Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward: Recent Episodes
Kick It Forward
The 2026 girls state soccer tournament is officially in the books. We break down Hudson's PK shootout victory in 1A, North Polk's historic first title in 2A, and Waukee Northwest's back-to-back championship run in 3A. Plus, a look back at the key moments, game-changing plays, and players who shined on the biggest stage.
Semifinal Friday did not disappoint. PK shootouts, overtime winners, upsets, and late-game drama highlighted an unforgettable day across the 1A, 2A, and 3A state semifinals. Tune in as we break down all the action and preview championship Saturday.
The quarterfinals delivered plenty of goals, upsets, and storylines as teams battled through the heat in Ames. We break down all the action from 1A, 2A, and 3A while looking ahead to what should be an exciting semifinal round.
From Regina finishing off an undefeated season to Gilbert repeating as 2A champs, Hoover's historic comeback, and Waukee Northwest closing out a title run of its own — the boys state finals had a little bit of everything. Ben, Blake, and Matt break down the biggest moments, wild atmospheres, standout performances, and everything that made this year's tournament unforgettable.
Gilbert returns to the state title match with a 2-0 win over Bishop Heelan, while Des Moines Christian punched its ticket on a late corner-kick winner in a tense battle with Unity Christian. Ben and Blake break down the weather chaos, tactical moments, standout performances, and what to expect in Saturday's all-central Iowa final.
Class 1A semifinals are in the books. Regina Catholic outlasted West Central Valley in a PK shootout, while St. Albert battled back from a 2-0 deficit to take down defending champion West Sioux and secure a spot in the state final.
The state semifinals delivered nonstop drama, late comebacks, huge saves, and championship-level performances. We break down all the biggest moments from an unforgettable day at the Iowa boys state soccer tournament and preview the matchups set for Friday's finals.
The boys state tournament quarterfinals delivered everything — overtime thrillers, penalty shootouts, controversial moments, and statement wins across all four classes.
We break down the biggest results from Day 1, including Waukee Northwest surviving Johnston in PKs, Urbandale's comeback against Iowa City West, Gilbert advancing in dramatic fashion, and who looks ready to make a run at a state title heading into the semifinals.
The postseason is here! On this episode, we break down the 2026 Iowa Boys State Soccer Tournament with predictions, key matchups, dark horses, and the biggest storylines to watch across all four classes as teams battle for a state title.
This week we break down Waukee vs Valley while also diving deep into the newly released boys and girls substate brackets. From controversial seeding discussions to strength of schedule debates, we talk through the biggest matchups, toughest draws, and teams we think are built for a postseason run. Lincoln head coach, Joe Sithonnorath, also joins the show to provide a coach's perspective heading into the postseason as we discuss substate timing, travel concerns, and potential improvements to the playoff format.
A packed week of boys action as we break down the Merle Hay Cup and Iowa City West at Ankeny Centennial. Big moments, key goals, some referee controversy, and what these results mean as we get closer to postseason play.
This episode breaks down two key girls matchups across the state, including Dowling vs Ankeny Centennial and Southeast Polk vs Waukee, with a deep dive into the moments that decided each game. The guys analyze goals conceded, highlighting preventable mistakes, defensive positioning, and the importance of communication and game management in crucial moments.
The high school soccer season is in full swing and this episode we dive into the Crosstown Invitational, a loaded event featuring some of the top ranked teams in the state all competing in one place. We break down key matchups including Ankeny Centennial vs Linn-Mar, highlight standout goals and moments, and talk through what makes this event so valuable with college coaches in attendance.
We're back with another Game of the Week breakdown, this time covering a girls matchup between Lincoln and North that ended in a 1-1 draw. The guys break down key moments including a first-half penalty, a chaotic equalizer, and a close offside decision that could've shifted the result. They also touch on the growth of both programs, rising participation numbers, and early season results and storylines from around the state.
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:301a55f9-a056-4c20-af23-d3345a3a65a8-3" data-testid= "conversation-turn-8" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> The high school soccer season is officially underway, and we kick things off with our first Game of the Week breakdown. We dive into Roosevelt vs. Dowling, covering a controversial penalty decision, missed chances, and the game-winning goal in a 1-0 result, while also discussing roster turnover and what it means for both teams. Around the state, we hit early results, storylines, and teams to watch, plus player development and decision-making in key moments. On the girls side, we recap a strong Dowling win, highlight standout performances, and get into the high school vs. club conversation, finishing with thoughts on facilities, atmosphere, and why the high school game still matters.
We're back with another roundtable episode, this time talking all things girls high school soccer! During this conversation, coaches discuss what it takes to build a successful high school soccer program, challenges within the game, the importance of developing leaders, and for some, getting players invested in something bigger than just winning games. From player development and expectations for the season to the evolving relationship between club and high school soccer, this conversation offers insight from the coaches working every day to grow the girls game in Iowa.
In this episode, we bring together several Iowa high school boys soccer coaches for a round table conversation about the upcoming 2026 season. The group discusses how programs are preparing for the year ahead, what they're seeing across the Iowa soccer landscape, and the challenges and opportunities facing high school soccer in the state. From player development to program culture and expectations for the season, this conversation offers insight straight from the coaches shaping the game in Iowa.
Grand View made history in December, winning the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship for the first time in program history. In this episode, we sit down with Head Coach David Groves to talk about the Vikings' run through the national tournament and the players who helped make it happen.
Coach Groves shares how patience, strong leadership, and trust in the process helped shape a championship team. We also discuss recruiting, developing players, and what the future looks like for the Grand View program as they look to build on a historic season.
Continuing the conversation about youth soccer, we are joined by a soccer educator, youth coach, and lifelong soccer aficionado, Frank Gurnick, or as we like to call him, Frankie G! In a broad-ranging discussion, we touch on everything from what defines a community club to the inherent conflict between volunteer non-profit boards and their executive leadership. But it isn't all serious soccer talk. In addition to the standard banter, Frankie G has some of the best one-liners out there and some crazy recall for names and teams of players that he's coached over the years.
In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Heckenlaible to talk through his journey in the game, from growing up playing in Iowa to working through setbacks, trusting his belief, navigating recruiting camps and academy trials, and earning his place at the college level. Andrew shares what the process actually looked like behind the scenes, the moments that tested him, and what he learned by taking ownership of his development along the way.
In this episode, we sit down with Lance Rozeboom, former Iowa youth soccer player, Division I collegiate athlete, and professional, to discuss his approach to player development and why he built RFA Futbol Academy around the youngest age groups.
Lance shares why the early years are critical to long term development and how he stays hands on with the day to day coaching, environment, and expectations.
ECNL Super Cup is being positioned as a replacement for high school soccer, but is it really the better option?
In this episode we break down which path truly reflects a collegiate environment, where real exposure comes from, the financial barriers involved, and the impact of playing for your community.
A conversation every player and parent should hear. 🎙️⚽️
The semifinals are in the books, and the stage is set for a massive Friday finale. In 1A, Van Meter edged Regina 1-0, while West Sioux shut out Hudson 2-0 to earn their shot at the title. Over in 2A, Bishop Heelan put on a clinic with a 7-0 win over Williamsburg, and Gilbert battled past Webster City 1-0. We break down the highlights, key performances, and what to expect when the trophies are on the line.
The 2025 girls state tournament kicked off with a bang—goals, drama, and a few surprises along the way. From Xavier’s ten-goal masterclass to Centennial and Waukee surviving from the spot, the quarterfinals delivered across all three classes. We break down the standout performances, smooth finishes, and what each result means heading into the semifinals.
In this episode, we break down the thrilling quarterfinal matchups from the 2025 Iowa Boys State Soccer Tournament. From dominant performances to nail-biting penalty shootouts, we cover all the action across Classes 1A through 4A. Highlights include Johnston's commanding 5-0 victory over Dowling Catholic, Cedar Rapids Washington's dramatic PK win against Dallas Center-Grimes, and Gilbert's double-overtime triumph over Knoxville. Tune in as we analyze each game's pivotal moments and set the stage for the upcoming semifinals at Mediacom Stadium.
The 2025 Iowa High School Boys State Soccer Tournament is back! Join us as we analyze each bracket, highlight key players, and provide insights into the teams vying for the state title. Whether you're a fan, player, or coach, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the road to the championship.
IGHSAU's state soccer tournament is here and we are ready to talk about it. In this episode, we dive into each class, spotlight key storylines, and share our predictions for who might lift the trophy by week’s end. From dominant favorites to potential underdog runs, we’ve got everything you need to get ready for state.
Gary Ross from the IGHSAU joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of girls high school soccer in Iowa. We talk about his background in sports, the elimination of overtime and PKs, updates to the state tournament venue, season start date, rankings system, and changes to yellow and red card rules. We also dig into the growing participation numbers, what Gary enjoys most about overseeing the sport, and a few fun side topics along the way.
Girls substate predictions are here! We’re diving into every corner of the girls regional brackets and making our picks for who’s punching their ticket to state. Expect bold takes, tight matchups, and a few dark horse teams we’ve got our eyes on.
This week’s episode features a classic showdown between two Des Moines public school programs we’ve followed closely for years—North and Roosevelt (Boys & Girls). After breaking down the Game of the Week, we shift into a full rundown of the Class 4A boys substate brackets. We go region by region, highlighting key matchups, potential upsets, and the top contenders in each bracket. From powerhouse programs to dark horse threats, we cover everything you need to know heading into the postseason
During the offseason, we sat down with Todd Tharp from the IHSAA to talk all rule changes coming to Iowa High School Soccer. We dive into this year’s state soccer format, why overtime rules have changed, and what else could be coming to high school soccer in Iowa. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at the decisions shaping the game!
This week's featured matchup takes us to the pitch for a clash between the Valley Tigers and Ankeny Centennial Jaguars. In this episode, we delve into a CIML Class 4A showdown, highlighting all the goals, pivotal moments, and tactical adjustments that defined the final result. We also celebrate Aziz Haffar's 600 career wins and talk controversies beyond the match. Tune in now to catch all the action and insights!
On this week’s episode of Game of the Week, we break down the clash between CIML opponents Ankeny and Ames. While the scoreboard didn’t tilt in Ames’ favor, the Little Cyclones brought energy and moments of promise—especially in the second half. Tune in as we highlight key plays, standout performances, and what this result could mean for both squads as the season progresses.
