan. I was fortunate enough to meet Ryan (who is also a badass) during my last trip to Europe. While we were talking, I happened to mention that I host a soccer podcast. Ryan jumped on his phone immediately and contacted Seth and got the ball rolling.

One thing Seth and I did not talk about was what 3four3 is. It’s kind of funny, actually. I never know if any of the guests that I bring on this show actually know what we do. Hell, I don’t even know if people who listen to the show actually know what we do or what we offer.

But we offer some pretty cool stuff here at 3four3.

We have a free online course that gives you access to seven lessons which provide the framework of our core curriculum. We also offer a premium membership that gives you a deeper look into how we train our teams to play possession soccer. It truly is like having access to the locker room or sitting on the sideline as one of this countries best teams were being made. We don’t use guest players. Nothing is staged. You get to see footage of real coaching moments of real players during real training sessions and real games. I’ve yet to see another program like ours.

Remember that you can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or subscribe on Stitcher. You will not regret following Seth on social media (Instagram / Twitter). You should also follow the U.S. 7 A Side team (Website / Twitter). Thank you for listening, sharing, following, subscribing, and supporting. We appreciate you!

Below are some more pictures that Seth sent me and said he is proud of.

The post Seth Jahn, U.S. Army Special Forces Veteran and U.S. Men’s PNT Co-Captain said, “Soccer Saved My Life.” appeared first on 3four3.

It was around 10:00 am in California when I linked up with Amobi Okugo on Skype. I was sitting at my desk in my bedroom with all of my notes in front of me. But he seemed to be on the go during most of the interview.

I got the sense that he was walking and talking. At one point, I could hear an elevator. And later, the sound of him entering his hotel room.

It was game day for him and his Portland Timbers teammates. They had traveled from the West Coast to face off against one of MLS’ newest franchises, Minnesota United.

Amobi told me a little bit about his game day rituals. One of those being two phone calls that he always makes in a specific order. First, a call to his mom. Then, a call to his dad.

His parents are both from Nigeria. Amobi talked a little bit about what is was like growing up with foreign born parents. We found some common ground on this topic and swapped a couple of stories about visiting the places where our parents were born for the first time and trying to figure out some of their traditions and behaviors.

Later, we got on the topic of Amobi’s involvement with the United States Youth National Team. It started by me asking how he made the team. He was involved from U-14 until U-23. Then, he was out. I asked him what happened after the Olympics and why he was no longer involved.

Amobi tried to paint the picture for me.

There are guys that have been with the National Team for years and have become key players. There are guys that have gone through the same cycles but are a couple of years older.  You have to be in good form with your team. He wasn’t making excuses. It’s just the reality of the situation. It’s not easy.

But he said straight up, “The real goal is to be with the (full) National Team.”

We talked about soccer for a little bit longer. We talked about his coach, Caleb Porter. We talked about Portland. And then the interview took an unexpected turn. I wasn’t prepared for it, at all.

“This guy went bankrupt. This guy lost all his money. This guy had to foreclose his house.” That was part of a story that Amobi told me when I asked him what he does in his spare time.

I was a little confused. Why would this professional soccer player start talking about that?

Well, Amobi is also a student, business man, and investor. And after watching an ESPN 3o for 30 called Broke, he was curious to find out what other professional athletes were actually doing with their money.

Amobi told me, “I was trying to find positive stories!” But all he could find were negatives. So, he took it upon himself to change that.

On top of being a professional player in Major League Soccer, he now runs a website called Frugal Athlete. He says the purpose is to promote financial literacy. A line from the about section of his website describes Frugal Athlete as, “an insider’s look into the personal financial playbooks of professional athletes.”

It was fun for me to talk to Amobi for the first time. But he’s pretty familiar with 3four3, though. When the interview starts you’ll hear him tell some stories about facing off against some of Brian Kleiban’s teams back in the day.

It always amazes me how small the soccer community really is.

You can find Amobi, and Frugal Athlete on social media: Twitter / Instagram

In honor of Amobi’s frugal ways, I feel like it’s appropriate to remind you of our free online coaching course. Yep. I said free.

