In Episode 109, Paul and Phil cover their favorite moments from the second half of Season 7, their highlights from the incredible guests we’ve had on HSEL throughout 2022, their top 2022 recommendations, and a review of the incredible World Cup we just experienced over the past month, including their favorite goals, plays, and teams throughout the tournament. It’s a great way to top off a great year of football, soccer, or whatever you call it!

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Providence World website
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer
• The Stupid Footballer is Dead, by Paul McVeigh
• More than That, by Mike Buchanan
• Survival of the Fit: How Physical Education Ensures Academic Achievement and a Healthy Life, by Daniel O’Neill
• The History of Men’s Soccer at Colorado College, 1950-2015, by Horst and Helen Richardson
• “FIFA Uncovered” (Netflix)
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein
• The Marriage Devotional: 52 Days to Strengthen the Soul of Your Marriage, by Levi and Jennie Lusko
• All or Nothing: Arsenal (Amazon Prime)
• Welcome to Wrexham (Hulu)
• Sunderland ‘Til I Die (Netflix)
• Class of ’92: Out of Their League (Netflix)
• Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story (YouTube)
• United Soccer Coaches Convention Registration Page

In Episode 108, Paul McVeigh, Performance and Sports Psychologist, Author of The Stupid Footballer is Dead, and former footballer with Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City, and Northern Ireland, talks with Phil and Paul about great life and leadership lessons he has learned from his time playing football at the highest level, how to improve your normal, how he has overcome adversity, why we should want failure in our lives, the importance of thinking about thinking and mixing intensity with control, and the best leaders he played with during his football career. Specifically, Paul discusses:

• His personal story, how he developed his passion for football, leadership, and sports and performance psychology, and why he had an inferiority complex (2:50)
• Defining moments in Paul’s career and what he learned from them, and why we should want failure in our lives (7:42)
• His book, The Stupid Footballer is Dead, which discusses some of the life and leadership lessons we can learn from the game of football (soccer) (14:11)
• Why and how we need to “think about thinking” (21:10)
• The importance of mixing intensity with control (26:15)
• The best leaders he played with and what set them apart from the rest (31:03)
• His podcast, The Psychology of Success and what he hopes people will learn from it (33:42)
• His recommendations of another great podcast (36:26)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Paul McVeigh’s Website (where you can find The Psychology of Success Podcast and a free copy of his book, “The Stupid Footballer is Dead)
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• The High Performance Podcast
• Switch on Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health, by Caroline Leaf
• Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement, by Tony Robbins

In Episode 107, Mike Buchanan, Athletes in Action missionary for over 30 years in various positions, Author of More Than That: Biblical Principles for Dealing With Athletic Injuries, and Husband and Father, talks with Phil and Paul about great life and leadership lesson he has learned from different aspects of athletics, how he overcame brutal injuries and how we can do the same, and how breaking a kid’s neck impacted his life in a huge way. Specifically, Mike discusses:

• His personal story, how he developed his passion for sports, leadership, coaching, and ministry, how he almost was a professional athlete, and some of the great soccer players he has worked with through Athletes in Action (4:31)
• His personal why and how he is living it out in his life (9:19)
• Some of Mike’s favorite coaches and what he has learned from them about life and leadership (13:57)
• Life and leadership lessons he has learned from the experiences he has had in his athletic career (20:16)
• Why it’s important not to idolize celebrities (27:59)
• Mike’s book, More Than That, and why it is a must read for athletes, coaches, and parents (40:14)
• The importance of having your identity grounded in the right thing (48:28)
• The two ways we can respond to injuries in our lives and why only one of them works (53:52)
• How he is using lessons learned from sports in his marriage and parenting (59:47)
• His recommendations of books (1:05:42)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• More Than That website (info about Mike’s book, podcast, and other materials)
• Mike’s email address
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• Win the Day: 7 Daily Habits to Help You Stress Less & Accomplish More, by Mark Batterson
• Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World, by Bob Goff
• The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible, by Scot McKnight and Tom Parks
• Leadership as an Identity: The Four Traits of Those Who Wield Lasting Influence, by Crawford Loritts

In Episode 106, Paul and Phil talk about the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, covering the FIFA corruption leading up to the Cup, the new documentary, “FIFA Uncovered,” which is rocking the world of football, predictions about who will get out of each group and who will ultimately with the Cup, and some leadership lessons we can learn from all of it. It is a fun and enlightening conversation that you don’t want to miss.

