📢 Welcome back to the Stone by Stone Podcast! In this episode, host Gareth Mullins, Director of Communications at Edgewater Castle, sits down with Jhamie Chin, Senior Director of Sporting Communications for Chicago Fire FC, to talk about his journey in sports media, the growth of soccer in America, and what it takes to succeed in the industry. ⚽🔥

🔹 Topics Covered:

✔ Jhamie’s background and how soccer shaped his life

✔ The rapid growth of soccer in the U.S. and MLS’s role

✔ His transition from aspiring pharmacist to sports communications

✔ Inside the PR world at Chicago Fire FC

✔ Flying to Switzerland within 24 hours for Xherdan Shaqiri’s signing announcement

✔ The impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on American soccer

✔ Advice for breaking into the industry

✔ Fun rapid-fire questions, including dream players to watch live!

In this episode of Stone by Stone, host Andrew Swanson sits down with Ally Schlegel, forward for the Chicago Stars, to talk about her incredible journey from a soccer-loving kid in Colorado to a professional athlete. Ally shares insights on her competitive childhood, college soccer career at Penn State, and the challenges of transitioning to the pros.

She also opens up about her advocacy for gender equity in sports, her experience speaking before the Chicago City Council, and what drives her to keep improving on and off the field. Plus, we wrap up with some rapid-fire questions, including her toughest opponents, dream soccer destinations, and more!

🔥 Topics Covered:

✅ Growing up in Colorado’s strong soccer culture

✅ Her recruitment & success at Penn State

✅ The draft process & transition to professional soccer

✅ Advocating for women’s sports equity

✅ Goals for the upcoming season & leadership growth

#WelcomeToEdgewater #GoRooks #VamosRooks #AllySchlegel #ChicagoStars #SoccerPodcast #StoneByStone #NWSL #PennState #WomenInSports

🎙 Welcome to Stone by Stone – Episode 6!

In this episode, host Tom Arnison sits down with John Garcia, a local video professional and the creator of G in Tech Sports, an Instagram page dedicated to showcasing the best soccer plays in the Chicagoland area.

🚀 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🔹 How G & TACC Sports Started – John’s journey from player to content creator

🎥 Content Creation Insights – How John and his brother capture and edit soccer highlights

⚡ The Meaning Behind "G & TACC"

🥅 John’s Soccer Journey – From late starter to competitive goalkeeper

📈 Challenges & Growth – Gaining access to games and growing to 20K followers

👟 Future Plans – Expanding the brand and entering new verticals

🔥 Rapid-Fire Q&A – Goal celebrations, favorite plays to capture, and more!

📲 Follow G&Tacc Sports: @gntacc.sports

📌 Follow Edgewater Castle:

Instagram: @EdgewaterCastle

Twitter: @EdgewaterCastle

Website: www.edgewatercastlefc.com

#EdgewaterCastleFC #FootballStories #StoneByStonePodcast

Welcome to Stone by Stone, the official podcast of Edgewater Castle! 🎙

In Episode 5, host Lauren Hall sits down with Chicago Fire star Kellyn Acosta to dive into his journey from Plano, Texas, to becoming a professional soccer player in the MLS. Kellyn opens up about his experiences as a multiracial athlete, the challenges he faced in his youth, and how he found his identity both on and off the field.

Discover Kellyn's passion for fashion, his mission to empower underprivileged youth through the Kellyn Acosta Foundation, and his exciting plans with Edgewater Castle. Plus, hear his advice for young people looking to make a difference in their communities.

🔗 Highlights of this episode:

Kellyn’s introduction to Edgewater Castle

Growing up in Plano, Texas, and discovering soccer

Overcoming challenges as a youth player

Kellyn’s unique identity and societal perceptions

Launching the Kellyn Acosta Foundation

Advice for young changemakers

Give episode 5 of Stone by Stone podcast a listen - available now!

#StoneByStone #WelcomeToEdgewater🌊🏰 #SoccerPodcast

🏟🎨 Join us on this episode of Stone by Stone as Lauren Hall chats with Alyssa Low, a talented soccer player, muralist, and designer. Alyssa shares her journey from growing up in Long Grove, Illinois, to balancing her love for soccer and art, and how she turned her pandemic passion into a thriving career.

💬 Topics include:

Alyssa’s early influences in art and sports

The challenges and joys of competitive soccer

How soccer shaped her artistic career

Her bold, geometric mural design style

Reflections on gender equity in sports and art

Stick around for rapid-fire questions to learn Alyssa’s favorite pre-game rituals, art supplies, and the soccer memories she cherishes most!

🎙 Welcome to Stone by Stone – Episode 3!

In this episode, host Andrew Swanson chats with DJ Step, the official DJ for the Chicago Fire, about his journey in soccer, music, and community building. From Hartford, Connecticut, to Chicago’s vibrant music scene, Step shares how soccer has influenced his life and career.

🟢 Highlights from this episode:

DJ Step’s soccer roots and high school team ranked fourth nationally.

Moving to Chicago and rebuilding DePaul’s club soccer program.

How a soccer-inspired DJ mix landed him a gig with the Chicago Fire.

Lessons from soccer applied to DJing and building connections in music.

Favorite soccer songs and rapid-fire questions about iconic players.

💬 Join us for an engaging conversation about resilience, passion, and how soccer and music unite communities.

🎙 Podcast Sponsors:

A huge thank you to our sponsors for supporting this podcast and making these stories possible!

📅 Don’t miss future episodes – subscribe and turn on notifications for more incredible soccer stories.

📌 Follow Edgewater Castle:

Instagram: @EdgewaterCastle

Twitter: @EdgewaterCastle

Website: www.edgewatercastlefc.com

#EdgewaterCastleFC #FootballStories #StoneByStonePodcast

🎙️ Welcome to Stone by Stone – Episode 2!

🌟 Welcome to Stone by Stone – Episode 1! 🌟

Connor Moore joined the ECFC Broadcasting team this MWPL season and hosted one of our home games. 

We sat down with him at the Chicago Red Stars office and talked about how he got into broadcasting, his idols, women's soccer and more things.

Get your CRS Tickets here: https://www.chicagoredstars.com

Listen to My Kind Of Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-kind-of-podcast/id1549915289

Thanks to CRS for allowing us to record this episode in their office.

In this episode you'll get to know Gabriel Masalu. The ECFC defender has been with the club since the beginning.

Enjoy!

Listen to Gabe's Spotify Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xS2WQCcbhEHmVrt8kp5jq?si=7aaa0ebbd5824dd8