On this week’s episode of Game of the Week, perennial powerhouse Iowa City West hits the road to face Dowling Catholic in a marquee boys soccer matchup — and this game did not disappoint. Jonathan Mendez stole the show with a hat-trick, but that didn’t stop the Trojans from making it interesting. We break down all the key moments, tactical insights, and what this result means moving forward. Tap in for the full recap of one of the most anticipated games of the week!
This week's featured matchup takes us to the pitch for a clash between North Fayette Valley and Center Point-Urbana. We break down the goals, key moments, and standout players from a game that delivered plenty of action and quality play. Who controlled the midfield? Who made the difference in the final third? We’ve got all the highlights and analysis right here. Tune in now for your weekly dose of Iowa high school soccer!
Game of the Week is BACK! Ben Brackett and Blake Siberz are joined by the Titan Tactician and now Dowling Girls Head Soccer Coach, Matt Sahag, to discuss Friday's game between the Maroons and Roughriders.
Kick It Forward's Ben Bracket & Blake Siberz are joined by current Des Moines Menace spark plug, Leroy Enzugusi, and debuting podcast cohost, Fred Frimpong, to discuss the second round of U.S. Open Cup. Listen now to hear more about The Valley, fun locker room stories, and more with this Soccer Talk crew.
We sat down with new Des Moines Menace head coach, Charlie Latshaw III, to discuss his season plans, the quickly approaching U.S. Open Cup, and his vision for the team's success.
Watch and listen to our recap of semifinal action on day 2 of the boys state soccer tournament!
Watch and listen to our recap of semifinal action on day 2 of the girls state soccer tournament!
Watch and listen to our recap of quarterfinal action on day 2 of the boys state soccer tournament!
Watch and listen to our recap of quarterfinal action on day 1 of the girls state soccer tournament!
It's that time of year once again! Today we sat down to discuss the recently released Iowa High School State soccer groups for both the boys and girls sides. Follow us closely for the next week to see what goes down at Cownie Soccer Complex and Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines.
Watch & listen to the Kick It Forward crew talk about the Perry vs. Winterset Girls match and get some additional commentary from Lincoln vs. Ames on the boys side.
Watch & listen to the Kick It Forward crew talk about this CIML rivalry and get another in-depth tactical analysis from the tactician himself, Matt Sahag.
Watch & listen to the Kick It Forward crew talk about this early season matchup and get an in-depth tactical analysis from the tactician himself, Matt Sahag.
The Iowa High School Boys Soccer Coaches Round Table is back! Watch and listen to these coaches discuss changes they would like to see on the boys side, their favorite parts about high school soccer, and what the future holds for this coming spring season.
The Iowa High School Girls Soccer Coaches Round Table is back! Watch and listen to these coaches discuss changes they would like to see in the girls game, their favorite parts about high school soccer, and what the future holds for this coming spring season.
Kick It Forward's Ben Brackett and Blake Siberz are joined by Jimmy Frizzell to discuss the Johnston Dragons Boys 2023 state tournament run, how he approached the season even in a "rebuilding year," and what to expect for the upcoming season. Tune in for state champion insights, fun coaching perspectives, and much more. Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward.
Kick It Forward's Ben Brackett and Blake Siberz are joined by Matt Harding to discuss the Iowa City Liberty Lightning 2023 state tournament run, their move from 2A to 3A, and what to expect for the upcoming season. Tune in for state champion insights, fun coaching perspectives, and much more. Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward.
Kick It Forward's Ben Brackett and Blake Siberz are joined by Eric Shafer to discuss the Johnston Dragons Girls 2023 state tournament run, how he kept the team connected despite starting 0-2, and what to expect for the upcoming season. Tune in for state champion insights, fun coaching perspectives, and much more. Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward.
Kick It Forward's Ben Brackett and Blake Siberz are joined by BJ Jordison to discuss the soccer community in Gilbert, Jordison's time as a head coach for the Tigers, and how he keeps his team connected throughout the year. Tune in for another round of state champion insights, fun coaching perspectives, and much more. Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward.
Kick It Forward's Ben Brackett and Blake Siberz are joined by Dan James to discuss the 2023 Iowa High School soccer season, Dallas Center-Grimes' team culture, and his vision for the season ahead. Tune in for state champion insights, fun coaching perspectives, and much more.
Soccer Talk presented by Kick It Forward.
Watch and listen to our recap of semifinal action on day 2 (day 4 overall) of the girls state soccer tournament!
Watch and listen to our recap of semifinal action on day 2 (Day 3 overall) of the boys state soccer tournament!
Watch and listen to our recap of quarterfinal action on day 1 of the girls state soccer tournament!
Watch and listen to our recap of quarterfinal action on day 1 of the boys state soccer tournament!
It's that time of year once again! Today we sat down with Dan Rothert to discuss the recently released Iowa High School State soccer groups for both the boys and girls sides. Follow us closely the next few weeks to see what goes down at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.
On this special episode, we sat down with the Footie Central Association to discuss their Orbis project and how they want to impact the community around them. "Orbis is a work-based learning program where students engage in real-world projects in partnership with the workforce. Orbis gives students the opportunity to authentically apply the foundational academic skills they’ve learned in the traditional classroom setting; as Orbis offers real-world experience, making our students more marketable and prepared for success in their careers…. The final destination of student work is not a teacher’s desk. Rather, the work is reaching someone outside of the school setting and positively impacts the community." The Ankeny Centennial students, Caden Rash, Cayden Giron-Buster, Haris Smajlovic, and Lucas Derby want to provide a space for more people to play soccer and grow the game that they love!
Game of the Week Ft. Ottumwa at Des Moines Lincoln 🎧 Listen to the KIF crew talk about this new conference rivalry. Episode is live!
Drags upset #1 Dowling Catholic. Listen to the crew discuss the battle of top 6 teams on a gorgeous spring night!
We're back East... this time discussing Iowa City West vs Iowa City High. Once again, we have a our correspondant Erick Cortes in on the call to talk about the game!
More beautiful weather and more soccer to go along with it. With our second Game of the Week, we had correspondant Erick Cortes discuss the Iowa City West vs Iowa City Liberty game. Listen to our take on the game!
Conference play has just begun and things are already heating up! This past week the KIF crew traveled to Waukee Northwest to see the Wolves take on the Valley Tigers. An entertaining game makes for entertaining listen, so go get your headphones and be ready for CIML soccer talk.
Twice the action, twice the excitement! Our double game of the week was action-packed and is not one you want to miss. Listen in as we discuss DSM North vs DSM Lincoln (Girls) & Newton vs South East Polk (Boys)
With Iowa High School Soccer comes unpredictable weather. Rain or shine, we're ready to brave the elements to catch some fierce soccer action! For our first game of the week in the 2023 season, we visited Adel as the Van Meter Bulldogs faced off against the Des Moines East Scarlets. Listen in for our take on the game!
Get ready to tune in and turn up the volume! Our latest podcast episode is here and it's packed with insights, laughs, and everything in between. Join us as we interview back-to-back State Champion and Pleasant Valley Head Coach, Wayne Ward. Don't miss out - hit play now!
We're back with another Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Round Table before the spring season! Watch and listen to these coaches discuss their predictions for the upcoming season and some of their expectations going forward.
To learn more about Kick It Forward and our passion for making soccer more accessible, check out our 💻website: https://kifsoccer.com. In addition to the 🎙Soccer Talk podcast, we help build 🥅Mini-Pitches and offer FREE ⚽soccer programming. If you'd like to get involved or support what we do, head to 🙏🏽https://kifsoccer.com/support.
The Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Round Table is back! Watch and listen in as these coaches discuss changes they would like to see, their favorite parts about high school soccer, and what the future holds for this coming spring season.
To learn more about Kick It Forward and our passion for making soccer more accessible, check out our 💻website: https://kifsoccer.com. In addition to the 🎙Soccer Talk podcast, we help build 🥅Mini-Pitches and offer FREE ⚽soccer programming. If you'd like to get involved or support what we do, head to 🙏🏽https://kifsoccer.com/support.
On this episode, we are joined by Drake University Men's Head Soccer Coach Pat Flinn to discuss the Bulldog's season thus far and recap their 1-0 win over SIUE.
Watch and listen as we discuss the state finals and learn who walks away from Cownie as 2022 State Soccer Champions!!
Watch and listen to our recap of semifinal action on day 2 of the boys state soccer tournament!
Support Kick It Forward at our upcoming Golf Scramble! PLAY or SPONSOR at https://www.kifsoccer.org.
To learn more about Kick It Forward and our passion for making soccer more accessible, check out our 💻website: https://kifsoccer.com. In addition to the 🎙Soccer Talk podcast, we help build 🥅Mini-Pitches and offer FREE ⚽soccer programming.
Watch and listen to our recap of semifinal action on day 2 of the girls state soccer tournament!
Support Kick It Forward at our upcoming Golf Scramble! PLAY or SPONSOR at https://www.kifsoccer.org.
To learn more about Kick It Forward and our passion for making soccer more accessible, check out our 💻website: https://kifsoccer.com.
In addition to the 🎙Soccer Talk podcast, we help build 🥅Mini-Pitches and offer FREE ⚽soccer programming. If you'd like to get involved or support what we do, head to 🙏🏽https://kifsoccer.com/support.
Make sure you 🚨SUBSCRIBE🚨 to our YouTube channel to catch future episodes, and grab the podcast on your favorite provider (links below) for on-the-go listening!
You can also find us on...
- 👋🏽 Facebook: https://facebook.com/kifsoccer
- 👋🏽 Instagram: https://instagram.com/kifsoccer
- 👋🏽 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kif_soccer
Watch and listen to our recap of quarterfinal action on day 1 of the boys state soccer tournament!
Support Kick It Forward's mission to make soccer more accessible by PLAYING in or SPONSORING our 2022 Golf Scramble at https://www.kifsoccer.org.
To learn more about Kick It Forward and our passion for making soccer more accessible, check out our 💻website: https://kifsoccer.com.
In addition to the 🎙Soccer Talk podcast, we help build 🥅Mini-Pitches and offer FREE ⚽soccer programming. If you'd like to get involved or support what we do, head to 🙏🏽https://kifsoccer.com/support.
