Life

Our guest for today, Colorado Rapids Goalkeeper Coach, Chris Sharpe and my name is Omar Zeenni, Welcome to the Life through Sport Podcast. 

As mentioned in the introduction, Chris discusses how players can consistently demonstrate their value week after week to make it harder for the coaching staff to make a decision about who should start. And throughout the episode, he drops gems on topics like: specific character traits that he looks for in players, reflects on his own meaningful failures, and discusses how his experience as a #2 for much of his career has given him a unique perspective as a coach. Chris is not just a highly knowledgeable and respected figure in the goalkeeping world, but also a top footballing mind with valuable insights on life. I am thrilled for you to have the opportunity to learn more about him and his personal journey.

0:00 Intro

Life

3:28 How are you really doing?

5:04 What has fatherhood taught you?

6:29 What did your father teach you?

8:24 Book title for this current stage in your life

Player Advice

11:34 Scouting: What are some of the tangible character pieces you look for?

15:34 What do you look for in an “emotional profile” of a player?

18:54 What are your thoughts on retention levels; with regards to learning ability?

21:34 How do we instill these character pieces into our players?

24:54 How can a player make it difficult on you throughout the week to influence your team selection?

29:34 How does a player “build their case” to be the starter? Soundbite

32:54 One final piece of advice for players?

Coach Advice

37:04 What are failures that you cherish?

42:34 Feeling the vulnerability to fail

44:19 Detail your immediate feelings when the Rapids signed Tim Howard?

48:04 What was a bad habit that you had to let go of?

51:09 Processing failure

54:34 What do you think is the meaning of all this?

57:34 Building strong relationships with players

Time Stamps

Our guest for today, 99 World Cup winning goalkeeper, Saskia Webber.

Before the NWSL, and before the likes of Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Carly Lloyd, you had the 99’ers.

Saskia and the 99’ers captured the imagination of the American public, and what soccer could be in the United States, after they famously defeated China in the World Cup final in front of 90,000 fans. Winning the World Cup would become the cultural moment and narrative shift that many on the team had fought for their entire careers. And as we dive into Saskia’s story throughout the episode, you will realize that the 99 team was not only composed of some of the greatest players in the history of the game, but they also included courageous women who were powerful advocates for women's rights and equality in sports.

In today’s episode, I’m going to share 2 stories from the 9 month period from my playing career that would shape me as a player, a person and how I coach today. I guess you could say that this time was a driving force behind why I started this podcast. Because as I reflect, it taught me everything I needed to know about adversity, discipline and the realities of life. Here were a few of my takeaways and things that I try to communicate to my goalkeepers today:

• If you lack the discipline to correct them, they can create a level of doubt that has you playing off fear versus instinct. 

• So don’t wait until you’re hit with adversity to address them, be proactive and stubborn about getting this done.

• Each process will ask a different level of patience but, as long as that foundation is there, you will have the clarity needed to guide you through it.  

Now, let’s get into the first story where, my lack of foundation and trust in my own process would turn into a continued spiral that would cost my starting job with the LA Galaxy academy. It was through this time that I felt a sense of isolation and lack of identity . . . but, as I came to understand, it was my first really test with adversity and one that would prepare me for the rest of my career. 

Once again, you’re listening to the life through sport podcast, Enjoy the show.  

Our guest for today, UCLA Goalkeeper Coach, Juan Cervantes.

As you heard in the intro, Juan is all about the investment when it comes to developing his goalkeepers. He believes that it’s not only our job as coaches to tell you what you’re missing, but to also then provide you with the necessary tools to help you find success. And it’s through his collective experiences as a player that have shaped this approach.

For evidence of this, look no further than the investment from his father. Working long hours and still showing up at every training, at every game, at every gym session. Making sure that Juan had the gloves, the shoes, and the equipment needed for him to succeed. To Big Joe, another father figure . . . taking the time to shape Juan into the goalkeeper they both knew he could be; both in the gym and on the field. 

It’s through investments like these that Juan understood the value of sacrifice when it came to mentorship.

And throughout the episode, you’ll hear all about how he transferred these experiences into his coaching methods.

Once again, you’re listening to the life through sport podcast,

My name is Omar Zeenni, enjoy the show.

For this weeks episode, we changed it up a bit. I had the pleasure of being a guest on the @footballxbeyond podcast, where we discussed everything from my start as a coach, to if Arsenal can hold on in the title race, to breaking down my top 5 saves of all time! I had such a great time sitting down with Leon and Jorgio, who both do an amazing job with their show. If you haven't already been following them, be sure to give them a follow on Instagram and YouTube so that you won't miss any of their future drops! For now, enjoy the episode with the football and beyond crew and we’ll be back with our regular interview setup next week! once again, this is the life through sport podcast, enjoy the show. 

Instagram:

Our guest for today, former Left Back for LAFC, Jordan Harvey. 

Jordan’s path has been filled with obstacles. For examples of this, look no further than when he didn’t make the final cut for his Olympic Development Program team at 13 OR when he went undrafted in the MLS Superdraft. For most, these setbacks would have forced many to reconsider or be more realistic with their career plans. Instead, he saw these bouts with adversity as them happening for him, and not to him.  

That small shift in perspective would push him to not only make his ODP team, but to forge forward where, he’d eventually captain the United states U-17 side at a World Cup and, turn that super draft snub into a 16 year professional career.  His story is one of perseverance and persistence and Im super excited for you guys to hear share it.

Our guest for today, LAFC 2 Head Coach, Enrique Duran, and my name is Omar Zeenni.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Enrique for 2 seasons now and that intro soundbite is one of the many topics we’ve discussed in the office. Setting objectives that aren’t only tied to results is key … this helps you see if your system of play is working. The key phrase there being, “system of play”. Throughout the episode, he shares where his philosophy came from, the mistakes he made along the way and provides a general framework for any coach looking to establish theirs.

And if you’re new to the podcast, Enrique has already been a guest on the show. I’m going to provide a quick recap from that episode so that you can better understand some of the topics we discuss. In episode 7, we start with his time at FC Barcelona’s La Masia, and how this provided him with a template from which he built his coaching Philosophy. And, just a few years later, he would find himself in South Africa looking to implement this style of play while serving as the Technical Director for the Mamelodi Sundowns for 4 years. Here, Enrique would come to understand 2 things:

This would be a valuable experience for Enrique when, in 2017, he would make the move to LAFC’s Academy and become the Director of Coaching, where he would help build the coaching curriculum from scratch. It’s these experiences that have helped fine tune his sharpen his methods. For any coach that’s struggling to find their identity and style of play, my hope is that this conversation provides a framework to kickstart that process.

Joe is someone that leaves no grey area and doesn’t sugar coat his messages. That’s because, from a young age, Joe understood that in this world, there were real life repercussions for your actions.  This was most evident when his mom moved him to Guatemala when he was only 15 years old because he was getting mixed up with the wrong crowd.   Joe goes on to share that this experience, although he didn’t understand it then, helped him realize the meaning and true value of tough love. And that’s exactly how one would sum up Joes coaching style, Tough Love. 

He’ll cut through the BS and tell you what you don’t want to hear, to get you to where you want to go. It was an absolute pleasure interviewing Joe. He’s been one of my mentors for quite some time now, and I know that once you hear his story, you’ll look to find someone just like him in your coaching or playing journeys. Once again, you’re listening to the life through sport podcast,  Enjoy the show!