Five weeks left in the college soccer season. In episode 28 Grant and Erik pull back the curtain on what is actually happening inside programs right now and what it means for families navigating the recruiting process this fall.

They get into how the schedule works and why it matters for recruiting, what coaches are evaluating about their rosters as the season winds down, how the decision to bring someone back for a fifth year gets made and when those conversations actually happen, and why the Five-for-Five eligibility rule has created genuine chaos for coaches who are trying to build their classes without knowing the rules that will govern them.

They also share a real client story about resetting not restarting when a commitment falls through and what that actually looks like in practice.

And they close with the most actionable advice of the season for families who still have time to move the needle before November.

New episodes every Friday.

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In Episode 27 Grant and Erik sit down with Lauren Ruhl, Licensed Professional Counselor and Sport Psychology Clinician at Greenepsych in Haverford Pennsylvania. Lauren is the Director of the Injury Recovery Program and has worked with athletes from middle school through professional levels on the mental and emotional side of sport, injury, and performance.

She has also lived it. Three ACL tears of her own. A college career at Lebanon Valley College interrupted by injury. A career path that changed entirely because of what she experienced and what she saw was missing for athletes going through the same thing.

This episode covers everything the physical side of recruiting does not. What prolonged uncertainty and pressure actually do to a young athlete's mental state. What mind chatter is and how it shows up in the worst possible moments. The difference between real confidence and performed confidence. What happens to an athlete's identity when a serious injury hits during the recruiting process. How fear of reinjury actually shows up when an athlete returns to play. And what parents do that helps versus what they do that makes it worse even when it comes from a place of love.

One of the most important episodes we have recorded.

New episodes every Friday.

Three weeks into the college soccer season and Erik is in the thick of it. In Episode 26 he and Grant pull back the curtain on what the first few weeks of the season actually look like inside a program — how a freshman recruiting class gets evaluated in real time, what culture looks like when the pressure is on, and why the first three weeks tell a coach more about a player than twelve months of recruiting ever could.

They also get into campus visits. Fall is the best window to get on a college campus and watch a program play live — and most families are not doing it. Erik breaks down exactly what a recruit should be observing, what parents should understand about their role on a visit, and why there is no substitute for actually being in the building when the game is happening at full speed.

And they announce something new — the Roadmap to College Soccer Community is live. For families who want the insider knowledge without the one-on-one advisory, it is all in there. Tools, resources, live office hours, and a direct path through the process without the noise.

New Episodes every Friday! Hit that Subscribe button.

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In Episode 25, Grant and Erik sit down with Zach Bittner — a current college goalkeeper, former Sporting Delaware standout, and someone Erik coached and advocated for through the entire recruiting process firsthand.

Zach has trialed with DC United at 14, Cincinnati at 17, Atlanta United, and most recently LAFC this past summer. He started at Hofstra, transferred to Queens College, and is still actively pursuing professional soccer while finishing his degree. His path is anything but linear — and that is exactly why this episode is worth your time.

He talks about splitting minutes with a good friend on one of the best club teams in the country and how they both got recruited anyway, what it actually looks like to transfer from D1 to D2 and why it was the right move, how a day in the life of a college athlete actually goes, what the goalkeeper position demands that no other position does, and what he would tell his 16 year old self knowing everything he knows now.

He also talks about what having someone advocate for him with college coaches actually changed in his process. That part alone is worth the listen.

New episodes every Friday.

Chapters

• 00:00 Journey from Club to College
• 03:29 Trials at MLS Academies
• 12:31 Transition from D1 to D2 College Soccer
• 19:49 College Recruiting Process
• 23:27 Role of a College Pathway Director
• 26:21 Daily Life of a College Athlete

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Erik just finished his first ten days of preseason. In episode 24 he and Grant pull back the curtain on what that actually looks like inside a college program — the scrimmages, the roster decisions, the eighteen hour days, and why coaches go silent the moment August hits.

Then they get into the conversation most families are not having until it is too late — the commitment. What a verbal commitment actually means and what it does not. What should happen before a family says yes to any program. The cost of committing too early. The cost of waiting too long. What happens inside a coaching staff the moment a recruit commits. And what nobody tells you about the period right after you commit.