Make sure you 🚨SUBSCRIBE🚨 to our YouTube channel to catch future episodes, and grab the podcast on your favorite provider (links below) for on-the-go listening!
You can also find us on...
- 👋🏽 Facebook: https://facebook.com/kifsoccer
- 👋🏽 Instagram: https://instagram.com/kifsoccer
- 👋🏽 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kif_soccer
Watch and listen to our recap of quarterfinal action on day 1 of the girls state soccer tournament!
It’s state tournament time in Iowa and the substate finals have brought all of the drama. Listen in to hear more about Substate Final #8 while also getting updates on all of the other final matches.
Today we sat down to discuss the recently released substate groups for the boys’ side and the girls’ side, whose pairings also came out for the coming weeks as we prepare for what is sure to be an exciting state tournament at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.
It was PACK THE PITCH night in Ankeny as the Ankeny Centennial Jaguars faced off against their crosstown rival, the Ankeny Hawks, and wow, what an atmosphere!
On a chilly, but still spring evening, we enjoyed the inaugural Waukee derby in Iowa soccer history as the Waukee Warriors battled the Waukee Northwest Wolves at the latter’s state-of-the-art stadium.
On a beautiful evening at Duke Williams Stadium, we took in an entertaining girls game between the East High Scarlets and Waukee Warriors.
On a chilly, drizzly spring evening, the KIF Game of the Week crew was back at it with a visit to Grubb Stadium to see who had the bigger roar as the Des Moines Christian Lions took on the Polar Bears of Des Moines North. Listen in for our take on the game!
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Check out Gianna Bennett’s efforts to raise money for Count the Kicks: https://charity.pledgeit.org/f/5VS9GvlEDo. We want to raise $1000 and will match your efforts up to $500!
We’ve been on a bit of a roll scoring exclusive interviews, and today continues the trend as we welcome new Drake University Men’s Head Coach, Pat Flinn to the studio. Pat arrives in Des Moines via Chicago where he honed his craft in the MVC as an assistant with Loyola Chicago and most recently as the head coach at the University of Chicago. The Roswell, Georgia native plied his trade at our favorite position, left back, eventually going on to play for and captain Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
If you’re as excited as we are to check out Pat Flinn’s Bulldogs this spring, here is their schedule in the month of April:
- 4/3 vs. William Penn University at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines
- 4/7 vs. Creighton University at Northwest High School Stadium in Waukee
- 4/16 at University of Nebraska-Omaha at Caniglia Field in Omaha
- 4/21 vs. Grand View University Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines
As we ease into the spring and the high school soccer season creeps closer, we thought we would take some time to highlight some of the best Iowa soccer products out there as they prepare for the transition to the college game. Today we are bringing you interviews with four standout high school players that have recently made college commitments. They’ll discuss their personal soccer journey, but most importantly, we’ll learn about their different experiences with the recruiting process and learn a little about how they made their decisions.
This is a longer episode, and while we would love you to listen to the entire thing, here is the interview order:
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(4:20) Freddy Muniz (D.M. East/United Futbol Academy to Grand View University)
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(23:20) Sophie Hoffman (Dike-New Hartford/Vision Soccer Academy to South Dakota State University)
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(53:09) Grace Smith (D.M. Roosevelt/Sporting Iowa to Drake University)
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(01:18:25) Andrew Holmes (formerly D.M. Roosevelt/Sporting Iowa, currently St. Cloud Tech/Minnesota Eclipse to Evansville University)
Spring isn’t quite here, but high school soccer is just around the corner and we are fired up for it! You know who else is fired up for it? The coaches. When we put it out there to see who wanted to join us for a conversation about the upcoming season, there was such an excellent response that we had to hold two separate rounds of interviews. With input from 1A, 2A and 3A boys and girls coaches, this provides an insightful glimpse into high school soccer - of course we’ll get some team and player previews, but we’ll also discuss topics like the new rankings system, the new open enrollment/transfer rules and the state tournament.
Round 1:
- Marcus Varnum - Ankeny
- Brian Duax - Ankeny Centennial
- Zach Jensen - Newton
- Jacob Lucy - Southeast Polk
- Ryan Sander - Waukee
- Carlos Acebey - Waukee Northwest
Round 2:
- Matt Cox + Brandon Cook - Bondurant
- Eric Birkenholtz - Carlisle
- Colin Lane - Dallas Center-Grimes
- Matt Ream - Des Moines Roosevelt
- Jackson Teeling - Dowling Catholic
- Jimmy Frizzell - Johnston
- Mike Buchheit - Pella Christian
- James Brook - Waukee
We love soccer - hopefully that much is clear - and as a result, we love other people that also love soccer. Charlie Bales authentically exemplifies this all day, every day. From his humble beginnings being coached by his mother in the YMCA leagues of hardscrabble Cedar Rapids in the early 90s to leading the Des Moines Menace to their second championship of all-time, Charlie’s main intent in life seems to be having fun, bringing people together and spreading his love of the game of soccer. A man of many nicknames (Chuck, ChookBells, Hay, Charles, Lil’ Chucklehead, Gamba, etc.) and the ultimate locker room guy, we enjoyed a chat with Charlie - a Saint at Xavier High School, a Leatherneck in Macomb and an absolute Menace in Des Moines!
As you should know, we love firsts here at Kick It Forward and this one pleases us quite a bit. We are proud to provide the exclusive, first podcast interview of our new friend, Dean Johnson, head coach of the Des Moines Menace. Dean comes to us as a Watford, England native and journeyman player and coach. There is no question that he brings a winning mentality and a work ethic to the former Kings of the Heartland (apparently there’s a new conference name, the Deep North Division of the Central Conference (facepalm)) and the 2021 USL 2 Champions. Currently the head coach at NCAA Division II powerhouse, Davis & Elkins, Dean has some big shoes to fill, but our impression is that he might put more pressure on himself to win than the Des Moines Society and Red Army combined. Please enjoy this conversation and also, have a little chuckle that we made Deano walk for about 12 minutes in the freezing cold to find a place to record and when we actually landed, it was at a frozen daiquiri bar. He was a great sport and we are excited to have him at the helm!
Times, they are a’changing in the Central Iowa soccer scene. As you know, the Grand View University job is open after the legendary Blair Reid has retired, but also, the head coaching position at Drake University will see a change as well after Gareth Smith stepped down from the post. Interim boss, Kyle Smith, was kind enough to spend some time talking about his soccer journey as a player and now as a coach, plus provide a little insight into the team’s past couple of seasons and a peek into the future of the program. It’s a great chat, so enjoy!
As we’ve come into the new year, changes abound in the Iowa soccer community. In particular, a true legend has retired from the head coaching position at NAIA powerhouse, Grand View University. If there were a godfather of Iowa soccer, Blair Reid would undoubtedly be a part of the conversation. We had an opportunity to sit down with Blair and reminisce about his career and have a great laugh. A character on and off the field, Coach Reid’s impact on the game is indisputable, so please, enjoy this episode.
We would be lying to you if we claimed 2021 as anything other than extraordinary for Kick It Forward. While the pandemic era has thrown curve balls to everyone in the world, we found a way to grow, continuing our podcast output and grassroots programming, but also growing our Mini-Pitch Initiative throughout the state of Iowa and to Omaha and Central Falls, Rhode Island. Today's episode provides our Year in Review and wraps things up nicely as we head into 2022!
People talk about six degrees of separation, but with the soccer community, especially in Iowa, it's more like two degrees of separation and we love it. So today we fired up the old rolodex and connected with class act, Kyle Zobeck. Zobeck, a Coralville native and journeyman goalkeeper has most recently played with FC Dallas in the MLS, but also spent time with the storied New York Cosmos along the way. A successful youth career in Iowa was followed by four years at Valparaiso, plus time at various amateur clubs including your Des Moines Menace. Join us for a great chat with an absolute Iowa legend. Find out more about Kick It Forward at www.KIFSoccer.com.
Not all results can fall in the weatherman's favor, and today was an example of that for the KIF Crew. After an uncanny amount of amazing weather days for the Game of the Week, plus our producer's silly proclamation last week, we were shocked by the cold temperatures, wind and drizzle that accompanied our most recent Game of the Week between the Drake University women as they hosted the University of Northern Iowa. Long story short, we were treated to a classic college soccer battle that had postseason implications for both squads. Listen in to hear what has become a preview for this weekend's Missouri Valley Conference first round matchup between the #4 seed Panthers hosting the #5 seed Bulldogs.
The weatherman has been picking the best fall soccer games for the KIF Crew to attend. This past week, we went out to Cownie Soccer Complex to see the Battle of the Vikings between Grand View University and NAIA's eighth-ranked Missouri Valley College. The beautiful weather was not to upstage the beautiful game, however. Instead, we were treated to a back-and-forth affair that had plenty of action for the neutral. A strong presence of Iowa natives bolstered the Grand View squad and they showed themselves well all evening. After a busy second half of chances, Missouri Valley struck back after Grand View took the lead to force a little free soccer! Enjoy the recap!
It's been awhile since we got out to cover a youth soccer game, so with all of the buzz around the Elite Club National League (ECNL), we decided to see what it was all about. This past weekend, Sporting Iowa hosted Midwest United FC and Liverpool FC, both from Michigan, along with their travel partners Gretna Elite Academy from Nebraska. It was an amazing fall morning at Hidden Valley Soccer Complex and for both teams, the word of the day was "compete"! With talented players for both squads, we enjoyed a spirited battle between the the U17 girls that saw both teams pick up a point after a 1-1 draw that both teams will feel like they could have won.
If you're reading this, you know that the Soccer Talk production team has been a little slow to post our most recent episode. But, like they always say, "better late than never." So time travel back with us to a beautiful fall evening in Indianola where a tale of two halves unfolded between the men's programs of the Simpson Storm and Central Dutch. An entertaining Simpson squad came out strong, really putting the pressure on Central going up 2-nil before halftime. The Dutch, who were struggling with injuries, came out fired up to start the second half and scored immediately to halve the deficit. For the neutral, this set things up for an intense and tense second half, which the KIF Crew enjoyed thoroughly, especially with all of the Iowa natives on the field.
