The Inside Scoop with Anytime Soccer Training - Discussing Youth Soccer from Around the World

I watched a game this weekend that changed how I think about fitness in practice. Two teams, similar talent, wildly different outcome — and it came down to something most coaches don't want to talk about. I'm breaking down what I saw, borrowing a personal finance trick to make sense of it, and admitting I might be a little old-school on this one. Curious what you think — come argue with me in the Facebook group.

In this episode of The Inside Scoop, I sit down with Carlos Mojica— author of Goal: Awesome Soccer Stories and Fun Facts for Kids — to talk about career paths in soccer that don't involve playing on the field. Carlos and I dig into his path from El Salvador into a career in sports communications, what a Venue Press Officer actually does day-to-day, and the advice he'd give students who want to break into the sports industry. We also announce a free giveaway of an autographed copy of Carlos's book, exclusive to our Facebook groups, just in time to get kids excited for this year's World Cup.

Every parent has said it at some point: "I'm not qualified to train my own kid." I used to believe that too — until I built a system that changed everything about how my sons train, and how I show up for them. In this episode, I get more honest than usual about what's actually behind that excuse, what it costs the kids who never hear otherwise, and the specific approach my wife and I use that most parents have never considered. If you've ever told yourself you're not the right person to help your child improve, this one might change your mind. Come tell me if I'm wrong in the Facebook group.

When I watch my kid's team, I'm not really watching the score. I'm watching whether they can create goal-scoring opportunities consistently — inside a game model and a style of play, rather than by accident.Defensively, I want to see them organized, compact, and aggressive, winning the ball back quickly. Going forward, I want to see them progress the ball out from the back with patience and style, connect through the midfield, and change the point of attack to get it wide.That's the difference between a team that happens to win games and a team that is actually being developed.

Winning and losing tells you almost nothing about whether your kid's team is actually developing.I break down the real signals I look for after a decade of watching games as a soccer parent — the ones most people miss entirely.I share a personal moment from one of my son's games that changed how I see all of this.And I tease a new series I'm planning, bringing coaches on to go even deeper.

Fitness doesn't fit the narrative — it's not fun, it's not easy to sell, so it quietly gets left out of the conversation around player development. In this episode, I dig into why fitness actually matters more than people admit, why the real problem usually isn't fitness at all but a lack of intensity in training, and what parents can look for — and do at home — if their child's environment isn't providing it.

I've spent 15 years watching parents try to talk coaches into playing their kid a different position — and I've learned it rarely works the way people hope. In this episode, I share why those conversations usually go nowhere, the few times it's actually worth having one, and what's worked better for me: finding position variety for my own kids outside the club, through summer leagues, 3v3s, indoor, and futsal.

In this episode, I take on a claim I hear constantly in coaching circles — that you can't teach a skill you can't perform, or that you can't teach soccer if you haven't played at a high level. I break this down philosophically, using examples like the Erie Canal builders and people who've climbed Everest without prior experience, to show humans regularly achieve things without a playing background in that exact thing. I share my own experience training my sons to a high level despite never having played myself, and I walk through what teaching actually requires: content knowledge, experience, communication, and pedagogy — not necessarily elite playing ability. I also get into the real gap between playing and teaching, address the major objections people raise, and make the case for why this belief matters beyond the debate itself — it shrinks the coaching pool, drives up costs, and keeps parents and motivated volunteers from stepping in to help their own kids develop.

In this episode, I answer a parent's question about whether to approach their U9 son's coach about moving him from striker to wing, where he seems to perform better.I push back on the instinct to judge that parent — I've been there myself, watching my own sons and thinking they'd do better in a different role. Asking development questions early on shouldn't be treated as overstepping; it's no different than asking a relative for advice on advanced classes for your kid.I don't give a flat yes or no, since it depends on the parent's relationship with the coach. Instead, I lay out an approach: ask the coach how they prefer to communicate and whether they're open to development conversations at all, then frame the ask around wanting your child to experience multiple positions over the season — not a specific change — and check for understanding on whether the coach will actually follow through.I also share my own philosophy that practice should be "positionless," giving kids reps across multiple roles so they build broader fundamentals. I'd rather see my own kids in midfield, though my younger son loves center back and is thriving there — which makes it hard for me to push, even at home.