They also share real stories from current clients who are going through this process right now.

Chapters

• 00:00 Preseason Grind
• 02:58 Scheduling and Conference Changes
• 10:09 Preseason Challenges and Mindset
• 22:58 Recruiting and Commitments
• 24:34 College Soccer Recruiting Timelines
• 25:32 Understanding Early Decision and Early Action
• 28:20 Transparency and Communication in Recruiting
• 29:10 Evaluating Offers and Commitment Process
• 39:15 Navigating the Final Decision
• 46:41 The Game Beyond Competition

Book a free strategy call: https://templeathlete.com/call-booking-page?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=preseason-commitment&utm_content=ep24-description

In episode 23, Grant and Erik sit down with two of the most recognizable names in the Dallas soccer world — Dillon Vedral, founder of Vedral Soccer Academy and head coach of West Ham United at The Soccer Tournament, and David Balyeat, better known as Soccer Dave, with 257,000 Instagram followers and a playing career that took him from Mississippi College to Bolivia to Spain.

They talk about what they actually see from the kids they train every day, why playing at the highest club level does not automatically mean the recruiting will come, what social media does and does not do for a recruit, how to make yourself more recruitable off the field, and why the mindset you carry into this process matters more than most families realize.

They also get into the question nobody wants to answer honestly — what percentage of kids actually make it and what does that mean for the 99 percent who do not.

One of the most honest conversations we have had on this show.

Chapters

• 00:00 Unique Pathways to College Soccer
• 08:47 The Importance of Finding the Best Fit
• 24:31 The Impact of Social Media on Recruiting
• 31:54 Navigating the College Recruiting Process
• 34:09 The Reality of Pursuing Professional Soccer
• 37:19 The Importance of Personal Development and Mindset
• 39:16 The Role of Parents and Coaches in Player Development
• 48:05 The Grind of College Soccer
• 59:40 Insights and Advice for Aspiring College Soccer Players

Twenty two episodes in and we have never made this the main topic. Until now.

In Episode 22, Grant and Erik get into the one factor in college soccer recruiting that nobody talks about directly — the parent. What the best soccer parents actually do. What the ones who are hurting their kid's process look like without realizing it. What college coaches are clocking on the sideline during the recruiting process. What happens inside a program when a parent crosses the line. And why the sunk cost of ten years and a hundred thousand dollars in club fees can lead families to force decisions that cost their kid everything.

This one is not a knock on parents. It is a guide for them. Every college coach who has been on this show has touched on this topic. Today it gets its own episode.

No guests. No filter. New episodes every Friday!

Chapters

• 00:00 Exciting Upcoming Guests
• 01:14 The Role of Parents in College Soccer
• 03:18 The Impact of Parents on College Recruiting
• 04:06 Qualities of Supportive Soccer Parents
• 05:58 Negative Impact of Overbearing Parents
• 08:29 Guiding from the Back
• 09:27 Strategic Parental Involvement
• 13:53 Observing Parental Behavior
• 17:29 Consequences of Parental Behavior
• 21:39 Parental Dominance in Recruiting
• 25:00 Balancing Parental Involvement
• 27:54 Parental Perspective
• 31:22 Coaching and Parenting Parallels
• 35:09 Communication and Boundaries
• 36:16 Sunk Cost Fallacy
• 41:22 Financial Pressure and Decision Making
• 43:47 Financial Impact on Recruiting
• 45:30 Reframing Financial Perspectives
• 46:30 Impact of Financial Pressure

Book a free strategy call with TAAG: https://templeathlete.com/strategy?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=parent-episode&utm_content=ep22-description

In Episode 21, Grant and Erik sit down with Marsha Lycan, Associate Head Coach of Women's Soccer at William and Mary — and the first female coach to appear on the podcast.

Marsha played at William and Mary in the 1980s, spent decades coaching at the youth and college level, and returned to her alma mater eight years ago to build something alongside her former teammate and head coach Julie Shackford. The result is a program that just sent eight players home who came in together as freshmen and left together as seniors — something almost nobody is doing in college soccer right now.

