{"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":"Why U.S. Players Struggle in Europe | Ditmer de Jong","slug":"why-u-s-players-struggle-in-europe-ditmer-de-jong","published_at":"2026-02-11T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250/why-u-s-players-struggle-in-europe-ditmer-de-jong","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/2a39b0fc","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/2a39b0fc/a41a4ece.mp3","summary":"What if the biggest difference between Dutch and U.S. youth soccer isn’t talent, facilities, or even training volume, but culture. In this episode of Chasing the Game. Youth Soccer in America, we talk with Ditmer (a Dutch coach and academy educator) about the invisible gap many American parents feel but can’t name. In the Netherlands, he explains, football is everywhere. It’s normal to play at school, after school, and through the local club culture. That everyday immersion shapes how players think, how they learn, and how they handle pressure. From there, we zoom in on one of the most important ideas in modern player development. Self-regulation. Ditmer breaks down what it looks like when coaches build ownership rather than dependence. Not “do this, do that,” but asking players what they want to improve. Teaching reflection. Building decision-makers. Helping kids learn how to learn. If you’re a soccer parent navigating pay-to-play, tryouts, roster churn, and the constant noise of “pathways,” this conversation offers a clearer lens. It’s not a European fantasy. It’s a practical look at why culture and coaching philosophy matter, and what American families and clubs can take from the Dutch model without pretending the systems are identical. In this episode, we cover Why “football is everywhere” changes everything for player development The difference between training more and learning better What Dutch coaches mean by self-regulation and “self-learning.” How question-based coaching builds smarter, calmer players Why U.S. youth soccer often produces dependence on instructions What parents can do now to support autonomy, confidence, and resilience The real gap parents don’t see until they compare environments Chapters: (00:00) - Dutch vs U.S. Youth Soccer. The Gap Parents…","meta_description":"What if the biggest difference between Dutch and U.S. youth soccer isn’t talent, facilities, or even training volume, but culture. In this episode of Chas…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3776,"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/why-u-s-players-struggle-in-europe-ditmer-de-jong/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/why-u-s-players-struggle-in-europe-ditmer-de-jong.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}