Cornfed Coaching

In conjunction with the Iowa Soccer Symposium, the Cornfed Coaching team was able to sit down with two powerhouse coaches. Eloisa and Maren both tell us their phenomenal playing backgrounds and how those experiences shaped who they are today. We dive into some all too common issues within professional soccer coaching. They go through the challenges of being a female in a typically male dominated industry. It's an important conversation and we were very appreciative that they got so candid with us.

What a guest! The Cornfed team was able to sit down with Hasney Aljofree during the Iowa Soccer Symposium. Hasney's background is unbelievable. He was a player in Manchester United's youth system, then joined several organization through his professional career. Since hanging up the boots as a player, he joined Man U's coaching staff on the youth side for 10 years, and now is part of the PFA's coaching education system. Phenomenal conversation, and an even better educator.

Jack and Jon are BACK with another special edition in partnership with Iowa Soccer hosting the podcast at the Iowa Soccer Symposium. Bright and Barker offered reflection on their session and talked shop about development and soccer in the Covid era. Great catching up with two previous guests!

The Cornfed team is back! In this return episode, the Cornfed team was honored to be joined by Nick Garcia. Nick is a former professional player in the MLS and is now working for the league through media, and serves as the Executive Director of Sporting Brookside. He takes us through is unique journey growing up in Texas and playing for the USYNT throughout the years. Great discussion on giving back to the game and insight into the professional life and what it takes to get there.

The Cornfed team was happy to get back together and take and get back to our roots with a local coach doing big things! Mark McKeever wastes no time diving into how he got to America and started his coaching journey from Scotland. Mark is currently the head coach for Young Harris as well as the Des Moines Menace for the past two seasons. Mark talks about the different challenges coaching college and in the USL II. He gives great insight into the player's process as well as what it takes behind the scenes to actually produce an expansive playing style.

The Cornfed team welcomed back Paul Bright of The Coaching Manual in conjunction with the Iowa Soccer Symposium. Paul has been instrumental in the progression of The Coaching Manual, which is an online platform to help further coaching education with sessions and ideas for coaches to dive into. He joined the team today to talk about a hot topic in the soccer community, Periodization. Great chat!

The Cornfed team welcomes back Ian Barker, Director of Coaching for United Soccer Coaches, to the pod. This episode was in conjunction with the Iowa Soccer Symposium. Ian leads coaches all across the country to become better educators and talks with us about rondos and the implementation of how they can facilitate multiple avenues of learning. Great talk as always.

The Cornfed team was delighted to chat with Josh McAllister, a performance coach and Iowa-native! The Cornfed team consisted of Damien Corrieri and Rich Bywater as a guest hosts alongside Big Jack. Josh has worked with Drake University,  Sporting Kansas City and Portland Timbers in the area of performance. He talks about how to maximize athlete performacne and how he started his own program independent organization now. Great chat on a topic that is coming more and more to the focal point of soccer. 

Tommy Wilson is the academy director for the Philadelphia Union. Tommy was a phenomenal player himself and has now transitioned into leading the Union and building out their player development campaign. He took over the organization and is now constantly trying to improve it along with his staff. What a treat for the Cornfed crew to sit down and chat with him. We talk about the staffing that is implemented at the highest levels of football, game models and universal language to expedite the traning process. Great listen!

In partnership with the Iowa Soccer Symposium, the Cornfed team was delighted to have the opportunity to chat with legendary referee, Esse Baharmast. Esse worked his way through refereeing to have one of the most famous calls in World Cup history. He has now transitioned to mentoring a new generation of referees to expand the beautiful game. A very detailed and educational episode into an often times overlooked aspect of the game. 

The Cornfed team was delighted to sit down the President of the ECNL, Christian Lavers. From the league's website, "From inception, the ECNL consistently developed in alignment with the needs of its member clubs, always seeking opportunities to lead and provide more, no matter the challenge or adversity. The four letters “ECNL” have become the embodiment of collaborative innovation, opportunity, respect, development, and excellence in youth soccer, as the once-radical idea of clubs having a voice to determine their future proved to produce results never before seen in youth soccer. Unrivaled numbers of female players, of constantly improving quality, began moving on to the collegiate, professional, and national team levels as the ECNL impact changed youth soccer." We dive into the league's inception, and the rapid rise into the boys game - especially the newly-founded Heartland division. Great chat and informational to all wanting to know more about the league and opportunities it provides!