This week we are back to The Player's Spotlight, where we feature current players, learn about their soccer journey and get some insight into the modern Iowa player. A probable future Iowa Soccer Legend, Kenzie Roling is currently in her freshman season at the University of Iowa after working her way through youth soccer with some intent. This, of course, makes sense after we learn about her academic prowess and overall inclination towards perfection. A prolific goal scorer, Kenzie recounts her pathway through youth soccer in Waverly to the ODP program and her decision to pursue playing with the Iowa Rush and then an ECNL team in Nebraska. Despite all of her pursuits to play at the highest level, she also cherished her time playing for her high school team, Waverly-Shell Rock, leading the team to a 2021 State Championship and picking up Gatorade Player of the Year honors along the way. Enjoy!
Fall is here and that means there are Games of the Week to cover! Our producer has been dealing with some technical difficulties so our timing isn't perfectly current, but our enthusiasm for the event hasn't waned. After the Drake Bulldogs started their season off with a loss, they've been on a three game winning streak recently recording wins over St. Thomas University and University of Nebraska-Omaha. We had the opportunity to check out their big first win of the season against Western Illinois University, a classic college soccer battle that took place on a beautiful afternoon in front of a small crowd at Cownie Soccer Complex.
Gracing us with his presence once again is Greg Velasquez, co-host of the excellent Scuffed Podcast, which provides all of the in-depth coverage and analysis of the U.S. Men's National Team that you could ever imagine. But why is Greg here? Because it's closing in on the most wonderful time of the year: World Cup Time. World Cup Qualifying in the CONCACAF region begins in earnest this week as the aptly named Ocho pits the top eight teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean against each other in the region's final round of World Cup Qualifying. The U.S. will take on El Salvador, Canada and Honduras during the international break, needing a strong return of points (somewhere between six and nine) to deem the week a relative success. Greg hops right in the saddle and brings us up to speed in one episode's time. Enjoy!
Hey gang, it's been awhile, but we needed a little break to replenish our positive disruption fuel! A few weeks of international soccer (Euros/Gold Cup), lots of Menace Soccer (USL 2 Champs, what?!) and some time on the home front was exactly what the doctor ordered. So we're back, re-energized, and ready to take on the rest of 2021. And what better way to get back into the swing of things than to have a great conversation with an Iowa Soccer Legend?!
This week we welcome Iowa native and professional soccer player, Lance Rozeboom, to the studio. Currently of Miami FC, which plays in the USL Championship, Lance was originally drafted by D.C. United in 2012 after playing locally for the infamous CRSA '89 squad, the Des Moines Menace and the University of New Mexico Lobos. Since then, his professional career has taken him all over the United States and Canada, playing for the Rochester Rhinos, Austin Aztex, Ottawa Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies prior to his time with Miami FC.
We were fortunate enough to find out that Lance was back in town to spend some time with family. Naturally, we invited him on the podcast and he graciously accepted. We talk about all the soccer things plus how he fell in love with the game, who is on his all-Iowa five-a-side squad and his dreams of staying fit long enough to play for the USL Pro Iowa squad.
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Last week we were a part of history as we did Game of the Week LIVE at Valley Stadium featuring Des Moines United FC vs. Des Moines Menace!! Check out our postgame reaction from the sidelines while players from both teams intermingled with the fans on the field. It was a great day for soccer and no doubt, regardless of the result, the Des Moines soccer community was the real winner.
After checking out as many games as we could muster at the 2021 Soccer Championships, we recorded our post-game reaction LIVE from next to Field 8 where the Valley-Centennial game had just wrapped up.
Post-recap, we run through a preview of Thursday's impending Semifinal Round with the Titan Tactician. Here are the match-ups:
Class 1A
- Burlington Notre Dame/West Burlington (21-1) vs. Iowa City Regina (12-7)
- West Liberty (16-3) vs. Western Christian (15-1)
Class 2A
- Cedar Rapids Xavier (13-5) vs. Adel ADM (15-4)
- Bondurant-Farrar (17-3) vs. Dallas Center-Grimes (17-3)
Class 3A
- Iowa City West (19-1) vs. West Des Moines Valley (17-4)
- Pleasant Valley (18-3) vs. Johnston (16-3)
Yesterday we were LIVE at the first round of the IHSAA 2021 Soccer Championships at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines! You can see us in person on our YouTube channel, but if you're a little more the straight audio podcast type, we've got you covered.
We set up the Kick It Forward tent right in the middle of the action between Fields 6, 7 and 8 for the end of the Class 1A games, all of the Class 2A games and of course, for the Class 3A games that culminated with a dramatic shootout between 4th seeded Valley and 5th seeded Ankeny Centennial (video can be seen @kifsoccer on Instagram).
Part 1 is our Classes 1A and Class 2A wrap up, plus a pre-Class 3A conversation about the incoming action. Be sure to check out Part 2 for our post-game reaction from Cownie Soccer Complex!
please note that while the audio for Part 1 of this LIVE episode isn't great, the audio on Part 2 is excellent in comparison
Postseason games are coming thick and fast and quickly they start to become more and more meaningful. After taking in an entertaining Semifinal in Substate 3 between Roosevelt and Dowling, the Game of the Week Crew decided to visit Valley Stadium in West Des Moines where the Tigers would attempt to avenge a loss from earlier in the season to a young, but talented Ankeny Hawks side.
Other local 3A games included Centennial at Waukee in the Substate 2 Final and Dowling at Johnston in the Substate 3 Final. Because the soccer community is tight knit, we were able to enlist agents around town to provide updates on those games in real time.
We'll briefly discuss the details of the Ankeny-Valley game and also have a conversation around the other 3A results, the re-seeding for the State Tournament and bring you updates on the Class 1A and Class 2A match-ups as well.
We'll chat a little bit about next week's State Tournament in Des Moines to be played at James Cownie Soccer Complex, but more so, discuss how the rankings
After receiving over 300 total votes for the Game of the Week, more than 100 of them were cast in favor of a trip to Windsor Heights for the Roosevelt-Dowling match-up. In addition to it being a beautiful spring evening, both squads brought their fans out in full force and they would be rewarded by an entertaining match. As Coach Matt Ream's Roughriders finished out an undefeated conference schedule a trip to visit Dowling provided an opportunity to avenge their regular season penalty shootout loss as well as further their bid for a state tournament berth. Maroon's boss, Jackson Teeling, on the other hand, was mostly worried about getting his squad back on track after they had dropped results in five of their last seven contests, albeit to ranked opposition.
In a game with some drama and some good soccer, Dowling eventually earned a date with fourth-ranked Johnston who narrowly defeated crosstown rival, Urbandale, and will host the Maroons on the evening of Wednesday, May 26th.
As the high school boys regular season winds down, postseason play is heating up as we speed towards the state tournament at Cownie in a couple weeks. With the first round of substate games taking place on Thursday, May 20th, we chatted with some of the coaches of the top-ranked central Iowa programs as they prepare for the knockout portion of the season. * #16 Roosevelt Roughriders - Matt Ream * #14 Dowling Catholic Maroons - Jackson Teeling * #13 Ankeny Hawks - Marcus Varnum * #7 Johnston Dragons - Jim Frizzell * #6 Ankeny Centennial - Brian Duax * #4 Valley Tigers - Aziz Haffar * #1 Waukee Warriors - Carlos Acebey
Substate semifinals take place on Monday, May 24th and substate finals are on Wednesday, May 26th. The winners of the eight substates will meet the following week in Des Moines to crown the 2021 State Champion.
We've been in the thick of the high school soccer season, covering lots of Games of the Week, but we figured it was time to revisit The Player's Spotlight. It was only appropriate to track down high school senior, Jaren Obia, one of the standout players for the second-ranked Valley Tigers. Jaren's 31 goals (at the time of publication) is the most in the state for Class 3A and his 13 assists put him in the Top Five statewide in that category. Needless to say, the well-rounded and well-spoken Obia will be a good addition to Grand View University in the fall of 2021 where he will join up with squad after a strong high school career and club career with West Des Moines Soccer Club and Sporting Iowa. As we creep towards the state tournament, we'll be excited to see if Obia and the Tigers find a way into the latter stages at Cownie in June.
We love a doubleheader and we love the Ankeny soccer community, so naturally, we shot up north with our friend and Ankeny Fanatic Legend, Jacob Misel, to take in the Ankeny derby between the Hawks of Ankeny High School and the Jaguars of Ankeny Centennial High School at Northview Middle School. The girls' game showcased top-ranked Centennial against Ankeny, whereas the boys game featured a couple of squads outside the top ten, but both very much in the state tournament conversation. In addition to Misel commenting on the boys' game, we have Justin Vorster, who was on the call with Central Iowa Sports Network (CISN) for the girls' game, join us in the studio to chat about that match. All of the squads are strong and while the Centennial girls have a strong shot at the postseason, every other squad on showed on the evening that they have a shot at Cownie in early June!
Usually a classic Des Moines Public Schools' battle held under the lights on a Friday evening, this year's DMPS Classico took place on a quiet Tuesday afternoon at Cownie Soccer Complex. The atmosphere certainly did not rival those of the past, but it was still a good game of high school soccer that highlighted some strong players from both squads. With Lincoln putting out a young, attack-minded team, coach Jack Simons was positive about their ability to roll with the punches and always get back up to go again. Roosevelt's well-balanced squad, coached by first year Head Coach, Matt Ream, seems poised to improve upon their past few seasons as evidenced by their first win over Lincoln since 2017. Lincoln alum and Southside Schemer, Joe Sithonnorath, joins us in the studio to discuss the match!
Usually a classic Des Moines Public Schools' battle held under the lights on a Friday evening, this year's DMPS Classico took place on a quiet Tuesday afternoon at Cownie Soccer Complex. The atmosphere certainly did not rival those of the past, but it was still a good game of high school soccer that highlighted some strong players from both squads. With Lincoln putting out a young, attack-minded team, coach Jack Simons was positive about their ability to roll with the punches and always get back up to go again. Roosevelt's well-balanced squad, coached by first year Head Coach, Matt Ream, seems poised to improve upon their past few seasons as evidenced by their first win over Lincoln since 2017. Lincoln alum and Soutside Schemer, Joe Sithonnorath, joins us in the studio to discuss the match!
