Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward

As you should know, we love firsts here at Kick It Forward and this one pleases us quite a bit. We are proud to provide the exclusive, first podcast interview of our new friend, Dean Johnson, head coach of the Des Moines Menace. Dean comes to us as a Watford, England native and journeyman player and coach. There is no question that he brings a winning mentality and a work ethic to the former Kings of the Heartland (apparently there's a new conference name, the Deep North Division of the Central Conference (facepalm)) and the 2021 USL 2 Champions. Currently the head coach at NCAA Division II powerhouse, Davis & Elkins, Dean has some big shoes to fill, but our impression is that he might put more pressure on himself to win than the Des Moines Society and Red Army combined. Please enjoy this conversation and also, have a little chuckle that we made Deano walk for about 12 minutes in the freezing cold to find a place to record and when we actually landed, it was at a frozen daiquiri bar. He was a great sport and we are excited to have him at the helm!

Times, they are a'changing in the Central Iowa soccer scene. As you know, the Grand View University job is open after the legendary Blair Reid has retired, but also, the head coaching position at Drake University will see a change as well after Gareth Smith stepped down from the post. Interim boss, Kyle Smith, was kind enough to spend some time talking about his soccer journey as a player and now as a coach, plus provide a little insight into the team's past couple of seasons and a peek into the future of the program. It's a great chat, so enjoy!

As we've come into the new year, changes abound in the Iowa soccer community. In particular, a true legend has retired from the head coaching position at NAIA powerhouse, Grand View University. If there were a godfather of Iowa soccer, Blair Reid would undoubtedly be a part of the conversation. We had an opportunity to sit down with Blair and reminisce about his career and have a great laugh. A character on and off the field, Coach Reid's impact on the game is indisputable, so please, enjoy this episode.

Not all results can fall in the weatherman's favor, and today was an example of that for the KIF Crew. After an uncanny amount of amazing weather days for the Game of the Week, plus our producer's silly proclamation last week, we were shocked by the cold temperatures, wind and drizzle that accompanied our most recent Game of the Week between the Drake University women as they hosted the University of Northern Iowa. Long story short, we were treated to a classic college soccer battle that had postseason implications for both squads. Listen in to hear what has become a preview for this weekend's Missouri Valley Conference first round matchup between the #4 seed Panthers hosting the #5 seed Bulldogs.

The weatherman has been picking the best fall soccer games for the KIF Crew to attend. This past week, we went out to Cownie Soccer Complex to see the Battle of the Vikings between Grand View University and NAIA's eighth-ranked Missouri Valley College. The beautiful weather was not to upstage the beautiful game, however. Instead, we were treated to a back-and-forth affair that had plenty of action for the neutral. A strong presence of Iowa natives bolstered the Grand View squad and they showed themselves well all evening. After a busy second half of chances, Missouri Valley struck back after Grand View took the lead to force a little free soccer! Enjoy the recap!

It's been awhile since we got out to cover a youth soccer game, so with all of the buzz around the Elite Club National League (ECNL), we decided to see what it was all about. This past weekend, Sporting Iowa hosted Midwest United FC and Liverpool FC, both from Michigan, along with their travel partners Gretna Elite Academy from Nebraska. It was an amazing fall morning at Hidden Valley Soccer Complex and for both teams, the word of the day was "compete"! With talented players for both squads, we enjoyed a spirited battle between the the U17 girls that saw both teams pick up a point after a 1-1 draw that both teams will feel like they could have won.

If you're reading this, you know that the Soccer Talk production team has been a little slow to post our most recent episode. But, like they always say, "better late than never." So time travel back with us to a beautiful fall evening in Indianola where a tale of two halves unfolded between the men's programs of the Simpson Storm and Central Dutch. An entertaining Simpson squad came out strong, really putting the pressure on Central going up 2-nil before halftime. The Dutch, who were struggling with injuries, came out fired up to start the second half and scored immediately to halve the deficit. For the neutral, this set things up for an intense and tense second half, which the KIF Crew enjoyed thoroughly, especially with all of the Iowa natives on the field.

This week we are back to The Player's Spotlight, where we feature current players, learn about their soccer journey and get some insight into the modern Iowa player. A probable future Iowa Soccer Legend, Kenzie Roling is currently in her freshman season at the University of Iowa after working her way through youth soccer with some intent. This, of course, makes sense after we learn about her academic prowess and overall inclination towards perfection. A prolific goal scorer, Kenzie recounts her pathway through youth soccer in Waverly to the ODP program and her decision to pursue playing with the Iowa Rush and then an ECNL team in Nebraska. Despite all of her pursuits to play at the highest level, she also cherished her time playing for her high school team, Waverly-Shell Rock, leading the team to a 2021 State Championship and picking up Gatorade Player of the Year honors along the way. Enjoy!