Seven simple lessons containing information that is applicable from U9 all the way up to the professional level. These are the building blocks upon which the entire 3four3 identity was developed and is today.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts (the new iTunes for podcasts apparently) or find the show on Stitcher. And if you have a few extra seconds in your day, please leave us a 5-star rating wherever you’re listening. We would really appreciate it!

Thanks for listening, reading, tweeting, and being part of the 3four3 network.

The post Why Did I Talk About Pinching Pennies with Professional Soccer Player Amobi Okugo? appeared first on 3four3.

There are serious people and with serious money, serious ideas, and serious experience getting involved with the movement to change US Soccer for the better.

Riccardo Silva and Dennis Crowley aren’t bringing pocket change to the table. They’re bringing their big names and big reputations, along with their big bank accounts. More importantly, these guys are outsiders when it comes to the world of US Soccer and they are bringing a whole new perspective and objective. Their willingness to file a lawsuit in Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against US Soccer and MLS is proof that these guys mean business and they are not interested in wasting any more time.

(You can read Dennis Crowley’s explanation of the case on his Medium account.)

When I spoke with today’s podcast guest, he told me to, “keep in mind Riccardo and Dennis don’t owe anything to anybody.”

That is extremely important to highlight.

Because there is a weird feeling of sympathy for MLS owners that sometimes pops up when we start talking about promotion and relegation. A feeling like we owe these guys something. Like they are some sort of God’s that came down and bestowed American soccer upon the people and we the people must bow down and kiss their feet for eternity.

When I interviewed Phil Schoen from beIN Sports we spent a good chunk of time discussing where US Soccer might be without the investments of Robert Kraft or Phil Anschutz. I remember asking Phil something along the lines of, “How long do we have to keep saying thank you to these guys?”

Another argument from supporters of the current MLS franchise system is that the owners wouldn’t have bought in for $150million, or whatever price they paid if there was a possibility of being relegated out of Major League Soccer the next season. Well, no shit. Let’s look at the flip side of this, though. Why would anyone in their right mind invest in lower division soccer if there is no incentive or opportunity to move up? The fact is that FIFA mandates an open pyramid with movement up and down based on merit for good reason. And the fact that the United States is one of only two nations in the entire world that operate with a closed system is alarming.

The sympathy for these billionaires, or groups of millionaires that have banded together (like LAFC for example), is so confusing. Mostly because the majority of the MLS owners operate in a free-market capitalist system with all of their other business ventures where they likely make most of their money. They are able to develop products and sell them with virtually no restrictions, but also, little protection. In the real world, it’s a dog eat dog environment. And these guys have all proven to be vicious and successful when it comes to business.

So, why not in MLS? Why are the MLS owners afraid to compete in a free and open soccer market? And why do some soccer fans protect and support them?

It’s mind-boggling. I just don’t get it.

There is definitely a movement that is calling for change, though. You can see it in action every day on Twitter. And you can argue that one of the forefathers of the movement is Ted Westervelt. That movement on the internet is now moving from Twitter to an actual courtroom. Guys like Riccardo Silva and Dennis Crowley are taking action. We’re going to have wait and see what happens there, but there are other things happening and people getting involved and speaking up as well.

One of those people is Jerome de Bontin.

Jerome, like Riccardo and Dennis, isn’t just some chump. He isn’t just some guy from Twitter. He isn’t just some soccer dad.

Jerome is the former President of AS Monaco, a club in France’s first division that has been the home to players such as Thierry Henry, Eric Abidal, George Weah, James Rodriguez, and (as I type this) is currently the home of Kylian Mbappe.

Jerome is also the former General Manager of the New York Red Bulls.

He also does happen to be on the board of directors of the Colorado Rush Soccer Club, one of the largest youth soccer clubs in America that services over 5,000 players annually.

So, why is Jerome a key player in this movement? Well, he’s toying with the idea of running against Sunil Gulati for the position of President of the United States Soccer Federation. And he has the necessary experience and the right people in his corner that lead me to believe that this idea of his should be taken seriously.

Jerome and I spoke at length about some of the problems running rampant in US Soccer.