The Game of the Week crew headed west again this week, but this time it was a more northerly route up Highway 141 to Perry. After light snow on Monday, this Tuesday game saw temperatures in the low 40s drop to the mid 30s by full time. Our inaugural Battle of the Blue Jays brought Class 2A's 6th-ranked Bondurant-Farrar out to play perennial powerhouse Perry. Perry, who is actually experiencing a tough start to the 2021 season, are winless through their first six games. Bondurant-Farrar, on the other hand, would be looking for it's first win over Perry since 2012. Needless to say, it was a classic high school matchup at a classic Iowa high school stadium pitting two tough teams against each other on a crisp spring evening.
The Game of the Week crew headed west again this week, but this time it was a more northerly route up Highway 141 to Perry. After light snow on Monday, this Tuesday game saw temperatures in the low 40s drop to the mid 30s by full time. Our inaugural Battle of the Blue Jays brought Class 2A's 6th-ranked Bondurant-Farrar out to play perennial powerhouse Perry. Perry, who is actually experiencing a tough start to the 2021 season, are winless through their first six games. Bondurant, on the other hand, would be looking for it's first win over Perry since 2012. Needless to say, it was a classic high school matchup at a classic Iowa high school stadium pitting two tough teams against each other on a crisp spring evening.
We headed west this week to Van Meter to see the Bulldogs take on the Thunder of Grand View Christian in a Class 1A match-up. The first year program in Van Meter is led by head coach, Jonah Waldron, a Van Meter alumni who actually played with Adel when he was in high school because Van Meter didn't have enough players for a program. It was also fun to see Dakota Kuehl's squad in the Thunder, who after going down early to the Bulldogs, fought for the entire match and never gave up.
The transformation of the Iowa Soccer League is now fully underway - the Club Development League has formed and several top clubs have left the Iowa Soccer Association. What comes of this change has yet to be determined, but for now, ISA is tasked with retaining their current membership and trying to create a league structure that not only encourages player development, but probably most importantly, provides players with a great experience. As many organizations do in times of turmoil, ISA has sought the guidance of an outsider - a consulting firm called The Collective based in Nashville, TN. Together, ISA and The Collective will effectively tear down the current system and re-build it from the ground up. Today we try to provide some clarity around what has happened and about the process moving forward.
No doubt that a Game of the Week got the Soccer Talk crew fired up - not since June of 2019 have we had a chance to cover a high school soccer game. So to kick off the 2021 season, we decided to take in a unique match pitting Dowling Catholic against Norwalk. Not only would this match signify Norwalk's first match as a member of Division 3A, but it would also be Dowling Catholic's head coach, Jackson Teeling's first official game in charge of his new squad. Ironically enough, Teeling's previous coaching gig was as an assistant to Norwalk's long-time head coach, Dustin Kralik. In a classic defensive battle, it was the Maroons with a defining moment that made the difference in the second half - the game eventually ended 1-0 in their favor - but both squads will be pleased with their start to the season and we'll expect to see both of them making noise during the sub-state tournament.
Perhaps the final piece to the puzzle in understanding this specific Youth Soccer Discussion is the competition/league structure itself. Craig Winger is the Iowa Soccer Association's Director of Competition and he's here to educate us. Craig is a native Iowan and growing up in the '80s playing at a community club in Dubuque, he's seen the evolution of Iowa soccer that hearkens back to the early days of State Cup in Muscatine. Receiving the ISL/IPSL torch from Iowa Soccer Legend, Ted Bzdega, Craig has overseen an unparalleled transition in Iowa soccer's history. This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). Here are the stories: * Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). * Episode 89 went in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provided a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club. * Episode 90 reviewed the standards of the different leagues and provided some solutions to potentially keep the ISL and CDL together under the ISA umbrella. * Episode 91 was a wide-ranging conversation that provided a perspective that few have on the ISL, CDL and player development in the state of Iowa. We welcome the godfather himself, Iowa Soccer Association's Executive Director, Dan Cataldi to hear about the process to this point and hopefully, a way forward.
This is a big one. Michael Parkhurst's list of accomplishments is a long one - it's one that spans an excellent MLS career (New England Revolution, Columbus Crew, Atlanta United), includes time spent playing in Europe in Denmark's top flight (FC Nordsjaelland) and highlighted by a strong stint with the U.S. Men's National Team. But today, he joins us as a newly announced owner for USL Rhode Island and of course, as a supporter of our mini-pitch project in Central Falls, Rhode Island. We'll discuss all sorts of good stuff, including the lead up to his extensive professional career, which saw Parkhurst grow up playing in Rhode Island prior to leaving for Bradenton, FL for his high school years and eventually going on to play collegiately for Wake Forest University. Throughout the years, he has volunteered for Project GOAL and was even twice-named MLS Humanitarian of the Year.
As you know may remember, participation in Project GOAL is a common theme of our Rhode Island mini-pitch project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Providence College star Julian Gressel, currently of D.C. United, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and hopefully soon, newcomer, Damian Rivera. As we connect with these players, you'll see that it really brings a project like this full circle and we are SUPER pumped about it.
This is a big one. Michael Parkhurst's list of accomplishments is a long one - it's one that spans an excellent MLS career (New England Revolution, Columbus Crew, Atlanta United), includes time spent playing in Europe in Norway's top flight (FC Nordsjaelland) and highlighted by a strong stint with the U.S. Men's National Team. But today, he joins us as a newly announced owner for USL Rhode Island and of course, as a supporter of our mini-pitch project in Central Falls, Rhode Island. We'll discuss all sorts of good stuff, including the lead up to his extensive professional career, which saw Parkhurst grow up playing in Rhode Island prior to leaving for Bradenton, FL for his high school years and eventually going on to play collegiately for Wake Forest University. Throughout the years, he has volunteered for Project GOAL and was even twice-named MLS Humanitarian of the Year.
As you know may remember, participation in Project GOAL is a common theme of our Rhode Island mini-pitch project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Providence College star Julian Gressel, currently of D.C. United, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and hopefully soon, newcomer, Damian Rivera. As we connect with these players, you'll see that it really brings a project like this full circle and we are SUPER pumped about it.
Taking a little break from the Youth Soccer Discussion, we are introducing a new segment: The Player's Spotlight, which will give other young players an opportunity to hear from their local peers and role models.
Today's guest, Leroy Enzugusi, is living the dream. Born in Kenya, Leroy made it to Iowa via Memphis, Tennessee, landing in Marion as a preteen. One of the best parts of his story is how he was introduced to the game on a visit with his cousins back in Kenya - on the streets of Nairobi at age 11 playing chobowe (you'll have to listen) with a bunch of kids he barely knew.
Upon his return, Leroy's trajectory has been vertical. He quickly convinced his mother to sign him up for organized soccer and he was playing for the Cedar River Soccer Association shortly thereafter. After starring for Linn-Marr High School, helping them to their first ever state championship and garnering all the accolades (including Gatorade Player of the Year in 2016), Leroy took the leap to play for the Sporting Kansas City Academy before committing to Drake University. A prolific goal scorer and tricky winger with pace for days, Leroy is now heading back to Tennessee after being drafted by Major League Soccer's Nashville SC.
A modest, but confident young man, we'll chat with Leroy about building good habits, balancing school and soccer plus we'll have some great conversation surrounding a player's mentality and dealing with disappointment, setbacks and failure.
Back again? You know it. Naturally, the Youth Soccer Discussion continues and we have the top authority on the topic hanging out with us in the studio today. Dan Cataldi is the now two-year tenured Executive Director for the Iowa Soccer Association and he's here to help our listeners understand how the CDL conversation began and explain the process over the past 6-12 months. This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). Episode 89 goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club. Episode 90 reviews the standards of the different leagues and provides some solutions to potentially keep the ISL and CDL together under the ISA umbrella. Episode 91 is a wide-ranging conversation that provides a perspective that few have on the ISL, CDL and player development in the state of Iowa. And now here we are with the godfather himself, Iowa Soccer Association's Executive Director, Dan Cataldi to hear about the process to this point and hopefully, a way forward.
Our Youth Soccer Discussion continues today with a very unique perspective from Curt Lewis, who currently coaches at Prairie Soccer Club, Cedar Rapids Prairie High School and for Iowa ODP. Curt grew up in West Des Moines playing for Valley High School and the West Des Moines Soccer Club, eventually going on to play at Mt. St. Claire in Clinton in addition to spending time with the Des Moines Menace and the Colorado Stampede of the USISL. So not only has Curt been a part of the Iowa soccer scene as a coach and player, but it has come full circle for him as his son Mateus is a talented player that has gone on to play in college. This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). Episode 89 goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club. Episode 90 reviews the standards of the different leagues and provides some solutions to potentially keep the ISL and CDL together under the ISA umbrella. Today's episode is wide-ranging and provides a perspective that few have on the ISL, CDL and player development in the state of Iowa.
Our Youth Soccer Discussion continues today with a very unique perspective from Curt Lewis, who currently coaches at Prairie Soccer Club, Cedar Rapids Prairie High School and for Iowa ODP. Curt grew up in West Des Moines playing for Valley High School and the West Des Moines Soccer Club, eventually going on to play at Mt. St. Claire in Clinton in addition to spending time with the Des Moines Menace and the Colorado Stampede of the USISL. So not only has Curt been a part of the Iowa soccer scene as a coach and player, but it has come full circle for him as his son Mateus is a talented player that has gone on to play in college.
This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). Episode 89 goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club. Episode 90 reviews the standards of the different leagues and provides some solutions to potentially keep the ISL and CDL together under the ISA umbrella. Today's episode is wide-ranging and provides a perspective that few have on the ISL, CDL and player development in the state of Iowa.
And again, we are back with the hot topic of Iowa youth soccer: the discussion surrounding the Iowa Soccer League vs. the Club Development League. We gather up our gear and head down to the conference room studio to chat with Matt Sahag, sometimes known as the Titan Tactician, but today appearing as a Youth Soccer Consultant. Matt, who played four years at Drake and captained the squad his senior year, has his USSF "B" License and in his nearly 20 years in the Des Moines area, he has coached for the Ankeny Soccer Club, Johnston Urbandale Soccer Club, Sporting Iowa and most recently with Vision Soccer Academy, albeit briefly. By day, Matt is a partner in the law firm Dickey, Campbell & Sahag and in his spare time, he founded Kick It Forward, with which he loves to positively disrupt the Iowa soccer community. This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). Episode 89 goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club. Today's episode reviews the standards of the different leagues and provides some solutions to potentially keep the ISL and CDL together under the ISA umbrella.
