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In this episode, I sit down with Rod Underwood—a highly respected soccer coach, educator, and leader in player development with experience spanning youth, collegiate, and professional environments.

Rod is widely known for his work as a Technical Director and his commitment to developing not just skilled players, but thoughtful, adaptable, and resilient athletes. With a background that includes coaching in Major League Soccer academies and leading curriculum development across clubs, he brings a systems-level perspective to how players are trained, supported, and challenged.

This episode is for coaches, athletes, and parents who want to better understand the “why” behind development—and how to create environments where players don’t just perform, but evolve.

Connect with Rod: Rod Underwood | LinkedIn; Instagram; www.rodunderwood.com

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In this episode of Becoming My Stronger Me, Coach Nassim is joined by Shaun Smithson for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, athlete development, and building values-driven sport environments.

Shaun brings a unique perspective shaped by his journey as an athlete, youth soccer coach, and national leader working with organizations that support coaches and athletes across the country. He shares lessons learned from coaching at the grassroots level, developing players and people within competitive environments, and leading at scale through national sport organizations.

Together, we explore what it means to lead with intention, empower coaches and staff, and support athletes beyond wins and losses. The conversation touches on culture, character, long-term development, and the responsibility leaders carry in shaping experiences that influence young people far beyond the field.

Connect with Shaun Smithson | LinkedIn

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In this episode of Becoming My Stronger Me, Coach Nassim sits down with Gabe Hall, head men’s soccer coach at the University of Indianapolis, for a thoughtful conversation on athlete development, leadership, and building high-performance environments.

With over two decades of experience working with youth national team players, future professionals, and collegiate athletes, Coach Hall shares how he approaches developing the whole athlete within competitive team settings. He reflects on the importance of relationships, trust, and communication, and how those elements shape culture, accountability, and long-term growth.

The conversation also explores what it means to lead a program—setting direction, empowering staff, and creating alignment between vision and daily behavior—while supporting athletes on and off the field.

This episode is especially relevant for athletes, coaches, and parents interested in:
• Developing individuals within team environments
• Leadership and culture-building in sport
• Coaching beyond tactics and outcomes
• Helping athletes grow as people, not just performers

Whether you’re a coach shaping a program, an athlete navigating development, or a parent supporting the journey, this conversation offers grounded insights into what sustainable success really looks like.

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Confidence loss isn’t a failure — it’s a human response.

In this episode, Coach Nassim closes the Confidence & Self-Belief mini-series by exploring what happens when confidence breaks due to injury, role change, deselection, or prolonged struggle. Drawing from injury psychology, attribution theory, and resilience research, the episode explains why confidence disruption is common, how belief erodes, and what actually supports recovery.

Listeners will learn why confidence loss is often about lost certainty rather than lost ability, how interpretation shapes recovery, and why confidence is rebuilt through small, repeated mastery experiences — not forced positivity or reassurance.

This episode helps athletes, coaches, and parents understand confidence breakdown accurately and respond with patience, structure, and intention.

As Season 3 continues, upcoming conversations with coaches and former athletes will explore these themes in real-world contexts, setting the stage for the next mini-series: Pressure, Stress, and Nerves.

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Confidence doesn’t come from motivation alone — it’s supported by structure.

In this episode, Coach Nassim breaks down how confidence is built and stabilized through what she calls the Confidence Equation: clarity, preparation, and meaning. Drawing from research on role clarity, performance preparation, self-concept, and development, the episode explains why confidence often rises and falls based on environment — not personality.

Listeners will learn how unclear roles, inconsistent preparation, and outcome-based identity quietly undermine confidence, and how intentional structure creates belief that holds under pressure.

As part of the Confidence & Self-Belief mini-series, this episode offers athletes, coaches, and parents practical insight into how confidence is supported day to day — and how to strengthen it without hype, pressure, or forced positivity.

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Confidence is one of the most talked-about concepts in sport — and one of the most misunderstood.