Personally, I’m excited about everything that has been happening. I’m excited for the people who are getting involved with US Soccer. This is a great time to be involved. Because it looks like the free ride is over. MLS and US Soccer cannot enjoy the totally relaxed and comfortable environment that they have become accustomed to over the years. There is now real pressure from high profile figures that are demanding change. A brief visit to any high school history class would surely provide evidence for what could potentially happen next in a situation like this.

Jerome emailed me the photos you see on this page. He also challenged me to name at least one of the players in the photo below. Front and center standing next to the man in the black shirt I see Jerome. Boom! I win, Jerome! Maybe you can take a stab at the challenge, though? Leave your answers in the comment section. Good luck

Don’t forget you can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts (the new iTunes for podcasts apparently) or you can find it on Stitcher. If you like this podcast it would be super cool if you left us a 5-star rating.

If you’re sharing this podcast on social media you can use the #343podcast hashtag. Thank you!

The post Jerome De Bontin- the Name You Need to Know If You Think U.S. Soccer Needs Change. appeared first on 3four3.

At age 16, Tristan Bowen used a fake ID to get himself on the field during an LA Galaxy open tryout. Shortly after that, he was offered a professional contract. Tristan would ultimately become the first official Homegrown Player in MLS history. On paper, it seems like a dream come true. But the story isn’t as straightforward as you would think.

Tristan says, “there is so much that people do not know.” Not just about the process of becoming the first Homegrown Player, but there is a lot that people don’t know about becoming and staying a professional soccer player in general:

Tristan and I dove deep into what it took to turn him into the player he is today. He took a more accelerated track than most kids. In fact, most kids wouldn’t be able to handle what Tristan went through. Some of the most interesting parts of his story revolved around what happened during those early stages of his career.

He talked a lot about his family, specifically the role his uncle played. His uncle was there from the beginning. His uncle was the one who pulled him out of club soccer in Southern California. His uncle was the one who made him play with the older kids. His uncle was the one who sent him to Brazil for a summer. His uncle knew how to push him. His uncle knew when to push him. His uncle knew when to protect him. And if Tristan needed to choose just one person to look out for his best interests, he knew it had to be his uncle.

It’s well known that trusting and relying on people who have been with you from the beginning, and helped you get to where you are, is very smart in the soccer world. Those who have proven to have your back.

For example, the two best players in the world, Messi and Neymar, are represented by their fathers. It didn’t matter that neither had experience as agents. Contrast that to the nightmare Mascherano and Tevez had when they allowed a big agency to rep them. It makes sense though, right? Who truly has your best interests at heart? And that is something you’ll hear Tristan allude to as well. But that’s not all.

Tristan’s career has taken some unexpected twists and turns. He opened up about some of the troubles he has encountered during his journey. Specifically, what it was like trying to make it as an American player in Europe:

At age 26, Tristan still hasn’t found his footing. But he is back in the United States now and is armed with ten years worth of experiences in the professional soccer ecosystem. He knows what he’s capable of and what he can provide for a team. He has a clear idea of what he’s looking for. Now, it’s all about finding the right match.

The story of MLS’ first ever homegrown player might surprise you. And there is no one better to tell that story than the man himself.

PS, don’t forget to subscribe to 3four3 FM on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. And while you’re there … how about leaving us a 5-star rating?

PPS, you can also find Tristan’s podcast “A Pros Life” by visiting his website: www.aproslife.com

The post Tristan Bowen, the First Ever MLS Homegrown Player, Says There Is so Much That People Do Not Know. appeared first on 3four3.

Romeo is the former Technical Director of the Croatian Football Federation, along with a number of different jobs that preceded that.

During this interview, I asked Romeo, “What is holding Croatia back? Is it… bad luck? Politics? Corruption?”

He said, “No, none of that.”

His response was a much more simple answer.  He basically said that what Croatia has built will take some time to take effect. It’s a process. As you’ll hear throughout the interview, Romeo, and others have been dedicated to a specific development plan for many years. And you can see it’s starting to pay off just by looking at how many young Croatian players are now being signed by big European clubs.

This type of planning, patience, and persistence is something foreign to us here in the United States.

