VERDE & BLACK... The Official Austin FC Podcast

Performance is rarely, if ever, about one thing in isolation. Athletes, coaches, and management teams need to be aware of all of the physiological and psychological factors that can have an impact on a team’s competition performances. Today’s guest believes that it is only when all these factors come together and work as a cohesive, collaborative system that excellence in high-performance sport is possible. Dave Tenney is the High Performance Director for Austin FC and has spent almost two decades in elite performance roles in the MLS and the NBA. Prior to joining Austin FC in their 2021 expansion year, he spent time in high-performance leadership roles with the Orlando Magic and the Seattle Sounders. Dave has dedicated the last 15 years of his career to the evolution of high-performance sport and, in today’s episode, he shares some of the challenges that come with building a high-performance department that can support not only the needs of the athletes, but coaches and management too. Tuning in, you’ll gain some insight into Austin FC’s complex, dynamic coaching methodology and Dave’s belief that, in order to for the team to excel, they have to constantly adapt and grow. We also reflect on the key roles that recovery and climate play when it comes to performance, plus so much more! Make sure not to miss this fascinating discussion with Austin FC High Performance Director, Dave Tenney! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• How a High Performance Director makes coaching, medical, and fitness one cohesive group.
• Insight into what an average week in Dave’s life looks like.
• An understanding of the coaching methodology known as tactical periodization.
• Dave reflects on maximizing a players fitness and ability to perform versus preventing injury.
• The key importance of collaboration between coaches, athletes, and medical staff.
• Why assessing the recovery of players between games is critical.
• The role climate plays in performance and how Dave exploits the heat and humidity in Austin.
• Dave’s perspective on the evolution of the Austin FC team from year one to year two.
• His experience of working with two very different coaches like Sigi Schmid and Josh Wolff. 
• Some of the data points that Dave evaluates when it comes to recruiting players.
• Quantifying a player’s athletic and tactical ability depending on their position.
• How Dave believes high-performance sport staffs are going to evolve going forward.
• What soccer can learn from other sports; Dave’s key takeaways from his time with the NBA.
• What Dave learned from his own career as a soccer player prior to becoming a coach.
• How one change in the ecosystem of an organization can have a massive ripple effect that might not be recognized until it’s too late.
• Some of the things that Dave loves about living in Austin with his family.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dave Tenney on LinkedIn

Dave Tenney on Twitter

Austin FC

Today we are joined by a young player with an extraordinarily humble, grounded mindset. Daniel Pereira wears the number six jersey for Austin FC and in this episode, we hear about his much anticipated first goal for the team! Dani fills us in on how he celebrated the win and how a photo of his goal made it into the Louvre via an Austin FC fan. Dani has made impressive progress from his first year into his second and he talks us through the steps of his development. We also hear some insights into his upbringing in Venezuela, his family’s move to the US, and his path to being drafted! Tune in to learn more about this promising player, from his football idols to his favorite stadiums, and so much more.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Dani Pereira’s much anticipated first goal for Austin FC and how he celebrated it.
• The famous photo of Austin FC fan, Brian Engle, displaying Dani’s goal in the Louvre.
• Dani’s development from year one to year two with Austin FC.
• Dani’s role in defense and offense, respectively.
• What Dani attributes to his superb goal handling and decision-making.
• His experience of joining a newly established team as a rookie.
• What improved this season’s team chemistry.
• Which team and player Dani supported growing up.
• What he admires about Andrés Iniesta.
• Dani’s upbringing in Venezuela and what brought his family to the US.
• Venezuelan football idols.
• Dani’s path to being drafted!
• The difference between college and pro football.
• The first thing Dani did when he landed in Austin, Texas.
• His favorite stadiums to play in.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Daniel Pereira

Daniel Pereira on Twitter

Daniel Pereira on Instagram

Verde and Black Podcast

Austin FC

Swish Dental

PointsBet

Adrian Healey on Twitter

Adrian Healey on Instagram

Welcome back to another edition of Verde and Black! With us in conversation today we have Davy Arnaud, Assistant Coach at Austin FC. We dive right in with Davy sharing his thoughts on the team’s position in comparison to last year, before talking layer dynamics, and Davy’s thoughts on Danny Pereira and Sebastian Driussi. Hear about his main goal for every game: predicting the opponent’s strategy and acting accordingly. We chat reflecting, tweaking, and game management, before asking Davy about his relationship with Josh, which spans more than 20 years. Finally, you’ll hear about his fondest memories from his career as a player and a coach, and why he speaks so highly of Austin FC. Thanks for tuning in!