The Cornfed team is taken over by four Englishmen! Matt Lodge is our guest today and fellow Cornfed family member's Paul Cox and Jamie McQuillan are the co-hosts for the episode. Matt talks about running a Division 1 program, and how they navigated the COVID season switch amonst other things. Another great insight into what it takes to be at the top of the game in America from both a player and coach's perspective!

The Cornfed team (Jack and Damien) chatted with the Iowa Women's Soccer coaches David and Katelyn about the Hawkeye program. It's a great chance with fantastic insight into the highest level of the collegiate women's game. They share content on the college approach to COVID, Big 10 soccer and developing players within the program. If you are aspiring to coach or play at a high level, then it's a great episode to find value!

What an episode! Jack and Jon were joined by friend of the pod Paul Cox to connect with Southampton FC Football Development Manager, Andy Martino. Andy gives amazing insight to a tier 1 academy club in England and all the detail that goes into creating professional footballers. Paul and Andy connected at the USC convention a couple years ago and we dive into their international brand alongside how they operate the home academy in England. Southampton have developed players over the years including Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and many more. If you want insight to what the absolute top looks like, listen up!

The Cornfed Coaching team, guest hosted by Jamie McQuillan, was excited to sit down with James Baker who leads the MiMentor online coaching education. The boys talked with James about the benetfits of using the platform to further your coaching. It was a great discussion about progressing yourself and how to maximize your potential by setting goals and getting your identity as a coach set in stone.

The Cornfed team was delighted to sit down with Candice Fabry and announce that we will again be sponsoring the Iowa Soccer Symposium. Register at IowaSoccer.org and find out the details for the virtual event this year in the episode!

Cornfed Coaching concludes the 10 Pods of Christmas with Drake Men's Soccer coach, Gareth Smith. Gareth was kind enough to give great insight into the makings of a college program. He details the recruiting process and how that fits into team development. Gareth touches on his personal development as a coach and how the team has navigated COVID-19 times. We appreciated his time, very educational conversation.

The Cornfed team had an amazing chat with Michael Sap who is a co-founder of the sports technology app, Beyond Pulse. Michael details his journey in coaching and has an affinity for educating young minds. His journey to learn how players best learn led him to meeting Marc Andre-Perrit, who he founded the company with. They have developed the wearable technology that allows coaches to get feedback about different statistics, but mos notably active participation. Beyond Pulse has allowed coaches and clubs to create better sessions and make them more enjoyable for players. A fascinating talk and great person!

We have another massive guest! Cornfed Coaching welcomes Paul Bright to the podcast who oversees the wonderfully educational site, The Coaching Manual. Paul dives into his background and how he got started with the TCM. The Cornfed team utilizes The Coaching Manual regularly throughout their sessions. Paul has built out the team at TCM and it now includes session ideas, training videos and sessions ran by top professional coaches. Great talk!

The Cornfed Coaching team was delighted to have episode 50 be an old friend! Lewis Wilcox is another friend of the pod and knows fellow guest, Paul Cox, very well. Lewis started his journey with Midland in Nebraska as a player, but started coaching straight away. He details the different levels he's coached at being a GA at Midland, moved to a full assistant and then taking over his own program at Briar Cliff. He discusses how taking an organized and honest approach can help garner the respect from your players no matter what age they are...even if it's exactly how old you are. Lewis now is an assistant at UCCS in Colorado Springs and the DOC at Colorado Rush - Pike's Peak as well as working with USL 2 team. Great fun.

The Cornfed team was excited to have Josh Parker on the pod today! Josh plays for Jack's hometown club, Wycombe Wanders in the Championship league in England. Josh details his journey through the professional ranks and different challenges he's had to overcome. This is a fantastic epiodse because it encapsulates exactly why we started the pod. An honest conversation. Josh has played with and against some fantastic players and has represented Antigua and Barbuda. Josh touches on a prominent topic in football and across the world right now, racial abuse. We appreciated Josh's openness about this and his time!