In this episode, I record a personal audio message to my sons reflecting on the choices behind our youth soccer decisions — specifically my younger son's move from a larger club to the smaller club where his older brother already plays. I break down why the smaller club's culture and developmental preparation made it the better long-term fit, then push back on a mindset I see in a lot of parents: framing club, financial, league-level, and time-commitment decisions as if there was "no choice," when in reality there almost always are multiple paths available. My core message to my sons: recognize the power you have in these decisions, rather than feeling boxed in by circumstance.

I sat down with Carlos Mojica, author of Goal, for a special edition of The Inside Scoop — part book talk, part oral history of soccer in El Salvador. Carlos walks me through discovering the game around 1996 through Ronaldo, the street soccer culture of his childhood block, and the father-son debates (Maldini vs. Baresi) that shaped his love of the game. We also get into the culture shock of moving to rural Ohio at 11, and how those experiences led him to write a book meant to help kids — and their soccer-illiterate parents — fall in love with soccer.

Goals For Good is more than a giveaway — it's Park-It Management's way of giving back to the game that shaped so many lives, including COO Derek Messulam's own. Derek moved from England to the US at 12, and soccer became the thing that helped him find his footing in a new country. Now he's channeling that same love of the game into a program built to send a deserving family to the World Cup.In this episode of The Inside Scoop, Derek shares his journey from young transplant to soccer executive, breaks down how Goals For Good came together, and tells the story of the family whose life changed when Park-It delivered their World Cup tickets. We dig into the stories families shared, what it took operationally to pull off a moment like this, and what Goals For Good means to Derek personally.

How many hours does it actually take to go pro? In this episode, we sit down with Erik McCue, a professional footballer, to get an honest, no-hype breakdown of what real youth training looked like on his path to the pro game.Erik walks us through his journey from casual pickup soccer as a kid to disciplined, high-volume training as a teenager — and shares the numbers most academies won't tell you.Coming up in this episode:The real hours he trained before age 12Why his parents never pushed him — he pushed themThe burnout mistake most soccer families make

I hear this all the time from soccer parents: "If my kid really loved the game, they'd practice on their own." I used to believe it too. But here's the problem — it's backwards.I'm going to break down why competency, not love, is what actually drives a kid to keep playing. Why waiting for your child to "show love" before you step in might be costing them years of development. And why the love you're waiting for might never show up... unless you're the one who builds it.If you've got a kid who says they love soccer but won't touch a ball outside of practice — this episode is for you.

I'm continuing my series untangling the assumptions behind pay-to-play soccer, and this time I'm tackling a terminology problem that's easy to miss but really matters. I break down a proposal from an ECNL leader for a new national scouting program aimed at "amateur clubs" — and why I think that label is misleading. As I see it, a program like this would mostly benefit families already paying into the system, not the grassroots kids it claims to help. I also share a personal story about my own son, who landed on the national team radar from outside the MLS Pro Academy pipeline, to make the point that talent doesn't only come from paid systems. Getting the language right matters if we actually want to reduce costs and widen access.

Passionate coaches aren't enough to build a great youth soccer program — passion doesn't scale, and it doesn't guarantee competency. In this episode, Neil breaks down why clubs need a clear, repeatable development process that even volunteer coaches can execute well. He covers the 80-20 rule for structuring practices, dividing coaching responsibilities to reduce execution risk, and his philosophy of "keep the ball longer, take the ball faster." Plus, a practical checklist parents can use in just the first 10 minutes of any game to evaluate whether real development is happening on the field.

I make the case for a controversial idea in youth soccer: that great coaching isn't about finding the most passionate, experienced person — it's about building a process so strong it doesn't depend on them. I break down why "hope" isn't a system, how modular, McDonald's-style methodology could let modestly motivated volunteers deliver real quality, and what this means for the future of affordable, scalable club coaching.