In this episode, Coach Nassim launches the Confidence & Self-Belief mini-series by challenging the idea that confidence is something you either have or don’t have. Drawing from self-efficacy theory, mastery experience research, and developmental psychology, the episode explains what confidence actually is, where it comes from, and why it naturally fluctuates.

Listeners will learn why confidence is a belief built through experience — not a personality trait — and how athletes develop lasting belief by responding to challenge, not avoiding it.

This episode is essential listening for athletes, coaches, and parents who want to understand confidence accurately, support it intentionally, and stop treating inconsistency as a flaw.

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In this episode, Coach Nassim sits down with Anna Tuuri for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, service, and the many ways people can contribute to the beautiful game.

Anna’s journey in soccer spans multiple roles—player, referee, coach, and podcast host—giving her a unique perspective on the sport and the communities that surround it. As a collegiate athlete and multi-sport competitor, she experienced the demands of high-level performance, but her commitment to the game extends far beyond the field.

Through her work officiating matches, mentoring within the referee community, and hosting the podcast "Keep the Game Beautiful," Anna highlights the people who help soccer thrive—from players and coaches to referees and volunteers who often work behind the scenes.

Anna’s story is a reminder that the impact of sport isn’t limited to the scoreboard—it’s built through the people who care deeply about the game and the culture surrounding it.

Connect with Anna: LinkedIn & [email protected]

United Soccer Coaches Convention: Home - United Soccer Coaches Convention

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In this episode, Coach Nassim sits down with Mara Watts, a pioneering figure in Australian women’s soccer whose journey reflects resilience, advocacy, and a lifelong commitment to the game.

Mara competed during a time when opportunities for women in football were limited, representing Australia in the 1980s and contributing to the early foundation of what would become the modern women’s game. Decades later, she was formally awarded her Australian representative cap — a powerful recognition of both her contribution and the generation of women who paved the way.

In our conversation, Mara shares what it was like competing in an era without the infrastructure or visibility female players have today, the mindset required to persist when recognition was delayed, and how those experiences shaped her transition into coaching and leadership roles within the sport.

Mara’s story is a reminder that impact is not always immediate — but it is lasting.

Connect with Mara: LinkedIn & Instagram

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In this episode of Becoming My Stronger Me, Coach Nassim is joined by Dr. Kelly Flanagan—psychologist, author, speaker, and former mindset coach—for a meaningful conversation about emotional regulation, identity, and responding thoughtfully under pressure.

Dr. Flanagan’s work challenges the idea that we need to fix or perfect ourselves to be worthy. Together, we explore how performance culture, achievement, and comparison can quietly shape self-worth—and what it looks like to slow down our reactions, build awareness, and choose more intentional responses in sport, parenting, leadership, and everyday life.

The conversation also centers on Dr. Flanagan’s newest book, The Road Less Triggered, which offers practical insights for navigating emotional triggers and cultivating healthier responses in moments that matter most.

This episode is especially relevant for:
• Athletes navigating pressure and identity
• Parents supporting youth through emotional moments
• Coaches and leaders shaping culture and connection
• Anyone working to respond rather than react

Learn more about The Road Less Triggered here:
https://roadlesstriggered.com

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In this episode, Coach Nassim sits down with Hugh Roberts II, a veteran professional soccer player, for an honest and thoughtful conversation about race, identity, and the realities of navigating the game as a Black athlete.

After playing collegiately at George Mason University, Hugh built a decade-long professional career across the U.S. soccer landscape with clubs including the Richmond Kickers, Bethlehem Steel FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Charlotte Independence, and Monterey Bay FC. But beyond the matches and milestones, his journey also reflects the deeper experiences many players face that often go unspoken.

In this candid conversation, Hugh shares his personal experiences with racism in the sport and reflects on the emotional and mental realities of competing in environments where players of color are not always equally supported or understood. Together, we explore the responsibility of the soccer community to acknowledge these realities, create space for honest dialogue, and continue pushing the game forward.

Hugh’s reflections remind us that sport is not just about performance—it’s about people, and the courage it takes to speak honestly about the experiences that shape us.

Connect with Hugh: https://www.backyardfooty.org/ &  LinkedIn

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