And again, we are back with the hot topic of Iowa youth soccer: the discussion surrounding the Iowa Soccer League vs. the Club Development League. We gather up our gear and head down to the conference room studio to chat with Matt Sahag, sometimes known as the Titan Tactician, but today appearing as a Youth Soccer Consultant. Matt, who played four years at Drake and captained the squad his senior year, has his USSF "B" License and in his nearly 20 years in the Des Moines area, he has coached for the Ankeny Soccer Club, Johnston Urbandale Soccer Club, Sporting Iowa and most recently with Vision Soccer Academy, albeit briefly. By day, Matt is a partner in the law firm Dickey, Campbell & Sahag and in his spare time, he founded Kick It Forward, with which he loves to positively disrupt the Iowa soccer community.
This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). Episode 89 goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club. Today's episode reviews the standards of the different leagues and provides some solutions to potentially keep the ISL and CDL together under the ISA umbrella.
And we are back with the hot topic of Iowa youth soccer: the discussion surrounding the Iowa Soccer League (ISL) vs. the Club Development League (CDL). Today we welcome Matt Carver to the studio as a representative of the Iowa Soccer League. Carver founded and runs the Iowa United FC in Urbandale, which was formerly the J-Hawk Soccer Club. Iowa United FC was created to provide a low-cost, volunteer led and volunteer coached soccer experience to youth in the community, where players learn the importance of citizenship, teamwork, positive attitude, effort, fundamentals, and sportsmanship, in a safe and welcoming environment. This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the CDL. Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing ISL. This week's episode goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club.
And we are back with the hot topic of Iowa youth soccer: the discussion surrounding the Iowa Soccer League vs. the Club Development League. Today we welcome Matt Carver to the studio as a representative of the Iowa Soccer League. Carver founded and runs the Iowa United FC in Urbandale, which was formerly the J-Hawk Soccer Club. Iowa United FC was created to provide a low-cost, volunteer led and volunteer coached soccer experience to youth in the community, where players learn the importance of citizenship, teamwork, positive attitude, effort, fundamentals, and sportsmanship, in a safe and welcoming environment.
This past summer of 2020, in the relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Competitive Development League (CDL). Episode 85 of the podcast tried to provide a neutral overview of of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL). This week's episode goes in depth into the history of how this situation came about, and provides a good perspective from the leader of an ISL club.
The pandemic has changed the way we do things - some for the better and others less so - but no doubt, it has pushed people to be more creative and a lot of the time, more inclusive as well. Such is the case with the Iowa Soccer Virtual Symposium, which is being offered uniquely over the the internet on February 27 and 28. By offering individual and organization passes, plus providing recordings of the sessions post-event, this year may prove to be the most influential yet in the symposium's brief history. The program, which has been carefully curated by the Iowa Soccer Association's Director of Member Services, Candice Fabry, is designed engage people involved in all levels of the game. The live-streamed event offers several different sessions run by some of the top coaches, referees, educators and innovators in the game. Tune in to hear all about this year's event, plus learn a little about Candice, her soccer journey and the experience of putting together an event like this (virtually no less).
If there's such a thing as an original in Iowa soccer, Courtney Crandell is one that comes to mind. Courtney is a pioneer for soccer-playing women of all ages, but in her time, was among the first Iowans to break through at the D1 and National Team level. After learning the game through her older brothers Chad and Josh, the Roosevelt graduate went on to play with boys competitive teams including (arguably one of the best club teams in Iowa history) Urbandale Freedom. A prolific goal scorer, rare in any fashion when discussing Iowa players, Courtney began her collegiate career at UNC-Charlotte where she set an all-time school record with 51 points in her freshman season (21 goals, 9 assists) and was named 1st team All-American. Courtney transferred after her sophomore season to Auburn University to finish her playing career and went on to coach at the club level throughout the southeast. Now with FC Boulder, she remains involved in the game while she embraces family life and motherhood.
Today we welcome good friend, fellow Iowan and Scuffed Soccer Podcast co-host, Greg Velasquez, to the pod. Scuffed is an excellent soccer podcast born of our men's national team's tragic inability to qualify for World Cup 2018. Accordingly, we'll embark on a first (Soccer Talk listeners know we love firsts), focusing in on the U.S. Men's National Team as their infamous January Camp comes to a close with a friendly on Sunday (1/31/21) against Trinidad & Tobago. Naturally, we could think of no better person to educate us than Greg himself and being the gentleman that he is, he was more than happy to oblige. Our discussion ranges from his initial love of the game through playing and coaching and then of course, the evolution of the podcast. Not only will we get in-depth analysis on the players, but also the process - 2021 could prove to be a pivotal year for our men's program with Olympic qualifying this spring and hopefully the Olympics this summer, plus the CONCACAF Nations Cup and Gold Cup and in the fall, World Cup Qualifying for 2022 in Qatar.
Today we welcome good friend, fellow Iowan and Scuffed Podcast co-host, Greg Velasquez, to the pod. Scuffed is an excellent soccer podcast born of our men's national team's tragic inability to qualify for World Cup 2018. Accordingly, we'll embark on a first (Soccer Talk listeners know we love firsts), focusing in on the U.S. Men's National Team as their infamous January Camp comes to a close with a friendly on Sunday (1/31/21) against Trinidad & Tobago. Naturally, we could think of no better person to educate us than Greg himself and being the gentleman that he is, he was more than happy to oblige. Our discussion ranges from his initial love of the game through playing and coaching and then of course, the evolution of the podcast. Not only will we get in-depth analysis on the players, but also the process - 2021 could prove to be a pivotal year for our men's program with Olympic qualifying this spring and hopefully the Olympics this summer, plus the CONCACAF Nations Cup and Gold Cup and in the fall, World Cup Qualifying for 2022 in Qatar.
In the depths of winter, with less soccer to see in person, there's still plenty of soccer to talk about. This past summer of 2020, in a relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Club Development League (CDL). This podcast tries to provide a neutral overview of of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL), which is now, effectively, the second tier of youth soccer in Iowa. We'll break down what we can with our basic research skills and hopefully, we'll have a chance in the coming weeks to gain some perspective from some of the individuals that are closer to it on a daily basis.
In the depths of winter, with less soccer to see in person, there's still plenty of soccer to talk about. This past summer of 2020, in a relatively new pandemic era, a contingent of youth soccer clubs in Iowa proposed a new league with the Iowa Soccer Association called the Competitive Development League (CDL). This podcast tries to provide a neutral overview of of the differences between the CDL and the previously all-encompassing Iowa Soccer League (ISL), which is now, effectively, the second tier of youth soccer in Iowa. We'll break down what we can with our basic research skills and hopefully, we'll have a chance in the coming weeks to gain some perspective from some of the individuals that are closer to it on a daily basis.
Pods come and pods go, but we feel like this is a timeless classic, much like our guest, Aaron Leventhal. Aaron loves fitness, a love that started with his dad, who as Aaron explains it was the least-skilled basketball player at the Jewish Community Center in Des Moines and taught him by example that anyone can love sports. Aaron, in this case, fell in love with soccer, something that was also fueled by his father, Jerry, the legendary administrator for the Iowa Soccer Association. His hereditary legend-status is not without much toil. After earning a spot with the Drake Bulldogs in the early '90s, Leventhal concurrently trained with the Minnesota Thunder and Des Moines Menace, eventually turning professional in 1996. While having a successful career with the Thunder, Leventhal also put his college degree to use and pursued a career in health and fitness. He now owns his own gym in Minneapolis and in addition to working with NFL, NHL and US Olympic Ski Teamers, "Levy" had the opportunity to work with Minnesota United FC in their first years of Major League Soccer.
Happy New Year, folks. The year known as 2020 has been strangely long and it seems everyone has been challenged in one way or the other. So let's start 2021 on the front foot and talk about something uplifting...
How about an Iowa guy working to climb the professional soccer ladder achieving some deserved success? Brandon Fricke, of Dallas Center-Grimes, has always been driven and put his focus on hard work and application over all else. After a successful youth career saw him have the opportunity to play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy with Sporting Kansas City, he caught on at Butler University in Indianapolis where he truly established himself as a potential professional prospect. Injury setbacks with impeccably poor timing have sent Fricke on a bit of a globe-trotting adventure. After being drafted 83rd by the Colorado Rapids in 2015, he has featured as a commanding defender in Sweden, North Carolina, Michigan and now finally in South Carolina, all the while finding time to feature for his hometown team, the Des Moines Menace. Now, in his inaugural USL League One season he helped Greenville Triumph SC to the league championship, simultaneously earning plaudits in the league's best eleven and top defender of 2020. We talk about his journey and all the good stuff in between, like playing left back!
We have a special holiday delivery today! We hop on the ol' Zoom to chat with Bill Koeppen, who currently coaches for Sporting Omaha in Nebraska, but we mostly have a broad discussion about Koeppen's life and of course, soccer. A self-described truth seeker, Cruyffian and music aficionado, Koeppen is the type of coach that can change your life. He's demanding, intense and principled and he strives to push his players to the next level. This has to do with his background first as a player at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia, but probably more to do with his 25-plus years of coaching experience, including assistant coaching stints at Creighton University and Drake University, plus running both the men's and women's program for MacMurray College in Illinois. During his time in Iowa, he also coached for several local clubs including the West Des Moines Soccer Club, Iowa United, Vision Soccer Academy and the Des Moines Menace. In talking about his experiences, Koeppen is reflective and thoughtful - and naturally, a little controversial.