I get into what it's really been like raising two soccer kids — the early mornings, the balance between pushing and living vicariously, and the small daily habits that shaped who they've become as players and people. Along the way, I share how those lessons turned into Anytime Soccer Training. Thanks

Going back to the beginning of this journey — to something I stumbled onto almost by accident when my sons first started playing, that most parents and players never think to do. It wasn't a coaching secret or expert advice — I found it through trial and error, and it ended up making more of a difference than anything else we did. In this episode I break down what it is, why it works, and why it's so rarely talked about — plus the pushback I got from some coaches for doing things differently.

Every coach knows the problem: the game ends, the moment's gone, and the feedback that actually changes how a kid plays never makes it past the parking lot. On this episode of The Inside Scoop, I sit down with the founder of Impressive Play to talk about why he skipped the stats dashboard and video tagging tools everyone else is building — and went with voice AI instead. We get into how it actually works, what "good" post-game data looks like for a coach in the hour after the final whistle, the mistakes teams make when they roll it out, and how you use AI without losing the relationship side of coaching — the read-the-room stuff no stat line will ever capture. If you're a coach, club director, or soccer parent tired of feedback that sits in a folder and never changes Tuesday's practice, this one's for you. 

I sat down with pro footballer Erik McCue, who's played in Thailand, Sweden, and the U.S. — and asked him what actually separates European soccer from ours. His answer surprised me: in Sweden, his team runs 1-2 full video sessions a day, breaking down every training rep like game film. In the U.S., that happened maybe twice a week. We talk about what it's like installing a new tactical system with a new coaching staff, why raw athleticism gets you noticed here but barely matters there, and what he now tells young American players trying to make the jump overseas.

Everyone thinks they've found the fix for pay-to-play. Free training centers. A revamped ODP. Sounds great on paper.But what if the "fix" actually makes things worse?I've spent years building something in this space, and I still don't have all the answers — but I know enough to see when a good-hearted idea is about to backfire. In this episode, I get honest about the incentive nobody wants to admit exists, the parts of my own thinking I'm still working through, and the alternative I keep coming back to that has nothing to do with bigger budgets or bigger buildings.This one's less "here's the answer" and more "here's what's actually been sitting with me" — and I want to hear where you land on it too.

It happened again. Two years ago, a tournament got rained out halfway through. No third game. No refund. No champion. Just a bunch of disappointed kids standing on a wet field.This time I decided to get answers. I sat down with Dutch Schotemeyer, a coach and tournament director who's run over 300 events in Southern California, and I asked him straight up: what's supposed to happen when the rain stops play? Is there a backup plan? Should there be one?What he told me is going to change how I pick every tournament from now on — the fine print in registration nobody reads, why the field matters more than you think, and how directors actually decide who "wins" when a tournament never finishes.If you've ever paid good money and walked away with a soaked, disappointed kid and zero answers — this one's for you.Check out Dutch's tournaments:

I keep hearing that pay-to-play soccer needs to be "fixed," but I think most of that conversation misses what parents are actually buying. This isn't a necessity — it's a lifestyle choice, closer to walking into a BMW dealership than a Honda one. Parents pick up side hustles to afford the uniforms, the hotels, the "experience," and clubs know cutting those costs risks the very thing families are paying for. I compare it to luxury car shopping, break down why clubs aren't exactly incentivized to trim the fat, and admit where I think clubs actually could do better. Curious what you think after hearing this one.

My guest Goran has lived more soccer cultures than almost anyone I've talked to — born in Croatia during wartime, raised through a Bundesliga club's academy in Germany, thrown into American club soccer in Dallas, then training at a high-intensity academy partnered with FC Barcelona in Argentina. We go country by country on what actually changes: the fitness-heavy grind in Germany, the small-group technical focus in Argentina, and everything in between. He also tells me about Teach Me Too, his "Airbnb for private lessons" that connects parents with vetted coaches and college players. If you want a real picture of what youth soccer looks like outside the US, this one's it.