Who are you picking to win it all?

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• “FIFA Uncovered” (Netflix)
• United Soccer Coaches Convention Registration Page

In Episode 105, Tim Ryerson, Founder and ED of Get On The Bus, GM and Consultant with Ballistic United Soccer Club, Founder of Ellicott City Soccer Club, and Husband and Father, talks with Phil and Paul about how he is making the beautiful game more accessible for youth across the country through his work with Get On The Bus, his special needs program in Maryland, some of the life and leadership lessons he has learned from his coaches over the years, the importance of hard work, the current state of youth soccer in the US, a little USMNT World Cup Preview, and why Tim does what he does throughout the US. Specifically, Tim discusses:

• His personal story, how he developed his passion for soccer, leadership, coaching, and making soccer accessible to all demographics in society (4:44)
• What he learned about leadership starting Ellicott City SC, and what you can learn from it (10:42)
• His personal why/purpose statement and how he is living it out (14:39)
• The coaches who most influenced him and what he learned from them about life and leadership (16:45)
• Why hard work is critical to success in life, and why we need to work harder than everyone else to achieve excellence (24:53)
• What he likes about the current state of US youth soccer and what he would change if he had the power to do so (32:10)
• A little USMNT World Cup Preview (35:44)
• The Special Needs program at ECSC and all the cool stuff that they are doing with kids of all abilities (38:38)
• The Get on the Bus Program, what it is, how it is making soccer more accessible for all demographics in society, how they are involving parents/adults, and how you can get involved with it (44:21)
• How he is using lessons learned from soccer in his marriage and parenting (56:18)
• His recommendations of books and other great soccer-related organizations (58:51)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Get on the Bus Website
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• Changing the Game Project
• The Sideline Project
• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t, by Simon Sinek
• The Coach’s Bible (FCA)

In Episode 104, Paul and Phil discuss an important change for HSEL, which will go into effect after this episode), highlights from the first half of Season 7, and, of course, several important lessons from the beautiful game that will help us flourish on and off the field.

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Coaching the Bigger Game information
• Warrior Way information
• Paul Jobson’s email address
• Phil Darke’s email address

In Episode 103, Horst Richardson, who coached the Colorado College Tigers Men’s Soccer team for 50 years and is a United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame Member, talks with Phil and Paul about his extensive coaching experience and the lessons he learned from the journey, his favorite things about coaching, unorthodox film sessions, leadership and life lessons he has taught and learned from a half-century of coaching, how he defines success in coaching, why coaches need to not blow their whistles too much, and, most of all, some incredible (and funny) stories from his really long coaching career (all of which you can find in the book he and his wife, Helen, wrote about the history of Colorado College soccer (link below)). Specifically, Horst discusses:

• His personal story, his journey from Germany to Colorado Springs, his circuitous and serendipitous path to coaching at Colorado College, and how he developed his passion for soccer, leadership, and coaching (3:13)
• The story behind him sharing the stage with Pele at a NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia (11:10)
• A video project he is working on and how he used Super 8 video footage to do video sessions well ahead of most other coaches (14:00)
• Some fun memorable moments from 50 years of coaching, and lessons we can learn from the stories (20:33)
• What he loved about being a coach for 50 years at CC (27:46)
• An amazing story about when he almost lost a player in China (30:28)
• Why Horst reminds Phil of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid, and what we can learn from it (35:40)
• How Horst defined success in his coaching and what he sought to teach his players during their time at CC (40:08)
• How we need to pour into all of our players on our teams (45:19)
• How he is using lessons learned from soccer in his marriage and parenting (51:00)
• More lessons he has learned from the game that he has passed on to his players (and anyone else that will listen) (55:33)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• The History of Men’s Soccer at Colorado College, 1950-2015, by Horst and Helen Richardson
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training

In Episode 102, Dave Simeone, Director of Education Programs for United Soccer Coaches who has coached at every level, including the 1999 USWNT World Cup champions, talks with Phil and Paul about his extensive coaching experience and the lessons he learned from the journey, his favorite things about coaching, his thoughts on the state of US Soccer, why coaches need to encourage innovation and creativity and how they can do so, how coaching is like cooking (and how we can become master chefs), and USC’s online education platform, The Training Ground. Specifically, Dave discusses:

