FOOTYPOD

Dan Abrahams is a world-renown sports psychologist who has immersed himself in the world of football and has worked with some of the biggest names and clubs in the game. Dan is currently on staff at Feyenoord where he has helped influence the minds of the players to a Dutch Cup title and a 2nd place finish in the Eredivisie. Making his 2nd appearance on the FOOTYPOD, Dan joined us at the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention to follow up from our first episode. Giving us one of our most well-received interviews by players of all levels, we brought Dan back to give our coach listeners a little something too. Tune in to hear how Dan has helped coaches all over the world tap into their best self.

Nicolai Adam is the Head of International Sports Projects at Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga. Nicolai is a holder of the UEFA Pro License, has served as a coach educator and International Football Development Advisor for the German Football Association (DFB), worked as the UEFA Head of Coach Education in Azerbaijan where he was also in charge of the U19 National Team, and prepared the India U17 National Team for the 2017 FIFA World Cup. Nicolai joined us at the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim to discuss his current role, his past coaching experiences, his preparation leading a team from India for their first-ever World Cup, along with other thoughts on coaching education and development.

(Recorded January 12, 2024)

Jermaine Jones broke into the German Bundesliga at just 18 years old, and went on to make over 200 appearances for the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, and Schalke - along with another 30 games to his name in the UEFA Champions League. Jermaine represented the USMNT on the international level and was a key figure in the American midfield for 8 years, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup - where he scored an iconic goal against Portugal to help his country advance to the round of 16. He is now the Head Coach of Central Valley Fuego FC in USL 1. We met Jermaine at the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim, and he stopped by to chat with us about his switch to the USMNT from Germany in 2010, cultural differences from Europe to America, his transition now from player to coach, how he is preparing for his new team, lessons learned from his best coach, favorite career memories, and much, much more. You won't want to miss this episode!

Randy Waldrum is currently the head coach for Pitt Women's Soccer and recently took the Nigeria Women's National Team all the way to the Round of 16 in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, narrowly missing out on the Quarter-Finals on a penalty shootout loss to England - one of the tournament favorites. Randy joined us at the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim to discuss his team's preparation for the competition and the tactical adjustments they made game to game to give his team the best chance of success. He also shares his perspectives on the state of the U.S. Women's National Team and the direction that the women's game is headed as a whole.

Randy Waldrum: @randy_waldrum

Sean Afkhaminia: @sean.afkhaminia

Evan Bozman: @evanbozman

Website: www.footyfactory.us

Facebook: @footyfactorydallas

Instagram: @footyfactory, @footybrand, @footy.pod

Twitter: @footyfactory

LinkedIn: Footy Factory

Victor Ulloa was one of the original FC Dallas homegrown talents signed to professional contracts in 2010, has now played 13 years in the MLS, and is the all-time leader in appearances for Inter Miami with 78 games to his name for the club. Victor sat down with us to talk about his time coming through the FC Dallas Academy, making the transition into the first team, and how he has managed all the highs and the lows of a great career so far, highlighted with Inter Miami's Leagues Cup Final victory this past season in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Use our special promo code FOOTY24 for a discounted registration price of $425 to the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim, CA from January 10-14.

Victor Ulloa: @ulloa_victor

Sean Afkhaminia: @sean.afkhaminia

Use our special promo code FOOTY24 for a discounted registration price of $425 to the 2024 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Anaheim, CA from January 10-14.

United Soccer Coaches: @unitedsoccercoaches

*RECORDED JUNE 22, 2023*

Oliver Berquez was a professional footballer for 19 years, appearing in over 750 senior matches during his career, and is now part of the ownership team for a developmental company called Building Champions. Oliver and his team were our neighbors on Podcast Row at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia, and sat down with us for our very last interview of the weekend to share insight on the Building Champions vision and the groundbreaking VR technology they have built to aid cognitive development and tactical awareness/understanding.

Oliver Berquez: @oliverberquez1

Building Champions: @buildingchamps1

www.building-champions.pro

Sean Afkhaminia: @sean.afkhaminia

Evan Bozman: @evanbozman

Footy Factory: @footyfactory, @footybrand, @footy.pod

www.footyfactory.us

Kareem Rae is the Founder/CEO of One Soccer Nation and author of the book, I Want to Become A Professional Soccer Player. Kareem sat down with us on the last day of the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia to talk about his ambition to build a professional club, his inspiration for writing his first book at 18 years old, and the process he took to publishing it.

Kareem Rae: @kareem.rae

One Soccer Nation: @osnationllc

www.onesoccernation.com

Sean Afkhaminia: @sean.afkhaminia

Evan Bozman: @evanbozman

Footy Factory: @footyfactory, @footybrand, @footy.pod

www.footyfactory.us

Alexi Lalas is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame for his contribution to the USMNT and MLS during his professional career, earning the 1995 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year following his performances at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He is now a prominent soccer analyst for Fox Sports and hosts the State of the Union podcast. Alexi shared his time with us at the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia to discuss the evolution of individual player development, the future potential of our current USMNT group, and how he is able to leverage his position on TV to generate more interest in the game and further the sport in our country.

Alexi Lalas: @alexi_lalas

Sean Afkhaminia: @sean.afkhaminia

Evan Bozman: @evanbozman

Footy Factory: @footyfactory, @footybrand, @footy.pod

www.footyfactory.us