People assume soccer's cheaper abroad because parents there grew up playing, so they just make better coaches. I don't think that's it. Coaching is its own skill — playing the game doesn't hand it to you for free, same as it wouldn't in baseball or football. What's actually different is culture: those parent-coaches stay at the same club for years, like volunteer firefighters, and get better through repetition. I break down why that myth is wrong and what I think it'd take to build something similar here.

Most players go years without an honest read on where they stand — not because coaches are unkind, but because nobody's built the yardstick. I break down an idea I've been chewing on: start with proven, established players, work backwards to define what "good" actually looks like technically, tactically, physically, and mentally, then use that to calibrate real feedback and real improvement plans. Got your own way of measuring where a player stands? Come share it on the show.

People love the idea that solidarity payments and training compensation will fund grassroots soccer and motivate coaches — but does it actually work that way? I break down how these FIFA systems really function, why the payoff is more lottery than income, and what US soccer is still missing to build a real professional pipeline.

This episode, I pushed back on the idea that executive salaries are driving up youth soccer costs. Less than 2% of Americans make half a million a year, and that money's concentrated in tech and finance — not soccer admin. I also drew a line between this debate and the corporate CEO pay debate, which is really about wage-sharing, not pricing.Bottom line: if we want to fix soccer costs, we need to look at club P&Ls, real demand for paid training, and the volunteer-vs-paid divide — not just point fingers at executives. I asked listeners to send data or push back if they disagree.Also plugged the Anytime Soccer Training relaunch — 5,000+ videos, travel passports, global races. Free to join at anytime-soccer.com.

Everyone has a theory about why youth soccer costs so much. This week, I'm taking those theories apart — one by one. First up: the claim that executive salaries are quietly draining parents' wallets. I went looking for the truth. What I found might surprise you.

If I had to pick just one thing to improve in American youth soccer, this would be it. Watching Spain beat Argentina got me thinking about why players over there hit a wall we just don't have, while ours can coast for years without anyone saying a word. In this episode, I dig into the one missing piece — and what it would actually take for US clubs to get better at it.

I sat down with Benjamin Ifada, whose soccer journey took him from playing in Nigeria to England and France before landing here in the US, where he now coaches at Legends Football Club.We trace how each of those systems shaped the way he sees the game — how talent gets found, how players get developed, and where parents fit into the picture.Benjamin doesn't hold back on what he thinks US youth soccer gets wrong, and offers some pointed ideas on what he'd change if he ran the show. It's a rare chance to hear an outsider's view on a system most American soccer parents have never had to question.

This week I sat down with my son after a tough World Cup run and asked him a simple question — his answer sent me down a rabbit hole. I ended up connecting the dots between engagement psychology, an old fast food trick from the 90s, and why so many youth development plans miss the point entirely. Plus: an update on new training content I just filmed, and a play-space idea I can't stop thinking about.

I take a hard look at a question I get asked a lot: why doesn't England have the same paid private team system we do here in the US?I dig into how their national pathway actually works, who's really footing the bill for player development, and where the money goes when an academy prospect gets sold for millions.Along the way, I uncover some surprising gaps between how the two systems are funded — and why one path might be setting kids up better than the other. It's a side of youth soccer economics most American parents never see.

I start this episode close to home — walking through how I explain "value" to my own two sons. It comes down to a simple ratio: what you get versus what you pay. Real value creation happens when that gap keeps widening over time.From there, I break the idea into a few core pieces and use them to examine some of the reform proposals circulating in youth soccer today.The central question I'm wrestling with: do these ideas actually generate new value, or do they just shift it from one group of families to another? I share a couple of examples that shifted my own perspective, then close with the one bar I think every serious proposal needs to clear before it deserves a real conversation.

Everyone has a theory for fixing American soccer after the World Cup exit. Parents. Pundits. Ex-players. Talking heads on every panel. All-star teams. Corporate-backed academies. Pro/rel. I've heard them all — and I used to nod along too.Then I ran them through a framework I built to test whether an idea actually creates value, or just sounds good while moving money around.What I found changed how I look at every "solution" being pitched for US soccer right now. I break it all down in this episode — and I don't think you'll hear these ideas the same way again.