• His personal story, how he went from street soccer to the National team, and how he developed his passion for soccer, leadership, and coaching (3:11)
• The importance of “picking up the phone” and taking initiative to connect with coaches and others to further your career (10:10)
• What level of coaching he enjoyed the most and what made it so special (13:10)
• Some of his favorite things about coaching (16:14)
• His personal “why” and life mission, and how he is living it out (18:34)
• What he likes about soccer in the US today and what he would change if he could wave a magic wand and make it happen (23:51)
• How we can keep encouraging innovation and creativity in the game in the US and why it is important to do so – and how coaching is like cooking (32:43)
• The Training Ground online education program and why Dave is so excited about it (39:29)
• How he has used lessons from the game in his coaching and other leadership positions (55:21)
• How he is using lessons learned from soccer in his personal life off the pitch (1:00:32)
• His book recommendations (1:05:25)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• The Training Ground (USC Education platform)
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• Chop Wood, Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great, by Joshua Medcalf
• What Drives Winning: Building Character Gets Results. Here’s How, by Brett Ledbetter

In Episode 101, Jorge Vallejo, Founder of Upper 90 in Philadelphia and Atlanta, 2019 CLN Coach of the Year, and Chaplain of the Atlanta United, talks with Phil and Paul about lessons he learned playing youth football (soccer) in Colombia, how he ended up in the US for college, his journey to start Upper 90 and how he is transforming vulnerable communities with soccer, and how he uses lessons learned from soccer in his leadership of Upper 90 and in his marriage and parenting. There is so much great stuff in this interview and we can’t wait to hear how Jorge inspires you to use the beautiful game to change lives for the better. Specifically, Jorge discusses:

• His personal story, how his childhood in Colombia and college in the US shaped him and how he developed his passion for soccer, leadership, ministry, and coaching (2:12)
• How he is using soccer to teach life lessons to vulnerable communities in Atlanta through Upper 90 (7:48)
• A great story about a life transformed through Upper 90 in Atlanta (13:22)
• His work with the Atlanta United and how it compares with his work with the youth in the community (18:31)
• How he has used lessons learned from soccer in his ministry (24:41)
• What he likes and dislikes about youth soccer in the US (30:15)
• How he is using lessons learned from soccer in his marriage and parenting (37:29)
• His book recommendation (43:38)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Upper 90
• Video of CLN Coach of the Year
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work, by Tim Keller

In Episode 100, Dan Williams, soccer coach and Founder/Coach at Next Level Soccer Academy, and Founder/President of Sports Serve, talks with Phil and Paul about lessons he has learned from playing and coaching, his work with the Global Sports Movement, his thoughts on youth soccer in the US, how overcoaching and focusing on winning affects our players’ development, demystifying college recruiting, and what the Hero’s Journey has to do with parenting and coaching. Specifically, Dan discusses:

• His personal story, how he developed his passion for soccer, leadership, ministry, and coaching, and how he is using soccer to teach life lessons to his players and many others around the world (3:09)
• The Global Sports Movement and how it is impacting lives around the world through sport, fitness, and play (10:10)
• His thoughts on the trajectory of youth soccer in the US, positive and negative (12:23)
• The role overcoaching plays when we talk about decision making and execution from a player standpoint (20:19)
• How the focus on winning in youth sports has affected the development of young players (23:36)
• How he has used lessons learned from soccer in his ministry (30:56)
• How he is using lessons learned from soccer in his marriage and parenting (40:13)
• Demystifying college recruiting (46:57)
• What the Hero’s Journey has to do with parenting and coaching (49:35)
• His book recommendation (59:07)

Resources and Links from this Episode

• Next Level Soccer Academy
• Global Sports Movement
• Uncut Video of the Episode
• HSEL Facebook Group
• Warrior Way Soccer
• Coaching the Bigger Game Program
• Phil’s email for DISC Training
• The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, by Gary Chapman
• All or Nothing: Arsenal (Amazon Prime Video)
• All or Nothing: Tottenham (Amazon Prime Video)
• All or Nothing: Manchester City (Amazon Prime Video)
• The Road to Character, by David Brooks