He followed that with an example of Luka Modric. Specifically, the three stages of development that Luka has gone through:

And there are many, many other young talents, like Luka, that are waiting in the queue for Croatia National Team. As they go through and complete their development cycles, the national team should reap the benefits according to Romeo. But having an award for the nicest looking soccer at Euro 2016 or most young talents isn’t the goal, though. Romeo and the rest of Croatia know that the goal is to win at the highest levels.

Romeo has played a key role in developing both players and coaches in the small country of Croatia. At one point in the interview, he actually said that Croatia doesn’t have just one national team coach, they have 4 million. Because football in Croatia is like a religion. And when someone makes a mistake… every single person in the country shares their opinion.

As many of you probably know, I am also Croatian. I was born here in the United States. My dad made his way here in the 1980’s and I grew up listening to my dad tell stories about playing with soccer balls made of cow hair and playing barefoot on the dirt roads of his tiny town. Romeo didn’t have the same type of childhood my dad did, though.

Romeo had different experiences. He lived in the big city. He was able to travel. He attended the University. But Romeo did live through one of Croatia’s most tragic times. So, he has different stories to tell. He shared one story about what it was like growing up during a war and having to turn the lights off at a certain hour so planes overhead would not view them as targets. He even casually said that “It wasn’t that bad in Zagreb. Just a couple of bombings. Just a few attacks.”

Despite living through that, Romeo finished school and then worked himself up the ranks of the Croatian Football Federation. After helping the country accomplish so much, from top to bottom, he now says he’s ready for something more.

In this episode, Romeo shares one of his favorite Luka Modric stories. I couldn’t help but laugh because I could picture Luka perfectly as Romeo was describing what happened. And I’m sure you’ll be able to as well.

Alright, enough! Enjoy this episode of the #343podcast with Romeo Jozak.

Oh yeah, don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And if you don’t mind, show us some love with a 5-star rating

The post The Three Stages of Developing Luka Modric, and Developing Croatia’s National Team, According to Romeo Jozak. appeared first on 3four3.

Let me set this up for you.

I was driving down to Southern California for the launch of our 3four3 Players’ Club. On the way down, Ian Lane and I were listening to a podcast hosted by a professional soccer player that I was set to interview once I arrived at Gary’s house. That interview was scheduled for 12 pm and was going to take about an hour. My brain was filling up with questions that I wanted to ask and topics that I wanted to cover. But then I realized I would have a few hours to kill once I finished that interview and when I needed to be on the field that night.

Then, a new idea hit me.

I should hit up Nick Rogers.

So, I sent him a text and asked if he’d be down for Skype session. He said he was finishing up at lunch but would be back at home soon. We linked up later that afternoon and spent almost an hour talking about pickup soccer, street soccer, and “Panna”.

Nick grew up in Orange County. Not necessarily the place you think about when the topic is street soccer. But somehow, in the suburbs of Brea, Nick found a passion for the street soccer scene and has been using it as a tool to teach the game ever since.

During this interview, you’ll hear Nick talk about:

Nick now coaches youth soccer coach in the small Northern California city of Rohnert Park. Each week he hosts a free Friday night street soccer jam and is doing great work to bring the street soccer culture to his players.

Outside of coaching, Nick also competes in official street soccer events around the world. He recently got on the mic and co-hosted for a bit at the Pannahouse Invitationals in Denmark and gave a complete recap of his experiences in Europe with a write up on Urban Pitch.

I had a blast talking with Nick. He brought a ton of energy and passion. I hope you enjoy this episode of the 343podcast with NicoSauve15, Mr. Nick Rogers!

Subscribe to 3four3 FM on iTunes or Stitcher. Also, don’t forget to check out more of our articles, podcast episodes, or our coaching courses.

The post Nick Rogers Talks About Using Street Soccer to Speed Up Player Development, Add Flavor and Change the Culture of the Game. appeared first on 3four3.

“They want to buy menus.”

That is what Raymond Verheijen said when talking about American soccer coaches.

He also said that American coaches are “susceptible to the flavor of the month.”

You know what? I completely agree. Why? Because those statements describe me perfectly when I was a young coach trying to figure out my own beliefs about the game and experiment with different ideas on the field. I have a feeling they might describe you perfectly as well.

