{"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 Keeps Changing. Can Your Player Keep Up?","slug":"youth-soccer-keeps-changing-can-your-player-keep-up","published_at":"2026-05-13T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250/youth-soccer-keeps-changing-can-your-player-keep-up","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/chasing-the-game-youth-soccer-in-america-7528250","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/1460cc4c","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/1460cc4c/df1894b0.mp3","summary":"Youth soccer keeps changing. Most families are still searching for fixed answers. In this episode, Filippo Giovagnoli challenges some of the deepest assumptions parents have about development, culture, tactics, pathways, and what actually creates players. This is not a conversation about nostalgia or romantic ideas about European football. It is about adaptation. The modern game moves faster. Players have less time. Duels matter more. Decision-making matters more. Grit matters more. And the players who survive are often the ones who keep evolving. We talk about: Why winning duels is not just physical Why tactics too early can hurt development Why “soccer culture” alone solves nothing Why American soccer is improving faster than people think Why parents misunderstand data and pathways Why adaptability may matter more than raw talent Why intrinsic motivation changes everything Why Europe is not one simple blueprint For parents, the real question becomes uncomfortable: (00:00) - Start (00:03) - Not About Nostalgia (01:38) - Filippo’s Football Path (05:01) - Seeing Talent in America (08:33) - Why Duels Matter (11:32) - U.S. Development Is Catching Up (13:59) - Pro Clubs and Local Academies (15:31) - Europe Is Not One Answer (19:00) - Why Parents Get Lost (21:30) - Culture Is Not Enough (24:31) - The Pro Dream and College Reality (27:28) - The Dangerous Educated Parent (32:27) - What the Numbers Miss (37:31) - Desire Has to Come From Inside (42:31) - Too Much Tactics Too Early (49:59) - Grit Is the New Talent Are we helping our kids adapt to the modern game, or preparing them for a version that no longer exists?","meta_description":"Youth soccer keeps changing. Most families are still searching for fixed answers. In this episode, Filippo Giovagnoli challenges some of the deepest assum…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3352,"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-keeps-changing-can-your-player-keep-up/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-keeps-changing-can-your-player-keep-up.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}