In Episode 116, Amanda Vandervoort, President of the USL Super League, former Chief Women’s Football Officer at FIFPRO, MLS executive, USC President, FIFA Consultant, NYU Women’s Soccer Head Coach, and goalkeeper and captain for University of Wyoming, talks with Phil and Paul about the life and leadership lessons she learned over the course of her playing and coaching career, and executive roles in major football/soccer leagues and organizations, the importance of active listening, how an injury taught her an important life lesson, an incredible story of initiative and entrepreneurship from her childhood that every parent and coach will love, her personal why, her love for baking, why it is important for us to understand and talk about our players’ personal health issues, including menstrual cycles, and how we can work together to make soccer more accessible to everyone. Specifically, Amanda discusses:

·      Her personal story, including how she grew her passion for soccer, coaching, and leadership, and how she got to where she is today with the USL Super League (4:10)

·      Her love for baking and her dream for championship celebrations (6:50)

·      The importance of leading by listening and watching (8:33)

·      Working with people in different countries and cultures (10:45)

·      Her personal why/mission statement and how she is living it out (14:31)

·      Her defining moment and how it impacted her development (18:03)

·      An incredible story from her childhood about initiative and entrepreneurial spirit to help her play the beautiful game (22:51)

·      One of her favorite coaches and how Tai Chi helped win a State Championship (29:12)

·      Learning different things from different coaches over the course of her career (32:44)

·      The science of soccer and why we need to talk about, study, and better understand the effects of menstruation, mental health, and other issues unique to girls and women, such as the higher frequency of ACL injuries in women (36:52)

·      The good, bad, and ugly of US Soccer, how she is incorporating lessons learned from the past decades into her leadership at USL, and how we together can make the game more accessible to everyone (46:26)

·      How she has used lessons learned from the game in her relationships outside the game (58:12)

·      Her recommendations (59:04)

Resources and Links from this Episode

·      Amanda’s Website

·      USL Step Up Program

·      Amanda’s Twitter Handle - @vandey01

·      USL Super League on Twitter – @uslsuperleague

·      W League on Twitter - @uslwleague

·      Uncut Video of the Episode

·      HSEL Facebook Group

·      Warrior Way Soccer

·      Coaching the Bigger Game Program

·      Phil’s email for DISC Training

·      FIFA Website