Raymond isn’t afraid to say the things that you probably don’t want to hear. In fact, it’s just normal for him. That blunt, all-business attitude is ingrained in him and is a big part of Dutch culture. He and I discussed that, and much more throughout this entire episode.

I always try to conduct a slightly different interview than most listeners (and guests) would expect. So, even if you’ve listened to Raymond speak before, you still in for a treat. I was able to get him to open up and tell me about:

These days Raymond is the CEO of World Football Academy. On the WFA website, Raymond is described as a man “with an immaculate track record and extensive background in football and a leader in football conditioning and has introduced his unique football specific approach successfully throughout the world.”

If you don’t already, I highly suggest following Raymond on Twitter.

I’d like to say thank you to Tim Gentles and Aaron Byers for helping arrange this interview with Raymond. I was able to meet those two guys at our meet-up in Downtown Los Angeles in January 2017 and we’ve exchanged a bunch of messages since then to set this up.

Alright, I hope you enjoy this episode of the #343podcast with Raymond Verheijen.

World Football Academy USA

World Football Academy Courses

Raymond on Twitter

The post Raymond Verheijen Believes American Coaches Should Be Developed to Think for Themselves appeared first on 3four3.

Before I record with any guest I try to do some sort of pre-interview. At the very least, I try to communicate with them about what is on or off limits. In this case, Taylor Twellman and I were messaging on Twitter for several days trying to set up a time to record.

The night before we were supposed to talk I sent him a message telling him I could send over a list of my standard questions if he wanted me to. He said, “No need.”

It could have backfired. In fact, it has before. I’ve been mid-interview with multiple guests and they ask me, “Can you edit that out?” And that sucks because 1) I suck at editing and 2) now the conversation is censored.

That didn’t happen with Taylor, though. We ended up having sixty minutes of quality conversation. In fact, I think I surprised him by not leading with questions about pro/rel or h0w we’re supposed to fix American soccer. Instead, I opted for dissecting his playing career. And for a good reason.

I got the sense that Taylor had a chip on his shoulder from a very young age. Call me crazy, but I’ve always thought that having a chip on your shoulder is the best motivation in order to accomplish something.

So, I dug deep to find out what created that chip.

Taylor told me that he was labeled one of the MLS’ focal points by the league owners. Later on, he found out he was earning three-quarters of a million dollars less than his counterpart… Landon Donovan. That didn’t sit well with him.

He told me a story about not being able to break into the first-team of a German club simply because he was young and American. That didn’t sit well either.

And then there was this one…

Nineteen-year-old Taylor Twellman, a baseball/soccer phenom, took home the Bronze Boot at the U20 World Cup and Major League Soccer refused to offer him more than $24,000 a season.

Taylor followed a much different path than most professional soccer players around the globe. But you could argue he had a pretty normal experience for an American athlete, though.

He played multiple sports. He went the college route. And he isn’t shy about addressing any of that.

In fact, during our 60-minute conversation I never once got the impression that he would change anything about his past. Every time he was told no… he turned it into fuel.

Taylor is now part of the broadcast team at ESPN. He’s made a name for himself by being critical of players and managers. Towards the end of our conversation, he actually says this is one area our country can make massive improvements in.

He thinks our media is soft.

I agree.

Taylor making time to come on this show to have an authentic and real conversation that’s not about transfer rumors or game recaps is a sign that he’s down to spice things up a bit. And it was my pleasure to steal an hour of his day.

Enjoy this episode!

And look for a follow-up episode where Taylor and I will swap some concussion stories… or what we can remember. I suffered three in quick succession in high school and sat out the better part of a year. It sucked. Taylor suffered a career ending injury. He’s now doing great work to bring awareness and change the social attitude towards brain injuries. Taylor is a great resource for help and awareness if you’re in need. (You’ll hear him offer me help.) Check the links below for more info.

Taylor Twellman on Twitter

ThinkTaylor- Creating social change in the world of traumatic brain injuries

ThinkTaylorOrg on Twitter

The post Taylor Twellman Opens up About His MLS Contracts, American Soccer Media, and His Life as an Athlete. appeared first on 3four3.