Today we hit you with a very 2020 podcast and explore what we've dubbed, The Lost Season. In particular, we are focused on the Abraham Lincoln High School Railsplitters boys' high school program today, with head coach Jack Simons joining us in the studio. Simons' passion for the game is palpable. The only thing that seems to usurp that passion is his dedication to his student athletes - his commitment to their well-being and success. So when he showed up on the southside in 2012, he had aspirations for the soccer program. He wanted to show them what they could be because they had serious talent! Fast forward to the present and not only have the Rails improved their results, they've regularly found themselves going deep into their sub-state bracket and have produced several college-bound players, including some D1 prospects. After a difficult 2019 season that saw a lot of personalities get in the way of their talent and success, Simons was extremely optimistic for the 2020 season. He had a special group of seniors that really knew what it meant to be a Railsplitter. And then it was cancelled. Listen in to hear a little more of their story.
Today was a fun one in the studio. If you've been around the game much in Iowa, you probably know Matt Kennedy, who has coached locally on and off for almost 30 years. He's coached high school (Hoover, Roosevelt and Waukee) and club soccer (Iowa United, Des Moines Menace and Vision Soccer Academy), plus provided goalkeeper training to nearly every decent 'keeper that has come through Iowa whether as a youth or an aspiring professional.
What people sometimes forget is that Kennedy, first and foremost, was a player. After falling in love with the game in his teenage years, he left college early to sign with the Philadelphia Fury of the North American Soccer League in 1979. Kennedy, a goalkeeper, went on to play throughout the country in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. Prior to retiring from the game due to injury, he began his coaching career, founding the Bangu Soccer Club in Minneapolis before being lured south to begin his work with Iowa United in the early 1990s.
Again, if you know Kennedy, his passion for the game is rarely rivaled and today's conversation is a great reminder of this fact.
Today we welcome Justin Vorster, aka boettie, to the studio to talk soccer. Vorster, the nomad, has lived all over the world and has experienced the game in an unique way - growing up and being introduced to the game in Malawi and then living and playing in South Africa (during and post-apartheid) throughout his 20s. Once his playing career came to a close due to injury, Vorster found his way stateside where he coached at various levels in youth programs, college and into the professional game, mostly within the state of Iowa. Justin holds his USSF 'A' License and currently coaches with the Vision Soccer Academy and FC United. He has previously been the Technical Director at Johnston-Urbandale Soccer Club and Assistant Technical Director at West Des Moines Soccer Club. Outside of the youth game, he has also served as an Assistant Coach at Drake University, Head Coach at AIB College, and Head Coach for the Des Moines Menace Women's Professional team. Ol' boet loves a good chat, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories!
Today we welcome Justin Vorster, aka boettie, to the studio to talk soccer. Vorster, the nomad, has lived all over the world and has experienced the game in an unique way - growing up and being introduced to the game in Malawi and then living and playing in South Africa (during and post-apartheid) throughout his 20s. Once his playing career came to a close due to injury, Vorster found his way stateside where he coached at various levels in youth programs, college and into the professional game, mostly within the state of Iowa. Justin holds his USSF 'A' License and currently coaches with the Vision Soccer Academy and FC United. He has previously been the Technical Director at Johnston-Urbandale Soccer Club and Assistant Technical Director at West Des Moines Soccer Club. Outside of the youth game, he has also served as an Assistant Coach at Drake University, Head Coach at AIB College, and Head Coach for the Des Moines Menace Women's Professional team. Ol' boet loves a good chat, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the stories!
We know our listeners have been anxiously awaiting this collaboration, so naturally, we decided to give the people what they want for a special edition of Beers on the Table.
Cornfed Coaching is the brainchild of Jon Choda and Jack Andrews and originally began as a soccer podcast talking to influential people in Iowa and the Midwest from coaches to parents to players. They've continued to evolve and have launched a tactical coaching podcast called "The Sesh", a soccer blog called "Breaking the Press", plus they are starting a Teqball League, which is the first in Iowa. In addition to coaching at Vision Soccer Academy, the guys are simply passionate about the game and willing to talk about it in an open way.
So enjoy the chat and look forward to our collaborations in the future!
It's still November, which means National Signing Day is upon us. Last year, Soccer Talk spoke to several student athletes going through the process. Their perspective was invaluable, but this year, we thought we would change vantage points and connect with some former college coaches that have taken on the business of helping student athletes navigate the recruiting process.
Today, extremely good friend of Soccer Talk, Steve Sawyer joins us on the pod. Sawyer co-founded Contact Coaches to make college recruiting resources available to everyone, allowing all young players the opportunity to fulfill their dreams of playing college soccer. He himself played college soccer at Brown University and went on to coach at Connecticut College (D-III) and Villanova University (D-I). Sawyer has over 10 years of experience guiding players through the college recruiting process, as a college coach, as a youth coach and club director, and as a recruiting consultant. He has helped players go on to play at such schools as UCLA, Penn, Northeastern, Lehigh, Denver, Haverford, and many more. Contact Coaches offers free resources (including a blog), a recruiting dashboard, consultations, and highlight video production.
It's November again, which means National Signing Day is upon us. Last year, Soccer Talk spoke to several student athletes going through the process. Their perspective was invaluable, but this year, we thought we would change vantage points and connect with some former college coaches that have taken on the business of helping student athletes navigate the recruiting process. So today, we have Dan Rothert, founder of Top Student Athlete Recruiting and program director for Key City Soccer Club, on to talk college recruitment! Before retiring from college coaching in 2020, Dan Rothert, was one of the most successful college soccer coaches in NCAA history at any level. One of the few coaches with over 500 collegiate wins, Rothert’s 613 wins at Loras College in Dubuque between the men’s and women’s programs puts him in rarified company. Along with all of the winning, Rothert's teams were extremely successful in postseason play as well, making deep runs into the tournament commonplace. So what better place to get some college soccer advice? We discuss Rothert's experience and how it has shaped his approach to the recruiting process, but also how his views of the game inform his coaching style. Enjoy!
Things that Soccer Talk loves: firsts, a Game of the Week, road trips, catching up with old friends and watching good soccer. If you love these things too, then you'll love that we headed to Omaha last weekend to take in the Nebraska State Cup Final for the U15 Boys. The match featured a Sporting Omaha team coached by former Drake men's assistant, Bill Koeppen, and a Gretna squad under the guidance of Alex Vasquez. Both coaches are well-known for their demanding and competitive styles, but more so, for preparing their players to play at the next level. Speaking of the next level, Nebraska State Soccer has worked a deal with Creighton University to play State Cup matches at Morrison Stadium in downtown Omaha, which is one of the best soccer-specific venues in the Midwest, if not nationwide. Further, they stream the games on their YouTube channel and invited us over to provide coverage of the game. So in addition to having the Titan Tactician in the studio to help break down the action, please enjoy today's multi-media-style approach by following along on social media for interviews with the coaches and checking out some live footage on KIF's YouTube Channel.
Soccer Talk loves a Game of the Week, so we decided to take another trip out to Cownie Soccer Complex for the final weekend of the Iowa State Championship Series (10/25/20). We took in the big U16 Girls Final showcasing Sporting Iowa Central against the Iowa Rush. It was a chilly day in Des Moines, but both teams were experienced and ready for the big game. And of course, the Titan Tactician joins us in the studio to warm you up with all of his hot takes. Enjoy!
It's Game of the Week time again! Without a full college season this fall, Soccer Talk has taken a trip to watch the high school-aged club State Cup at Cownie Soccer Complex. And if that doesn't get you excited, it's a double GOTW! An historic match-up was our first game, as we took in the U16 Boys Play-In Game, which saw the United Futbol Academy (UFA) face off against the Genesis Youth Foundation. Both squads are new to the Iowa Soccer Association and the teams were playing in some of their clubs' first ever State Cup matches. The atmosphere was great and while the scoreline was a little lopsided, it was certainly exciting to see how much it meant to the players and their families. Then, after a pandemic-related rescheduling, UFA had the tall task of squaring off with top-ranked Sporting Iowa Central. Eventually, Sporting Iowa's quality showed through and their experience at the club level and in state cup led them to victory, but not after a hard fought battle with the up-and-coming UFA squad.
Today, we welcome the New England Revolution's Scott Caldwell to the pod. Scott grew up south of Boston and grew up supporting the Revs while constantly playing soccer with his older siblings. All of his time with the ball paid off, winning a NCAA Championship with Akron before being signed by his hometown squad in the Revs. He has since become a mainstay in the squad and ranks among the team's all-time leaders in appearances. As the youngest of four, Scott was rarely without a practice or person to play with, so when we talked to him about his involvement with Project GOAL and the mini-pitch project, he was all in. As you know by now, participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Providence College star Julian Gressel, currently of D.C. United, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. As we connect with each of these players over the coming weeks, you'll see that it really brings a project like this full circle and we are SUPER pumped about it.
Today, we welcome the New England Revolution's Scott Caldwell to the pod. Scott grew up south of Boston and grew up supporting the Revs while constantly playing soccer with his older siblings. All of his time with the ball paid off, winning a NCAA Championship with Akron before being signed by his hometown squad in the Revs. He has since become a mainstay in the squad and ranks among the team's all-time leaders in appearances. As the youngest of four, Scott was rarely without a practice or person to play with, so when we talked to him about his involvement with Project GOAL and the mini-pitch project, he was all in. As you know by now, participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Providence College star Julian Gressel, currently of D.C. United, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. As we connect with each of these players over the coming weeks, you'll see that it really brings a project like this full circle and we are SUPER pumped about it.
Kick It Forward's mini-pitch initiative has now gone national! We welcome D.C. United's Julian Gressel to the pod. Gressel, a top playmaker in the MLS loves to hand out assists and is known throughout the league for his versatility. Gressel came to the United States as a college player, striving to put together an experience that would help him grow as a person and student, as well as an athlete. He landed at Providence College, where the program experienced a strong period of success during his tenure. Gressel also volunteered at Project GOAL, during his time time in Providence in from 2013 to 2017. Participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. We plan to connect with each of these players over the coming weeks and while all of their stories will be enjoyable, we hope you enjoy hearing about Julian Gressel this week!
Kick It Forward's mini-pitch initiative has now gone national! We welcome D.C. United's Julian Gressel to the pod. Gressel, a top playmaker in the MLS loves to hand out assists and is known throughout the league for his versatility. Gressel came to the United States as a college player, striving to put together an experience that would help him grow as a person and student, as well as an athlete. He landed at Providence College, where the program experienced a strong period of success during his tenure. Gressel also volunteered at Project GOAL, during his time time in Providence in from 2013 to 2017. Participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include Jeff Larentowicz, currently of Atlanta United and formerly of the New England Revolution and Brown University, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other current New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. We plan to connect with each of these players over the coming weeks and while all of their stories will be enjoyable, Rivera's really brings a project like this full circle and we are SUPER pumped about it.
