Hey, it’s Neil Crawford, founder of Anytime Soccer Training and your host of The Inside Scoop. Normally, this show is all about exploring the soccer pathways available to kids around the world. But today’s a little different—it’s a check-in episode.

I’ve been quiet lately because I took on a new role: assistant high school coach and head JV coach. For someone who didn’t grow up playing the game, this feels like the full circle moment of my soccer journey—from learning through my own kids, to building Anytime Soccer Training, to now coaching a group of young men every day.

In this episode, I share my first impressions of high school soccer—the challenges, the surprises, and the lessons I’m learning on the fly. From setting standards and building trust, to dealing with skill gaps and limited prep time, I’ll take you behind the scenes of what this first season has been like.

This is just the beginning. I’ll be inviting other high school and JV coaches on the show to trade notes, share tips, and keep learning together.

So if you’re a coach, a parent, or just curious about what high school soccer really looks like from the sidelines—this one’s for you.

In this episode, I’m sharing a bit about what it means to be a parent trainer—and why I think so many of us fall into that category without even realizing it.

I talk about the balance between pushing too hard and not doing enough, why deliberate practice still matters, and the role tech can play in all this. Plus, I share one simple tip for getting high-quality training without spending a dime—something I wish more parents knew about.

Hey everyone — Neil Crawford here, founder of Anytime Soccer Training and host of The Inside Scoop.In this episode, I sit down with Gloria Stitt, co-founder of https://ussoccerparent.com/, and a soccer mom with an incredible story. Her son’s journey took him from futsal courts in New York City all the way to playing in Madrid, Spain.We dive into:⚽ How soccer is part of her Hispanic heritage🌍 The key differences between U.S. and international development💡 Real, heartfelt advice for parents navigating the youth soccer systemWhether you're just getting started or deep in the journey — this conversation is packed with insight, inspiration, and practical tips.🔗 Check out https://ussoccerparent.com/ for more resources🎧 Subscribe for more episodes of The Inside ScoopLet’s get into it!

Hey guys, it’s Neil Crawford, founder of Anytime Soccer Training, and welcome back to The Inside Scoop. Today I’m sitting down with the incredible Gloria Stitt — co-founder of a new website called ussoccerparent.com, a much-needed resource for families navigating the wild world of youth soccer.

In this episode, Gloria shares her personal story as a soccer mom whose son went from futsal in New York City all the way to playing in Madrid, Spain. We talk about how soccer is woven into her Hispanic heritage, what it was like supporting her son’s dream, and the big differences she noticed between U.S. and international soccer development.

Gloria also gives some heartfelt tips for parents just starting this journey. If you’re a soccer parent—or just trying to figure this whole system out—this one’s for you. Let’s get into it.

Hey guys, it’s Neil Crawford here—founder of Anytime Soccer Training and host of The Inside Scoop. I just wrapped up a great interview with Gloria Stitt, co-founder of the new site

www.USSoccerParent.com.

This is just a quick preview, but we talked about why they built the site and how it’s designed to help parents navigate the youth soccer journey with more clarity and confidence.

Full episode coming soon…stay tuned!

Hey, it’s Neil Crawford, founder of Anytime Soccer Training. In this quick episode, I’m tossing out a random idea that popped into my head during a Facebook group convo.

No research, no promises—just something I wanted to say out loud and see if it sparks any thoughts. Give it a listen, then let me know what you think.

Hey, it's Neil Crawford here with a quick freestyle episode of The Inside Scoop.

This one’s just me thinking out loud — no script, just opinion. A friend of mine posted a great graphic from the Croatian Football Federation encouraging players to rotate positions. I love the idea in theory, but I had to jump on the mic and share a few personal thoughts.

We’ll talk about:

• Why I prefer my sons to start in the spine (6, 8, 10)

• What I think games are and aren’t good for

• How training — not just playing — drives real development

• And why structured games may not be the best place to “fix weaknesses”

Again, this isn’t gospel — just one parent-trainer’s point of view.

Let me know what you think, and as always — let’s get better together.

Hey, it's Neil Crawford here with a quick freestyle episode of The Inside Scoop.

This one’s just me thinking out loud — no script, just opinion. A friend of mine posted a great graphic from the Croatian Football Federation encouraging players to rotate positions. I love the idea in theory, but I had to jump on the mic and share a few personal thoughts.

We’ll talk about:

• Why I prefer my sons to start in the spine (6, 8, 10)

• What I think games are and aren’t good for

• How training — not just playing — drives real development

• And why structured games may not be the best place to “fix weaknesses”

Again, this isn’t gospel — just one parent-trainer’s point of view.

Let me know what you think, and as always — let’s get better together.

Hey, it’s Neil Crawford, founder of Anytime Soccer Training. This is a follow-up to the last episode where we talked about the classic tryout dilemma: Team A or Team B?

In that show, I walked through how I help my own kids think through those choices. This time, I’m diving deeper — unpacking how I personally evaluate teams, what I actually look for in a training environment, and how I turn these moments into teachable life lessons.

I also share my take on why I don’t obsess over what kids say they want long-term — and instead focus on what they’re willing to do right now.

If you caught the last episode, this one fills in a lot of the blanks. Let’s keep the conversation going and, as always, let’s get better together.

In this episode, I share a real conversation I had with a soccer dad wrestling with a common tryout dilemma — should his child join the more competitive A team or stick with the solid B team?

I break down how I think through these choices with my own kids: focusing less on titles, leagues, or promises, and more on training environment, realistic commitment, and what we actually control as parents.

If you're a parent trying to help your child navigate team choices, this one’s for you. Let’s get better together.