SoccerInsight Podcast

Today’s guest is Paul Holocher, Academy Director for Houston Dynamo

Thank you for joining us today for SoccerInsight Podcast Episode 9.  For those who missed Episodes 1-8, we invite you to circle back for a listen.

Paul up in Seattle, WA.  He won a National Championship at the Santa Clara University and professionally in MLS and Austrian Bundesliga.  He coached collegiately for 15 years as a Head Coach at UC Santa Cruz and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  After three years on Academy staff at San Jose Earthquakes, he became the Academy Director for Houston Dynamo.

I met Paul over 20 years ago playing for FC Lokomotiv World Wide in Santa Cruz 6-aside tournaments and have enjoyed watching him develop as a coach. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

A conversation with Ryan Miller, the Academy Director for Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer's new academy league.  Ryan started playing soccer in Barrington, Illinois before he moved to Chicago Sockers and then Notre Dame University.  He was drafted by Columbus Crew, played at DC United, and then played a spell in Sweden.  He finished his career in Portland.  After spending some time as an Academy coach he is now the Academy Director.  I really enjoyed this conversation with Ryan and look forward to meeting him someday.  I think you'll enjoy the conversation and thank you for taking the time to listen.

Welcome to the SoccerInsight Podcast. This episode we speak with San Jose Earthquakes Academy Coach, Dan DeGeer. Thank you for joining us today as we have a conversation with Dan about his life journey through the game. From growing up outside Portland, Oregon to playing in college soccer at the University of San Francisco, and then moving back home to coach part-time while working a fulltime job as a financial advisor. Dan pushed himself back to Northern California to work in soccer fulltime.  He's been coaching the U13 and U14 boys at San Jose Earthquakes Academy and has recently been promoted to coach the U15 boys. Thank you for taking the time to listen.

I really enjoyed that conversation with Coach DeGeer.  Dan is hardworking, seeks knowledge, and likes to surround himself with people that will push him to become a better coach. There’s no doubting his passion for the game and the players he works with.  

Let us know if you have any feedback for us, any topics you'd like us to explore, or any guests you'd like us to have on the podcast. Season one we plan to find coaches and leaders at MLS teams and academies and find out their journey to their current role.

Welcome to the SoccerInsight Podcast. This episode we speak with RSL Academy Coach Cody Worden. Thank you for joining us today as we have a conversation with Cody about his life journey through the game. From growing up in Fort Worth, TX, to playing in college, moving to Northern California, then San Diego, and recently landing in Salt Lake City where he is the Head Coach for RSL u17 Academy team and an Assistant Coach for the USL Monarchs, RSL’s second team.  Thank you for taking the time to listen.

I really enjoyed that conversation with Coach Worden.  Cody is raw and refreshing.  He’s a bit of SURF COWBOY if that’s a thing.  There’s no doubting his passion for the game and the players he works with.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Let us know if you have any feedback for us, any topics you'd like us to explore, or any guests you'd like us to have on the podcast. Season one we plan to find coaches and leaders at MLS teams and academies and find out their journey to their current role.

I speak with Josh Duffy about his first exposure to the game, his pathway as a player, and his introduction to soccer as a coach.  He moved from coaching to scouting to player development director.  Josh formerly worked as a staff coach for Odyssey in Fresno, was on staff at St Mary's College and Fresno State.  He spent a decade as a US Soccer network scout for US Women's youth teams.  He's back in his home town of Kansas City working as the Talent Identification Director for Sporting KC Academy.  Join us for this conversation.

In Episode 4, we look at Mikey's journey from Northern California's Bay Area growing up in Burlingame, traveling to Chile, attending the University of San Francisco, and starting his coaching career with Burlingame Soccer Club.  We talk about some of his mentors, his decision to leave Burlingame and join De Anza Force, and then the Sacramento Republic.  And, how fate during a US Soccer Coaching course lead him to Dallas.  This is a fascinating story of the meteoric rise through the coaching ranks of a young coach with loads of potential.  Find out what he's studying, who he's reading, and what he does in his free time.  

I speak with Henry Brauner about his first exposure to the game, his pathway as a player, and his introduction to soccer as a coach.  He moved from coaching to scouting to player development director.  Henry formerly worked as a staff coach for RSL Academy in Arizona, was the Director of Scouting for Seattle Sounders FC and worked with US Soccer as a Talent Identification Manager for US Soccer Youth National Teams in the West Region.  He's back in Seattle working as the Director of Player Development.  Join us for this conversation.

In this episode, I dive into the soccer career of Ian Mork.  Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, Ian played for the Wichita Wings.  As our guest in Episode 1, Ian worked several summer camps with the Ziemer Brothers in Northern California.  He currently resides in Sebastopol in Northern California

Coach Mork played and coached in Belize and worked for US Soccer as a Technical Advisor.  He is the Director of Scouting for NorCal Premier Soccer.

Thank you for joining us for this conversation.  We hope to take some inspiration from it.  Join us again next week for Episode 3 where I interview Henry Brauner, Director of Player Development for Seattle Sounders FC.

In this episode, I dive into the soccer career of Sacha van der Most Van Spijk.  Growing up in Holland, Sacha played for local amateur club Quick in Den Haag.  After working several summer camps with the Ziemer Brothers in Northern California, he moved to the United States in 2000.  He has settled in Downey, a local suburb of Los Angeles.

Sacha coached with Chivas USA, worked with US Soccer and US Club Soccer, and was the Academy Director with Los Angeles Galaxy.

He started HFA, Home Field Advantage, which is an after school program teaching leadership skills.  He also started HUP, Humans Unlocking Potential, which works with local and international businesses setting up programming in new communities.

Thank you for joining us for this conversation.  We hope to take some inspiration from it.  Join us later this week for Episode 2 where I interview Ian Mork, Scouting Director for NorCal Premier.