{"podcast":{"title":"Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America","slug":"chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250","podcast_index_feed_id":7528250,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/chasing-the-game","website_url":"https://www.chasingthegame.us","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/4Xne-FSh01iD2s8m_-NH8nbG0PHW7JxI0AKsxID8Mvc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kZWVh/ODMyNzJlMTg1NDQ3/NWZmZjlhOTAwOWEy/ZGJmYy5wbmc.jpg","author":"Liron Unreich","episode_count":30,"summary":"Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America is a weekly podcast for soccer parents, coaches, and players who want to understand how youth soccer development really works in the United States. Hosted by two dads, filmmaker Liron Unreich and investor Matt Tartaglia, the show covers everything from grassroots soccer to elite pathways like MLS NEXT and ECNL. Combining data, real experience, and expert insights from academy directors, college coaches, and former pros, each episode explains what families truly need to know. Weekly episodes focus on the core aspects of youth soccer: player development, coaching culture, college recruiting, tryouts, travel costs, and the challenges of youth sports parenting in today’s competitive environment. For families navigating youth soccer’s complex system, Chasing the Game offers practical advice, credible voices, and relatable stories from two dads working to make sense of American player development, one episode at a time.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250"},"episode":{"title":"What Builds a Pro Player? Talia Sommer on Parents, Pressure, and Playing With Boys","slug":"what-builds-a-pro-player-talia-sommer-on-parents-pressure-and-playing-with-boys","published_at":"2026-04-15T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250/what-builds-a-pro-player-talia-sommer-on-parents-pressure-and-playing-with-boys","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/80153ce6","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/80153ce6/c074ed79.mp3","summary":"What actually shapes a player. Talent, training, mentality, environment, or the people around them? In this episode of Chasing the Game , we talk with Gotham FC rookie Talia Sommer about the path that shaped her: growing up between New York and Tel Aviv , playing with boys, turning pro in Israel at 14 , choosing Butler over Atlético Madrid, and learning how to protect her own voice as the game got more serious. This is also one of our clearest conversations yet about the line between support and pressure . Talia talks honestly about parents, expectations, identity, creativity, free play, and why some players look technically prepared yet still miss the game's real, in-the-moment feel. For families trying to understand youth soccer development, especially on the girls’ side, this episode says a lot. (00:00) - Why Talia Sommer’s story matters (02:13) - Harlem, Tel Aviv, and falling in love with soccer (05:46) - Playing with boys, Manhattan SC, and Maccabi (08:05) - Turning pro at 14 in Israel and the road to Butler (10:14) - Parents, freedom, and the line between support and pressure (14:01) - \"I need you to be my dad\" (16:57) - Playing up, college, and learning from older players (19:03) - Israel vs. the U.S. vs. Europe in women’s soccer (22:54) - American players, creativity, and what can be missing (28:34) - Free play, extra training, and the 1,000 touches debate (35:45) - Choosing Butler over Atlético Madrid (39:04) - Advice for young players, and what parents should hear Click here to view the episode transcript.","meta_description":"What actually shapes a player. Talent, training, mentality, environment, or the people around them? In this episode of Chasing the Game , we talk with Got…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2646,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250/episodes/what-builds-a-pro-player-talia-sommer-on-parents-pressure-and-playing-with-boys/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250/what-builds-a-pro-player-talia-sommer-on-parents-pressure-and-playing-with-boys.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}