Adam Ballou first started kicking a soccer ball when he was just 3-years old. And after that, he never looked back: Adam was first called into the U.S. Men’s Cerebral Palsy (CP) National Team when he was 14. Since then the midfielder has amassed almost 100 caps and represented his country in two Paralympic Games. Adam was also a part of the CP team that won the 2025 Copa America for the first time.  

In this episode of the U.S. Soccer Podcast presented by Henkel, Adam down with host Meghan Klingenberg to discuss his joining the CP National Team, his proudest achievements representing team USA, and what soccer means to him.  

2:25–  Meghan Klingenberg interviews Adam Ballou 

6:03 – Adam discusses playing soccer in Spain 

10:16 – Adam explains how he qualifies for the CP team 

16:55 – Joining the team at just 15 

25:19 – Adam’s proudest moment 
31:18 – Adam discusses what soccer means to him 

32:39 – Kling breaks out her story meeting Taylor Swift in 2015 

36:33 – Ask the Pros presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts 

The U.S. Soccer Podcast presented by Henkel is a production from U.S. Soccer hosted by David Gass, former USWNT star Meghan Klingenberg and USMNT great Alejandro Bedoya. The podcast brings you in-depth interviews with U.S. Soccer stars of the past, present and future. Episodes drop weekly on Wednesdays. 

Hosts: Meghan Klingenberg, David Gass 

Guest: Adam Ballou 

Producer: Matthew Nelson 

Tickets are available now for the SheBelieves Summit presented by Deloitte in Seattle, Wash. on April 15! Key speakers include Haley Rosen, Emma Hayes, Domo Wells, and more. Get your tickets to the Summit and the USWNT vs. Japan match presented by Allstate at https://events.ussoccer.com/shebelievessummit. 

To learn more, visit http://www.ussoccer.com/podcast 

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