The Cornfed team was delighted to welcome the US Soccer ENT Technical and Grassroots Director, Stuart Sharp to the podcast. Stuart is the head coach of the Para-National Team who competed in the World Cup last year. He dives into the details of coaching the para team as well as his soccer background. We had former guest and friend of the pod, Ross Moffat, as a co-host as he helped Stuart as an assistant coach on the team. An amazing episode that left us speechless.

The Cornfed Coaching team were delighted to talk with Kelly Cagle. Kelly walked us through her journey of being a star player growing up in Arizona, going to Duke and stints in Japan and the inaugural women's soccer league (WUSA). Kelly has had an illustrious coaching career coaching at Texas and Wake Forest before leading the Virginia Tech Women's program. She now serves as the leadership director and works in the ECNL for the Phoenix Rising. Kelly talks about the level of players she's played with and against. She tells the very humbling story of her time at Virgina Tech while the mass shooting happened on campus. A facsinating conversation and one the Cornfed team won't forget soon.

What a time! The Cornfed team were very lucky to have the opportunity to chat with David Copeland-Smith. David has established himself as an elite individual trainer of players with his company, Beast Mode Soccer. He has worked with numerous players off of the USWNT world cup teams and other professional players. We talked with him about the development of players and David gave great insight to player development. He discusses his approach to working with players not just on the technical side of things, but how important the mental side is as well. Great listen for all fans of soccer to get insight of how players can improve their game from someone who knows it from the top.

The Cornfed Coaching team was joined today by Dan Rothert. Dan was head coach of the Loras Duhawks men's and women's soccer teams for over 20 years. He coached collectively over 40 seasons for the Dubuque-based program and took them to numerous NCAA tournaments and led the boys to two NCAA DIII Final Fours. During his tenure he took the role as Associate Athletic Director, but left to combine his expertise in a different form. He know is the founder of Top Student Athlete Recruiting, which is a full-service recruiting platform to help student-athletes find the right fit. We talk all things recruiting on this episode and there are a few of our favorite Duhawks name dropped throughout. A must listen for all players and families going through the recruiting process!

When the Cornfed Coaching team found out they would get the opportunity to talk with Todd Beane they were giddy to say the least. Jack and Jon have been inspired by the TOVO methodology that Todd has championed, which was largely inspired by Johann Cruyff's teachings. TOVO is a learning-based approach to coaching that has online and in-person offerings for both players and coaches. Todd joined the Cornfed team to discuss all things TOVO and methodology in soccer. He gave great insight to different areas of the game and his take on player development. It was a great chat and a must-listen to anyone wanting a different look at the game.

The Cornfed Coaching team are back in a long over-due episode with a fantastic Iowa Soccer guest, Jon Cook. 'Cooky' is the director of coaching for ISC in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids. He is a long-tenured Iowa coach and student of the game with a methodical and educationally-based approach to the game. We have a great conversation about style of play and his individual and club philosophy. We also touch on his educational approach and a few items he'd like to see addressed in coaching education. Truly a great episode we wish we could've kept rolling!

The Cornfed Coaching boys sat down with Nathan Hunt for this installment of Cornfed Coaching. Nathan is the Director of Coaching - Affiliates for Sporting Kansas City as well as a USSF Course Instructor. Jack and Jon were delighted to finally sit down and pick his brain about core values, coaching education and SKC. It was a great chat and is wonderful for anyone involved with the youth game. Reminder that we have started a blog called Breaking The Press where coaches tackle whatever is on their soccer brain that week. This week was the fifth installment, we have featured Ross Moffat, Jamie McQuillan, Adelai Gay as well as contributions from Jack and Jon.Thank you for supporting all things Cornfed F.C.

We are delighted to be back in podcast form! For the first official pod back we have a dual episode with Troy McKerrell and Francisco Murguia. We socially-distanced interviewed them in Kansas City where they are both based right now. Troy is originally from Scotland and has quickly made his way up the coaching ranks and has a diverse set of experiences. Francisco is a KC native and has coached throughout the country in the youth game at the highest levels. We were running short on time, but we had to get him on the pod. We will get a more in-depth interview with him next time we are able to make it back down the Kansas City. Great dual episode. Give it a listen!