A soccer club walks up to me. Fifteen minutes. They want to improve player development and enjoyment.Most consultants would give them a PowerPoint. I'm giving them something different.It starts with philosophy. Then structure. Then the part most clubs get completely wrong—and it changes everything about how they operate.If you run a club, coach a team, or just wonder how youth soccer programs actually work, this one's for you.Listen in.

A conversation with a friend made me realize something I should've figured out years ago.As a parent trying to give my kids every advantage, I've been obsessing over the obvious stuff. But after breaking down what actually separates developing players from the rest, I found there are just a few key things that matter.And most people get them completely wrong.I've organized them into a framework—three big areas that drive real development. One of them probably surprises you. One of them you might be overlooking entirely.There's also a system I use to evaluate whether your kid is actually getting what they need to improve. It's simple. It works. And it changes how you look at training.But that's what the episode is for.All I'll say: stop chasing the shiny things. The real drivers of development are less glamorous than you'd think, more powerful than you'd expect, and completely within your control as a parent.Listen to find out what they are.

Last episode, I proposed renaming "club soccer." But I realized I left something out.In this episode, I break down my value equation: what you receive divided by what you pay. Simple. But when you apply it to youth soccer, things get complicated. There's tangible value—training hours, coach ratios, field time. And perceived value—everything else parents think they're getting.Understanding the difference changes how you evaluate any program.

Here's what's been bugging me: we compare youth soccer costs all the time, but we're using the wrong words—which means we're making the wrong decisions.I'm talking about "club soccer." That label is masking what you're actually buying. And I've got a better name for it.In this episode, I break down why renaming it matters, how it changes the value equation, and why this simple shift could completely change how parents think about what they're paying for.Stick around—it'll reshape how you evaluate youth soccer costs.

I sat down with Andy Barrero, Director of Coaching at OC Premier Academy Futsal, and discovered something that completely shifted how I think about player development.Here's what I learned: futsal isn't just a fun indoor alternative—it's one of the most underrated tools for building elite ball-handlers and tactical thinkers. The smaller court, faster pace, and constant pressure force players to make split-second decisions with the ball at their feet.If you're coaching youth soccer or raising a player who wants to compete at the highest levels, this conversation reveals why futsal belongs in every development pathway—and what most academies are missing.

I sat down with Andy Barrero, Director of Coaching at OC Premier Academy Futsal, for a fascinating look at how youth soccer development differs between the US and South America.Andy shares his firsthand insights on the cultural and environmental factors that shape players on both continents — from how the game is introduced at a young age to the role futsal plays in technical development. It's a conversation that gives coaches, parents, and players a lot to think about.The Inside Scoop Podcast with Neil CrawfordGuest: Andy Barrero, Director of Coaching — OC Premier Academy Futsalocpremieracademy.com

I'll be honest with you — I don't have all the answers on this one.I've been asking questions about pay-to-play for a while now, and the more I dig in, the more I realize how complicated it actually is. On this episode I'm thinking out loud, trying to understand why youth soccer costs so much more in the US than in countries like England or Germany — and whether the comparisons people make online are even fair.We talk through the difference between structured and unstructured soccer, volunteer-based programs versus paid coaching, and what academy systems look like at different levels around the world. But I'm genuinely still learning here — and I need data. Real numbers. Coaching costs, training hours, actual P&L from lower division clubs abroad.If you know how this works in other countries, reach out. I want to get this right.

I sat down with Andy Barrero, Director of Coaching at OC Premier Academy, to break down everything you need to know about futsal — and why it might be the missing piece in your child's development.We cover the basics: what futsal actually is, how the court and ball are different, what shoes to wear, and why goalkeepers don't wear gloves. Andy also explains what he calls the "Spidey senses" effect — how playing futsal trains players to read the game so well that when they step onto a full-size soccer field, everything slows down.If you're in the OC area or want to learn more about their program, connect with OC Premier Academy here:

