Playing the long game, investing in it's youth, breaking down barriers citywide it is fair to say today's guest Nick Mulvaney and Chicago City soccer club have not skipped any steps in transitioning between academy to first team level. Competing with the Chicago sports scene, City have had to be different and it is in community in which they have found their competitive advantage. Through alignment between academy and first team in the process individualising each player and staff's development pathway, City have been applauded for their investment in people. Learn here how Nick seeks to expand on this with community at the forefront.Listen to find out more including;- How Chicago City break down barriers in the local community?- Player development beyond the elite players.- Managing expectations with parents through individualising pathways and development.- What is their competitive advantage versus other sports teams in the city?- How thorough their squad and succession planning is for their USL teams.- Plans for future growth and expansion within Chicago.Timestamps;00:00 - 02:36 - Intro02:37 - 09:21 - Chicago City09:22 - 17:01 - Player Development17:02 - 24:05 - USL24:06 - 32:23 - Inspirations & Learning32:24 - 37:31 - AdviceNick' LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-mulvaney-7b68a127/Chicago City; https://www.chicagocitysoccerclub.com/Get in touch;Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conorwalsh1995YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/@TheLowdownPodEmail: [email protected]