Adrian Parrish joins the pod for the final installment of the Iowa Socer Symposium Mini-Series! Adrian has a vast array of experience within the game holding different roles throughout the country for the past few years. He talks us through the differences and challenges in positions like a DOC, coach developer and discovery program director. Adrian was the state director of coaching for Kentucky for a number of years before joining the new MLS franchis FC Cincinnati this past year. He has a wealth of knowledge and we were lucky enough to pick his brain!

For the 3rd installment of the Iowa Soccer Symposium Mini-Series, we sat down with Lee Fletcher of The Coaching Manual! The Coaching Manual is an online platform that can help coaches and players further develop their soccer education with activities, presentations, videos and more all from high level coachs coming from some of the top teams in the world. Lee gives us more insight into what The Coaching Manual has to offer as well as some insight on his journey through coaching and how technology has impacted him. Great talk, give it a listen!

For the second installment of the Iowa Soccer Symposium mini-series, the Cornfed team sat down with the man who needs no introduction. One of the best soccer educators in the entire country, Ian Barker, joined us to chat about all things soccer. He gives great advice for young coaches starting their coaching journey as well as how more tenured coaches can stay sharp. We get a surprise guest from a local fan at the symposium, which was a Cornfed first, but we quickly jump back into the soccer talk. Enjoy this as much as we did recording. We were only slightly nervous for this one...

In the first installment of our Iowa Soccer Symposium mini-series we sat down with James Wagenschutz who is a performance coach now with the Colorado Rapids academy. He joins the Cornfed team to talk about how performances are tracked and how to get the best out of your players from a physicality level. He dives into some activities that you can do with your players and teams as well why it's important to start at an early age. This is a side of the game that is often looked over, however it is vitally important and we were thrilled that we could welcome James on to enlighten us and the listeners!

This week's episode the Cornfed Team was lucky enough to sit down with sports psychologist, Dan Abrahams and chat about the mental side of the game. Dan is a world-renowned sports psychologist who works with professional soccer players, golfers, ruby teams and many more to improve individual and team mentalities. Psychology is an often times overlooked aspect of the game, but Dan gives insight into why it is so important and the impact that a mental gameplan can make.Be sure to check out more on Dan at his website:danabrahams.comThere you can also find his books:Soccer Tough (I and II)Golf ToughSoccer BrainWe want to sincerely thank Dan for taking the time to come on our podcast and chat about his work!

For this episode of Cornfed Coaching we talk with Dylan DeClerck who is the Executive Director of the non-profit youth organization Opportunity on Deck. OOD specializes in youth leadership and development, specifically with underprivileged kids. He started the organization a few years ago and they have grown ever since. It is a truly special organization and they impact so many lives. Give this conversation a listen to hear their story and how you can get involved!

Lindsey is the Drake Women's Soccer head coach and talks about her coaching journey, how the game has evolved and the recruiting process for families and players. She has been around the game in Iowa for a good amount of time and was on board with one of the very first Drake women's teams. She gives in-depth insight into the tasks of the job and the transition from assistant to head coach. She has built a very steady program that always competes for an MVC title and produces fantastic people off the pitch. Great conversation and great person!

One of the lads! This episode of Cornfed Coaching bids farewell from Des Moines to Matt Kenton. He has brought such positivity to the coaching community here and will be sorely missed. Kenton joins the Corned team to talk about his coaching journey and previews his new experience with Phoenix Rising. It's a great episode!

Ross Alexander sat down with us at the United Soccer Coaches convention in Baltimore, MD in between sessions to chat. Ross is originally from Scotland, came to Iowa to play and began his coaching career here as well. He talks us through the journey to Phoenix, AZ where he currently coaches for a professional organization. Ross loves the game and has a deep passion for coaching and educating. The last couple of years have been impactful for him and his journey and he gives us all the goods. He is a coach to watch, and this is a can't miss episode.

The Cornfed Coaching team is joined by Drake Women's Soccer assitant coach Kevin Brennan this week on the pod! Kevin talks about the recruiting process for Division I women and what some players are lacking when they take the step to the next level. He also gives insight to his time coaching youth in England at a top level academy. This one should be eye-opening to some players, parents and coaches as Kevin is very honest about what we need to do and what he sees missing from the American soccer game. It was a very fun and informative chat, don't miss out!