In this episode I'm responding to a comment from our Anytime Soccer Training Facebook group that puts most of the blame on MLS and closed-circle systems for the problems in youth soccer. And honestly, there are some valid points there. We do need a stronger federation, a more open pyramid system, and better accountability across the board.But the more I dug into it, the more I realized — this is a lot more complicated than pointing the finger at one organization.Yes, MLS has influence. But club soccer's high costs aren't primarily driven by league structure. They're driven by what parents want and expect. Paid coaches. Multiple training days per week. National league competition. That demand exists regardless of how the system is set up at the top.I also talk about why bringing in more professional academies doesn't solve the cost problem for the average family, how the lack of a clear ranking system lets clubs market themselves without real accountability, and why those international comparisons you see online are almost always missing key context — coaching compensation, training frequency, facility costs, season length all matter before you can make a fair comparison.There's room to improve the system, no question. But a lot of what's driving costs comes down to cultural expectations around what youth sports should look like in America — and that's the harder, messier conversation nobody wants to have.

The comments from my last episode were too good to ignore so I came back for a follow-up. I also had a quick correction to make — I said "game model" last time, I meant "gaming program." Not the same thing.I push back on the idea that this situation is automatically a culture problem. It may just be a communication problem — and those are very different things. One is fixable, the other is a reason to leave. Don't conflate the two until you know more.I also get into what I actually believe the coach's role should be — and I break down nine things that need to be in place for a club to have real standards. Not just the word on a website, but things you can actually point to and measure.If your club can't check most of those boxes, what you have isn't standards — it's just rules that get enforced when it's convenient.

A parent from our Youth Soccer Guest Player Facebook group asked a question I hear more than you'd think — their daughter is on a top-level ECNL team, not getting minutes, likely not making the playoff roster, and wants to guest play somewhere without the coach finding out.I break down why that's harder than it sounds — player cards are owned by clubs and administered by governing bodies like US Club Soccer and USYSA, so the coach is almost always in the loop. I cover the gray areas: dual registration, unsanctioned tournaments, futsal, and a loophole through state associations that may or may not still exist.I also share my honest take — if you're writing a check to a club, you deserve clarity upfront on what's guaranteed and what isn't. Playing time isn't a right, but transparency is.https://www.anytime-soccer.com/free-resource-hub

Every soccer parent has faced it — someone jumps in the Facebook group and tells you your kid should "just have fun." Push back even slightly and suddenly you're the villain.I'm not backing down.In this episode, I share the exact questions I ask every time someone tries to tell me I'm doing it wrong. Not to judge — but to find out if we're even talking about the same thing.Do you train your own child? At what age did you start? How many hours a week? How many years have you been doing it?Because without those answers, the conversation is noise.Can you answer the questions?

The NCAA just got sued — and everything is changing.In this episode of The Inside Scoop, Neil Crawford sits down with Dave Morris, founder of College Athletic Advisor, to break down the latest NCAA rule changes and what they mean for high school soccer players and their families right now.From JUCO pathways to Division 1, 2, and 3 recruiting, Dave explains how these shifts could impact your child's college journey — and why most parents have no idea how any of this actually works until it's too late.If your child has dreams of playing college soccer, this is the conversation you can't afford to miss.

When I started this journey as a soccer parent, I had no idea what I was signing up for financially. Now, a few years in, I think I finally get it — and it's not a simple answer. In this episode I walk through both sides of the equation: the demand side, where American culture around opportunity is driving prices up, and the supply side, where consolidation is locking out competition. Once you understand both, the picture gets a lot clearer.Free resources mentioned in this episodehttps://www.anytime-soccer.com/soccer-club-cost-calculatorhttps://www.anytime-soccer.com/free-resource-hub

Your kid comes off the field holding their knee. You've heard them say it before — my knees are killing me. But this time, something feels different.In this episode of The Inside Scoop, Neil Crawford sits down with Jason Goumas — physical therapist and founder of New Direction Wellness & PT — to break down one of the most common and most misunderstood conditions affecting young soccer players: Osgood-Schlatter disease.Jason explains what it actually is, why soccer players are hit harder than any other sport, and the signs parents need to watch for during their child's growth spurts. He also tackles the question every parent faces — should your kid play through the pain or stop completely?If your child has ever complained about knee pain after practice or a game, this conversation could change how you handle it.