She talks about what the women's recruiting timeline actually looks like, why confidence and parent dynamics matter as much as talent, the story of a recruit who sent an email with the subject line "Is the ink dry yet?" that changed everything, why chasing the D1 label is one of the most expensive mistakes a family can make, and what she would tell every junior year female athlete right now who feels stuck.

Every coach we have had on this show says the same thing. This episode is no different.

Chapters

• 00:00 Journey from Player to Coach at William and Mary
• 03:04 The Evolution of Recruiting for High-Academic, High-Athletic Programs
• 06:00 The Role of Mentality and Character in Player Selection
• 08:59 The Significance of Personal Connections in Recruiting
• 14:59 Beyond D1: Relationships, Life Lessons, and Character Development
• 27:00 The Impact of Parental Influence
• 28:21 Challenges in College Soccer Recruiting
• 31:15 The Role of Leadership and Team Dynamics
• 34:14 The Importance of Finding the Right Fit
• 38:56 The Misconceptions of College Soccer Recruiting
• 37:21 The Importance of Confidence and Support System
• 49:00 Recruiting Advice and Insights

College soccer is officially back. Preseason is underway and the season is right around the corner. In episode 20, Grant and Erik break down exactly what is happening inside college programs right now and what that means for families in the middle of the recruiting process.

They cover why silence from a coach during the season is not a red flag, what a college coach’s actual week looks like hour by hour, how to communicate with coaches during the season without being annoying or invisible, why fall is one of the most underrated windows to visit campuses and watch games, and what the one percent looks like when you feel stuck and overwhelmed in the process.

20 straight weeks. No signs of stopping. New Episodes every Friday!

Chapters

• 00:00 Episode 20 Kickoff
• 01:39 Preseason Preparation
• 03:11 The Chaos of Preseason
• 04:42 Communication During the Season
• 15:45 Understanding Coach's Daily Routine
• 20:31 Assistant Coach Communication
• 24:29 Building Relationships in the Industry
• 25:04 The Importance of Assistant Coaches
• 26:12 Leveraging Relationships for Job Placement
• 28:15 The Value of Networking and Proximity
• 29:09 The Significance of Titles and Relationships
• 30:19 The Importance of Campus Visits and Game Attendance
• 31:04 The Impact of In-Person Experience
• 34:17 Taking Control of the Recruiting Process
• 39:49 The Long-Term Nature of Recruiting

Book a free strategy call with TAAG:https://templeathlete.com/call-booking-page?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=season-starts-communication&utm_content=ep20-description

The market for college soccer recruiting help has exploded. There are platforms, agencies, advisors, AI tools, and overseas professional placement companies all competing for the same families. In episode 19, Grant and Erik break down every category honestly — what each one actually does, who it is built for, what it cannot do, and where the lines get blurry.

They also get into something nobody is talking about publicly — the growing trend of committed players walking away from college programs at the last minute to chase professional opportunities overseas, what is actually behind that trend, and what it reveals about where youth soccer culture is heading.

This one gets real. No guests. No filter.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Evolution of College Soccer Recruiting
• 01:25 The Emergence of College Soccer Recruiting Services
• 02:11 Changes in Youth Soccer Space
• 04:01 The Need for College Soccer Recruiting Services
• 05:26 Challenges in the Recruiting Process
• 08:29 Professional Opportunities in Soccer
• 09:15 The Role of College Coaches
• 11:15 The Impact of Recruiting Services
• 12:28 Different Types of Recruiting Services
• 13:43 Accountability in the Recruiting Process
• 18:15 The Value of One-on-One Time
• 24:49 Transparency in Recruiting Services
• 32:39 The Impact of NIL on College Soccer
• 33:11 The Influence of Sponsorship and Deals
• 34:07 Motivation and Decision-Making
• 36:40 Navigating College Recruitment Services
• 37:40 The Importance of Personal Growth
• 39:07 The Impact of Decisions on Future Outcomes
• 43:12 The Role of College Coaches
• 41:05 The Importance of Personal Character
• 44:08 The Commitment and Loyalty Dilemma
• 49:40 The Influence of College Roster Construction
• 54:00 The Impact of Personal Decisions
• 57:23 The Roadmap to College Soccer