The Cornfed Coaching team kicks off the decade with a great episode! We sat down with Katie Naughton who plays in the NWSL for Houston Dash. She chats about her come up playing in her youth days, getting called in with the US Youth National Teams and her path to pro (including her recent trade from the Chicago Red Stars). This is a great episode for players and coaches wanting to get insight into what it takes to be a pro and what a normal day looks like. We had a blast and wish Katie all the best when she heads to Houston in a couple of weeks!

Matt joins the Cornfed team for a truly special episode. Not only is there fantastic content in this episode, it is the last episode of 2019 and a milestone 25th show! It was also recorded at Cafe Equinox and fueled by Thou Mayest coffee. We discuss the importance and opportunity for coaching education in the United States along with different struggles both candidates and educators face. ALL coaches can benefit from listening, but parents and coaches can get great insight on what goes on behind the scenes of the coaching life. Don't miss it!

Simon sits down to chat with the Cornfed team on his coaching journey to now leading the Ankeny Hawkettes soccer program and his involvement with the William Penn programs. Simon breaks down the top sports in Ireland and how he got started in coaching through a random coaching course in Bettendorf, IA. He gives insight to what he did after taking over a program and the things he implemented in his team to bring home a state championship in his first year at Ankeny! Great episode and lots of good information.

Jaymee is the head coach for the William Penn men's and women's soccer teams in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He joins the pod to talk about the different levels and experiences that lead him to where he is today. He has traveled the world and is currently on his UEFA B license coaching course. We chat about the NAIA level and what type of player he looks for and what Iowa players can do better to be able to compete nationally. It's a great episode with some great stories. Don't miss this one!

Trevor and Justin are currently playing for Carleton College in Minnesota. These guys played together for most of their childhood and both grew up in the Iowa soccer landscape. They give fantastic insight to what it's like playing in college and their experience in club and high school soccer over the last 5 years. It is a great listen for any player that wants to play in college or get better and for coaches and parents who want to learn more about the player's perspective.***There were spots with lost audio, so we apologize to the listeners on the first few minutes. We jump in with Trevor talking about playing different positions.***

Molly sits down with the Cornfed team to talk about her journey to full-time coach at Sporting Iowa. She hails from the Northlands (Wisconsin) and brings a massive amount of positivity and energy to her teams. She talks about the differences working with college athletes to the youth level and working with second teams. It's a fun one!

Coaches get frustrated with parents and parents get frustrated with coaches. Jill joins the podcast so we can dig into this! She has two boys that currently play soccer and gives a parent's perspective of the process. We talk about pay to play, travel and parents on the sidelines. Hopefully this gives both parents and coaches more information on how to interact with one another and how we can make the experience the best for the people who it matters to the most...the players!

Damien joins the pod to talk about all things Iowa Soccer. He gives us his background in New York and how while we may think we don't have appropriate resources in Iowa, in other parts of the country they have to manage their own challenges. Damo gives us insight into his coaching journey and how it's prospered into a career today. This one was a lot of fun to record and hopefully makes for a good listen as well!

Corbin Stone sits down with the Cornfed team to talk about his time with Iowa Soccer. He chats about player development, different ways to improve the game and individual development as well as some of the best stories we've heard so far! Corbin had a tweet recently that caught a few people's eye about his tenure within the Iowa soccer community. Great information and a great listen!

Matt Ream sits down with the Cornfed team to talk about his soccer journey across America! He is currently the academy director for the WDM side of Sporting Iowa. We chat about his time in Southern California, Bavarian Soccer Club, the DM Wanderers and USSF coaching courses. Matt has a lot of perspective from his time in coaching in different parts of the country and for different clubs. It was a great chat with lots of information!

Monica has a laundry list of accomplishments to her name! She is a coach, philanthropist, community organizer and much more. She joins the podcast to talk about Football For The World USA, Nebraska Women in Soccer and being a female coach in a male-dominated industry. Mon is doing great things for women and underseverd communities around the world as well as being one hell of an advocate for Omaha and women coaches in soccer. She talks about how you can help and get involved with her organizations. Please reach out if you want to get involved, she's a rockstar!