{"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":"Youth Soccer Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Elite Development","slug":"youth-soccer-burnout-the-hidden-cost-of-elite-development","published_at":"2026-01-28T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250/youth-soccer-burnout-the-hidden-cost-of-elite-development","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/4c0e2990","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/4c0e2990/bf28d23f.mp3","summary":"What happens when elite youth soccer becomes a constant evaluation cycle? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia are joined by Dr. Jonathan Jenkins and Dr. Kimberly O’Brien, authors of Mentality Wins, to unpack the mental toll of pressure, fear of mistakes, comparison culture, and burnout in elite youth soccer. They discuss confidence, feedback, the cognitive triangle, athlete identity, and practical tools parents and coaches can use to support mental health without lowering standards. This episode is for soccer parents and coaches navigating tryouts, feedback, anxiety, burnout, and the challenge of helping young players stay healthy, resilient, and connected to the game. https://chasingthegame.us (00:00) - The Hidden Cost of Elite Youth Soccer (02:05) - Constant Evaluation and Playing Afraid (06:48) - The 2% Difference. Mental Not Physical (11:32) - Fear of Mistakes and Performance Anxiety (16:10) - Comparison Culture and Identity (21:05) - Feedback That Builds or Breaks Kids (26:18) - The Cognitive Triangle Explained (31:44) - Parents, Coaches, and the Sideline Problem (36:52) - The Car Ride Home. Comfort or Solutions (42:30) - Focus, Flow, Finish, Flourish (49:10) - Applying the Mental Game at Home and Training (57:40) - What Parents and Coaches Should Take Away Click here to view the episode transcript.","meta_description":"What happens when elite youth soccer becomes a constant evaluation cycle? In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4155,"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/youth-soccer-burnout-the-hidden-cost-of-elite-development/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/youth-soccer-burnout-the-hidden-cost-of-elite-development.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}