Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward

Kick It Forward's mini-pitch initiative has now gone national! We welcome D.C. United's Julian Gressel to the pod. Gressel, a top playmaker in the MLS loves to hand out assists and is known throughout the league for his versatility. Gressel came to the United States as a college player, striving to put together an experience that would help him grow as a person and student, as well as an athlete. He landed at Providence College, where the program experienced a strong period of success during his tenure. Gressel also volunteered at Project GOAL, during his time time in Providence in from 2013 to 2017. Participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. We plan to connect with each of these players over the coming weeks and while all of their stories will be enjoyable, we hope you enjoy hearing about Julian Gressel this week!

Kick It Forward's mini-pitch initiative has now gone national! Frequent contributor to the pod, the evergreen Jeff Larentowicz, joins us on the pod to discuss a mini-pitch project in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Jeff, a Brown University grad and former New England Revolution standout, plus his former teammate and Kick It Forward's own Ben Brackett, volunteered for an awesome non-profit, Project GOAL, during their time in Providence in the 2000s. Participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include D.C. United and Providence College's Julian Gressel, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. We plan to connect with each of these players over the coming weeks and while all of their stories will be enjoyable, Rivera's really brings a project like this full circle, as he was a participant in Project GOAL, and we are SUPER pumped about it.

So now and our team of Mini-Pitch Maestros has partnered with Project GOAL and the City of Central Falls, Rhode Island to donate a two mini-pitch installation. And the procuring cause would be our friend, Jeff Larentowicz. So back to Jeff, we talk about his playing days growing up, how a mini-pitch might have affected his youth, plus we get the scoop on his top 5-a-side squad from his days with the Brown Bears and the New England Revolution. Enjoy!

The Iowa State women's soccer team recorded their first win of the season after dropping two games to ranked opponents. The victory, over a strong Baylor University program, is not only the first win of the season and first under the guidance of Matt Fannon, but it was also Iowa State's first Big 12 win since October 25, 2018 vs. Kansas State, and it was the program's first win over Baylor since 2016. It was a beautiful setting for the evening, with great weather and an excellent venue in the Cyclone Sports Complex. After an exciting back and forth match, Iowa State finally won it in the second overtime with a goal from Olivia Edwards. Ultimately, the result sees the Cyclones improve to 1-2-0 on the season, while the Bears drop to 0-1-2. Before we slid into the studio to review with the Titan Tactician, we also had an opportunity to chat with both Fannon and Baylor coach, Paul Jobson on the sidelines (check out our interviews on KIF twitter feed). Those snippets combined with the Titan Tactician's astute analysis provide some great insight into the game.

We love firsts on Soccer Talk and this episode ticks that box. Today, we welcome Seth Modersohn as the first guest to be related to a previous guest after his younger brother, Mark, joined us last week. An ever present theme through both episodes is competition - whether it was at home or on the field - and it clearly shaped both of them as they grew from standout athletes to fathers with families of their own. Seth's talent is tough to miss, but as you get to know him, you realize that his passion is competition, ambition and achievement, regardless of the arena. Roosevelt, Iowa United, Drake University and the Menace were all places Seth found a way to win, even coaching a ragtag Iowa United team to a State Cup Championship in 1998. Now a west coaster, Seth has channeled his passion into the fashion industry, collaborating over the years with celebrities and athletes alike, but still finding a way to let soccer shape his outlook on life.

The Grand View University Women's Soccer team opened up their season last week, hosting the Graceland University Yellowjackets in a big Heart of America Athletic Conference battle. While GVU was opening their season, so too was the Game of the Week Squad (GOTWS), as this was the first time we had been able to take in a live match during the pandemic era. So, before we got into the studio to record, the GOTWS got to enjoy a beautiful evening at James Cownie Soccer Complex, where we saw two contrasting styles play out in a 1-1 draw. The result sees Graceland improve to 0-2-1; Grand View starts the season at 0-0-1. We were then joined in the studio by Kick It Forward's very own Titan Tactician, who naturally brought his astute analysis to dissect the match!

One of the best parts of our Iowa Soccer Legends's Series is bridging the gap between the past and present. In a sense, it's almost like a history lesson. Today's guest, Mark Modersohn, is one that many people may not remember, but his collegiate playing career may be unrivaled by any Iowa soccer player ever. Among the Southwest Missouri State graduate's accomplishments: school career records in games (81), saves (290), shutouts (26), goals against average (0.88), goalkeeper wins (51) and minutes in goal (7,730). He was a four-year all-Missouri Valley Conference selection, the 1997 MVC Newcomer of the Year, 1999 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time all-region selection from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and one of 30 players picked to the MVC all-centennial team in 2007. Interestingly, he hung up his gloves/boots after graduating and quickly transitioned into life in the business world. We discuss what stokes his fire and what it was like growing up in a competitive household. Of course, now it comes full circle for Modersohn the father, who now has his own competitive household with children in sports. Lots of fun stories - Roosevelt Roughriders, Des Moines Menace and Southwest Missouri State!

We've had some pretty accomplished guests in our podcast tenure, but only a few professional players, so needless to say, this is an exciting episode. Katie Naughton of the Houston Dash joins us to discuss a wide breadth of topics, including her recent time spent in Des Moines. More importantly though, we'll hear about the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, living in the bubble and of course, the big celebration after their historic tournament win. Katie has midwest roots, having grown up near Chicago and playing her college ball at Notre Dame. After being drafted by her hometown Chicago Red Stars, she's kept an arduous schedule, trying her best to play year-round in multiple leagues in an effort to continue her development. She has a cool story and one that we doubt ends any time soon for the young centerback with USWNT hopes.

It doesn't seem that the pandemic plans to subside anytime soon, and neither will our Quarantine Interview Series, but our interview with Casey Mann of the Nebraska State Soccer Association rounds out our "executive director series" within the series. Not only do we run Casey through the gamut of youth soccer questions, but we also have a chance to talk about his journey through the ranks as a player and coach before he put on his "suit and tie" as an administrator. Similar to our other interviewees, Casey's pathway brought him through the Des Moines community, although in his version, as a stud goalkeeper for Grand View University and the early Des Moines Menace squads. He eventually transitioned into a coaching role where he spent time on the staff for both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University women's programs. Mann returned to Des Moines in 2005 as the head coach of the Menace, leading them to their one and only PDL National Championship. Youth soccer then came calling throughout the community before he eventually left us to take on his current role leading the Nebraska Soccer Association.

In addition to his influence on Blake Siberz, Joe Burger's coaching journey has taken him all over the midwest and, in circuitous fashion, he now finds himself back where it all started in Kansas. As the newly appointed Executive Director of the Kansas Soccer Association, Joe has found himself at an interesting juncture of youth soccer and a global pandemic. Not only do we discuss his role as a statewide leader and administrator, but we have a chance to reflect on his path and how it brought him to this point. From playing at Baker University to coaching stints at Minnesota United FC, Bradley University and the South Dakota School of Mines, and of course, his time at Drake University among the Des Moines soccer community.

With all the of the challenges of the pandemic, soccer in Iowa has basically ground to a halt. Tasked with guiding us through it? Dan Cataldi, the Executive Director of the Iowa Soccer Association. We'll discuss how Iowa Soccer Association has handled this difficult situation, but as we tend to do, we'll also touch on several other topics. Naturally, we learn about his soccer journey - one that led him down the path as a player, then as a referee and ultimately, into the administration and business side of the game. We touch on everything from Iowa's soccer calendar to large-scale indoor facilities, from referee development to expanding access to the game, plus we'll find out who the loudest player he's ever refereed (hint: it's not Matt Nickell).