There is so much crucial work that goes on behind the scenes at a club, and today we shed some light on what some of that looks like. We are joined by Austin FC's very own Director of Sporting Operations, Andrew DiLallo! Andrew is kind enough to give us a real insider peek at what his job entails, talking about what he oversees, and how all the organizational pieces come together and contribute to team results. We also look back at Andrew's path to his current role, his days playing soccer in college, and how he made his way to Austin. Our guest makes sure to emphasize why relationships, with the players, the other staff, and even other clubs are so vital to his work, and we also reflect on the lifestyle associated with this type of work. Towards the end of the episode, Andrew even shares a little about the under-the-radar indoor team he is currently playing for, so make sure to stay tuned for that!

For this rendition of Verde and Black, we are so happy to finally be joined by Austin’s spectacular Video Performance Analyst, Sam Lawson. Sam has had quite a journey in the space and he talks about the influence of football on his youth growing up in Germany which led to him discovering his passion for video analysis thereafter. We hear about how he cut his teeth in the field through experiences thereafter in the UK, New Zealand, and a role in collegiate sports in Missouri, USA. He gets into his later positions in US soccer involving a stint at the Olympics and an MLS job with Minnesota United, talking about the many learnings he had during this time before finally taking up the position with Austin FC. In our conversation, we talk about what exactly a Video Performance Analyst does, the methods used to capture and assess footage, and the vital role they play in preparing the team for games as well as developing them as a whole. Sam also shares his thoughts on why he decided to join Austin, the growth he has witnessed in the team since he joined, and how his methods of analysis are being recognized as some of the best in the business. For all this and more, tune in today!

Welcome back to the Verde & Black podcast! Today we will be kicking off season two in the best way with Austin FC Head Coach Josh Wolff. Year one was filled with many learnings for the Austin team and we spend today hearing Josh's thoughts about the changes he has made and what the new season will bring. He talks about recent additions to the team and the effects they will have on team spirit and vital positions that were missing from the field last time around. We get into the spirit of parity at MLS, the role of consistency in success, and Josh’s thoughts on why many of Austin’s best games were against strong teams. Josh also talks about how his relationship with the game has changed as his roles have, and he shares his thoughts on his sons as they work their way into their own careers in the space. Wrapping up, Josh answers a round of listener questions, talking about his favorite game ever, off-season improvements, and a bunch of other good stuff. Tune in today and make sure you come back for the rest of the brilliant shows we have lined up for season two!

After an impressive performance and wonderful goal against LA Galaxy, McKinze Gaines has been the name on the lips of many Austin FC fans recently. Today we host a fun conversation with the new forward and get a little of his background, career path, and his ideas about his place in the team in the future. McKinze tells us about his time in Germany, some of the important points and decisions that he and his parents made, and why he is so excited to be back in his hometown now! Like any player, McKinze has had to deal with difficulties too, touching injuries and challenging periods of less game time, and hearing about this really adds perspective to the experience that fans might have of the professional soccer player. So to hear it all from an exciting up-and-coming talent on our team, listen in with us today!

On today’s episode, we are bringing you double trouble with Diego Fagundez and Hector Jimenez. You’ll hear why Diego considers being a professional soccer player to be the best job in the world, and how he wants to pass his passion on to his two children. He reveals the best and worst parts of his career, and the story of how he was approached to play for Austin FC. We also ask Diego what it felt like to score the first goal in club history, and he tells us why he wants to play for as long as his body allows him to. We talk fitness, connecting with fans, and his hope for the next season with Austin FC. Hector tells the story of why he has chosen to live in Mueller, what he loves about living his childhood dream, and why he believes that things will change for the better if the team continues to work hard. He tells us about the values that have given him the reputation of being fantastic in a locker room, and the players whose behavior he emulates. Hector also shares with us that continuity is the magic element that has made teams successful, and why he believes there’s still time for the season to turn around during the upcoming 11 games. We hope you tune in today to hear all this and more!

For today’s episode, we are in conversation with NFL legend and Austin FC fan and supporter, Marshall Newhouse, and Austin FC broadcaster, Michael Lahoud. You’ll hear about Marshall’s experience of being a full-blown fan for the first time, and Michael lets us in on the instant insight he observed Marshall having from the first whistle. Marshall gives us his assessment of the past year at Austin FC and tells us why he believes you have to have a larger perspective of what it takes to win, before telling us what the difference is between soccer crowds and football crowds. He explains how his passion for watching soccer was ignited on a pre-world cup school trip in 2006, why offensive line is such a unique and misunderstood position, and how that is changing before we touch on the relationship between football and soccer, with Steven Jackson following the US team across South Africa during the 2010 world cup as a prime example of this. Finally, Marshall tells us how he defines a truly great sports organization: by the attitudes of the owners and the temperaments and qualities of their hires. We hope you join us!