Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward

It's state tournament time in Iowa and the substate finals have brought all of the drama. Listen in to hear more about Substate Final #8 while also getting updates on all of the other final matches.

Today we sat down to discuss the recently released substate groups for the boys' side and the girls' side, whose pairings also came out for the coming weeks as we prepare for what is sure to be an exciting state tournament at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

On a chilly, but still spring evening, we enjoyed the inaugural Waukee derby in Iowa soccer history as the Waukee Warriors battled the Waukee Northwest Wolves at the latter's state-of-the-art stadium.

On a beautiful evening at Duke Williams Stadium, we took in an entertaining girls game between the East High Scarlets and Waukee Warriors.

On a chilly, drizzly spring evening, the KIF Game of the Week crew was back at it with a visit to Grubb Stadium to see who had the bigger roar as the Des Moines Christian Lions took on the Polar Bears of Des Moines North. Listen in for our take on the game!

ga Check out Gianna Bennett's efforts to raise money for Count the Kicks: https://charity.pledgeit.org/f/5VS9GvlEDo. We want to raise $1000 and will match your efforts up to $500!

We've been on a bit of a roll scoring exclusive interviews, and today continues the trend as we welcome new Drake University Men's Head Coach, Pat Flinn to the studio. Pat arrives in Des Moines via Chicago where he honed his craft in the MVC as an assistant with Loyola Chicago and most recently as the head coach at the University of Chicago. The Roswell, Georgia native plied his trade at our favorite position, left back, eventually going on to play for and captain Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

If you're as excited as we are to check out Pat Flinn's Bulldogs this spring, here is their schedule in the month of April:

• 4/3 vs. William Penn University at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines
• 4/7 vs. Creighton University at Northwest High School Stadium in Waukee
• 4/16 at University of Nebraska-Omaha at Caniglia Field in Omaha
• 4/21 vs. Grand View University Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines

As we ease into the spring and the high school soccer season creeps closer, we thought we would take some time to highlight some of the best Iowa soccer products out there as they prepare for the transition to the college game. Today we are bringing you interviews with four standout high school players that have recently made college commitments. They'll discuss their personal soccer journey, but most importantly, we'll learn about their different experiences with the recruiting process and learn a little about how they made their decisions.

This is a longer episode, and while we would love you to listen to the entire thing, here is the interview order:

1. (4:20) Freddy Muniz (D.M. East/United Futbol Academy to Grand View University)

2. (23:20) Sophie Hoffman (Dike-New Hartford/Vision Soccer Academy to South Dakota State University)

3. (53:09) Grace Smith (D.M. Roosevelt/Sporting Iowa to Drake University)

4. (01:18:25) Andrew Holmes (formerly D.M. Roosevelt/Sporting Iowa, currently St. Cloud Tech/Minnesota Eclipse to Evansville University)

Spring isn't quite here, but high school soccer is just around the corner and we are fired up for it! You know who else is fired up for it? The coaches. When we put it out there to see who wanted to join us for a conversation about the upcoming season, there was such an excellent response that we had to hold two separate rounds of interviews. With input from 1A, 2A and 3A boys and girls coaches, this provides an insightful glimpse into high school soccer - of course we'll get some team and player previews, but we'll also discuss topics like the new rankings system, the new open enrollment/transfer rules and the state tournament.

Round 1:

• Marcus Varnum - Ankeny
• Brian Duax - Ankeny Centennial
• Zach Jensen - Newton
• Jacob Lucy - Southeast Polk
• Ryan Sander - Waukee
• Carlos Acebey - Waukee Northwest

Round 2:

• Matt Cox + Brandon Cook - Bondurant
• Eric Birkenholtz - Carlisle
• Colin Lane - Dallas Center-Grimes
• Matt Ream - Des Moines Roosevelt
• Jackson Teeling - Dowling Catholic
• Jimmy Frizzell - Johnston
• Mike Buchheit - Pella Christian
• James Brook - Waukee

We love soccer - hopefully that much is clear - and as a result, we love other people that also love soccer. Charlie Bales authentically exemplifies this all day, every day. From his humble beginnings being coached by his mother in the YMCA leagues of hardscrabble Cedar Rapids in the early 90s to leading the Des Moines Menace to their second championship of all-time, Charlie's main intent in life seems to be having fun, bringing people together and spreading his love of the game of soccer. A man of many nicknames (Chuck, ChookBells, Hay, Charles, Lil' Chucklehead, Gamba, etc.) and the ultimate locker room guy, we enjoyed a chat with Charlie - a Saint at Xavier High School, a Leatherneck in Macomb and an absolute Menace in Des Moines!