Kick It Forward's mini-pitch initiative has now gone national! Frequent contributor to the pod, the evergreen Jeff Larentowicz, joins us on the pod to discuss a mini-pitch project in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Jeff, a Brown University grad and former New England Revolution standout, plus his former teammate and Kick It Forward's own Ben Brackett, volunteered for an awesome non-profit, Project GOAL, during their time in Providence in the 2000s. Participation in Project GOAL is the common theme of this project, as other mentors of the program include D.C. United and Providence College's Julian Gressel, Rhode Island native and former New England Revolution stud, Michael Parkhurst, plus other New England Revolution mainstay, Scott Caldwell and newcomer, Damian Rivera. We plan to connect with each of these players over the coming weeks and while all of their stories will be enjoyable, Rivera's really brings a project like this full circle, as he was a participant in Project GOAL, and we are SUPER pumped about it.
So now and our team of Mini-Pitch Maestros has partnered with Project GOAL and the City of Central Falls, Rhode Island to donate a two mini-pitch installation. And the procuring cause would be our friend, Jeff Larentowicz. So back to Jeff, we talk about his playing days growing up, how a mini-pitch might have affected his youth, plus we get the scoop on his top 5-a-side squad from his days with the Brown Bears and the New England Revolution. Enjoy!
The Iowa State women's soccer team recorded their first win of the season after dropping two games to ranked opponents. The victory, over a strong Baylor University program, is not only the first win of the season and first under the guidance of Matt Fannon, but it was also Iowa State's first Big 12 win since October 25, 2018 vs. Kansas State, and it was the program's first win over Baylor since 2016. It was a beautiful setting for the evening, with great weather and an excellent venue in the Cyclone Sports Complex. After an exciting back and forth match, Iowa State finally won it in the second overtime with a goal from Olivia Edwards. Ultimately, the result sees the Cyclones improve to 1-2-0 on the season, while the Bears drop to 0-1-2. Before we slid into the studio to review with the Titan Tactician, we also had an opportunity to chat with both Fannon and Baylor coach, Paul Jobson on the sidelines (check out our interviews on KIF twitter feed). Those snippets combined with the Titan Tactician's astute analysis provide some great insight into the game.
The Iowa State women's soccer team recorded their first win of the season after dropping two games to ranked opponents. The victory, over a strong Baylor University program, is not only the first win of the season and first under the guidance of Matt Fannon, but it was also Iowa State's first Big 12 win since October 25, 2018 vs. Kansas State, and it was the program's first win over Baylor since 2016. It was a beautiful setting for the evening, with great weather and an excellent venue in the Cyclone Sports Complex. After an exciting back and forth match, Iowa State finally won it in the second overtime with a goal from Olivia Edwards. Ultimately, the result sees the Cyclones improve to 1-2-0 on the season, while the Bears drop to 0-1-2. Before we slid into the studio to review with the Titan Tactician, we also had an opportunity to chat with both Fannon and Baylor coach, Paul Jobson on the sidelines (check out our interviews on KIF twitter feed). Those snippets combined with the Titan Tactician's astute analysis provide some great insight into the game.
We love firsts on Soccer Talk and this episode ticks that box. Today, we welcome Seth Modersohn as the first guest to be related to a previous guest after his younger brother, Mark, joined us last week. An ever present theme through both episodes is competition - whether it was at home or on the field - and it clearly shaped both of them as they grew from standout athletes to fathers with families of their own. Seth's talent is tough to miss, but as you get to know him, you realize that his passion is competition, ambition and achievement, regardless of the arena. Roosevelt, Iowa United, Drake University and the Menace were all places Seth found a way to win, even coaching a ragtag Iowa United team to a State Cup Championship in 1998. Now a west coaster, Seth has channeled his passion into the fashion industry, collaborating over the years with celebrities and athletes alike, but still finding a way to let soccer shape his outlook on life.
The Grand View University Women's Soccer team opened up their season last week, hosting the Graceland University Yellowjackets in a big Heart of America Athletic Conference battle. While GVU was opening their season, so too was the Game of the Week Squad (GOTWS), as this was the first time we had been able to take in a live match during the pandemic era. So, before we got into the studio to record, the GOTWS got to enjoy a beautiful evening at James Cownie Soccer Complex, where we saw two contrasting styles play out in a 1-1 draw. The result sees Graceland improve to 0-2-1; Grand View starts the season at 0-0-1. We were then joined in the studio by Kick It Forward's very own Titan Tactician, who naturally brought his astute analysis to dissect the match!
One of the best parts of our Iowa Soccer Legends's Series is bridging the gap between the past and present. In a sense, it's almost like a history lesson. Today's guest, Mark Modersohn, is one that many people may not remember, but his collegiate playing career may be unrivaled by any Iowa soccer player ever. Among the Southwest Missouri State graduate's accomplishments: school career records in games (81), saves (290), shutouts (26), goals against average (0.88), goalkeeper wins (51) and minutes in goal (7,730). He was a four-year all-Missouri Valley Conference selection, the 1997 MVC Newcomer of the Year, 1999 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time all-region selection from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and one of 30 players picked to the MVC all-centennial team in 2007. Interestingly, he hung up his gloves/boots after graduating and quickly transitioned into life in the business world. We discuss what stokes his fire and what it was like growing up in a competitive household. Of course, now it comes full circle for Modersohn the father, who now has his own competitive household with children in sports. Lots of fun stories - Roosevelt Roughriders, Des Moines Menace and Southwest Missouri State!
One of the best parts of our Iowa Soccer Legends's Series is bridging the gap between the past and present. In a sense, it's almost like a history lesson. Today's guest, Mark Modersohn, is one that many people may not remember, but his collegiate playing career may be unrivaled by any Iowa soccer player ever. Among the Southwest Missouri State graduate's accomplishments: school career records in games (81), saves (290), shutouts (26), goals against average (0.88), goalkeeper wins (51) and minutes in goal (7,730). He was a four-year all-Missouri Valley Conference selection, the 1997 MVC Newcomer of the Year, 1999 MVC Defensive Player of the Year, a three-time all-region selection from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and one of 30 players picked to the MVC all-centennial team in 2007. Interestingly, he hung up his gloves/boots after graduating and quickly transitioned into life in the business world. We discuss what stokes his fire and what it was like growing up in a competitive household. Of course, now it comes full circle for Modersohn the father, who now has his own competitive household with children in sports. Lots of fun stories - Roosevelt Roughriders, Des Moines Menace and Southwest Missouri State!
We've had some pretty accomplished guests in our podcast tenure, but only a few professional players, so needless to say, this is an exciting episode. Katie Naughton of the Houston Dash joins us to discuss a wide breadth of topics, including her recent time spent in Des Moines. More importantly though, we'll hear about the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, living in the bubble and of course, the big celebration after their historic tournament win. Katie has midwest roots, having grown up near Chicago and playing her college ball at Notre Dame. After being drafted by her hometown Chicago Red Stars, she's kept an arduous schedule, trying her best to play year-round in multiple leagues in an effort to continue her development. She has a cool story and one that we doubt ends any time soon for the young centerback with USWNT hopes.
It doesn't seem that the pandemic plans to subside anytime soon, and neither will our Quarantine Interview Series, but our interview with Casey Mann of the Nebraska State Soccer Association rounds out our "executive director series" within the series. Not only do we run Casey through the gamut of youth soccer questions, but we also have a chance to talk about his journey through the ranks as a player and coach before he put on his "suit and tie" as an administrator. Similar to our other interviewees, Casey's pathway brought him through the Des Moines community, although in his version, as a stud goalkeeper for Grand View University and the early Des Moines Menace squads. He eventually transitioned into a coaching role where he spent time on the staff for both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University women's programs. Mann returned to Des Moines in 2005 as the head coach of the Menace, leading them to their one and only PDL National Championship. Youth soccer then came calling throughout the community before he eventually left us to take on his current role leading the Nebraska Soccer Association.
It doesn't seem that the pandemic plans to subside anytime soon, and neither will our Quarantine Interview Series, but our interview with Casey Mann of the Nebraska Soccer Association rounds out our "executive director series" within the series. Not only do we run Casey through the gamut of youth soccer questions, but we also have a chance to talk about his journey through the ranks as a player and coach before he put on his "suit and tie" as an administrator. Similar to our other interviewees, Casey's pathway brought him through the Des Moines community, although in his version, as a stud goalkeeper for Grand View University and the early Des Moines Menace squads. He eventually transitioned into a coaching role where he spent time on the staff for both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University women's programs. Mann returned to Des Moines in 2005 as the head coach of the Menace, leading them to their one and only PDL National Championship. Youth soccer then came calling throughout the community before he eventually left us to take on his current role leading the Nebraska Soccer Association.
In addition to his influence on Blake Siberz, Joe Burger's coaching journey has taken him all over the midwest and, in circuitous fashion, he now finds himself back where it all started in Kansas. As the newly appointed Executive Director of the Kansas Soccer Association, Joe has found himself at an interesting juncture of youth soccer and a global pandemic. Not only do we discuss his role as a statewide leader and administrator, but we have a chance to reflect on his path and how it brought him to this point. From playing at Baker University to coaching stints at Minnesota United FC, Bradley University and the South Dakota School of Mines, and of course, his time at Drake University among the Des Moines soccer community.
In addition to his influence on Blake Siberz, Joe Burger's coaching journey has taken him all over the midwest and, in circuitous fashion, he now finds himself back where it all started in Kansas. As the newly appointed Executive Director of the Kansas Soccer Association, Joe has found himself at an interesting juncture of youth soccer and a global pandemic. Not only do we discuss his role as a statewide leader and administrator, but we have a chance to reflect on his path and how it brought him to this point. From playing at Baker University to coaching stints at Minnesota United FC, Bradley University and the South Dakota School of Mines, and of course, his time at Drake University among the Des Moines soccer community.
With all the of the challenges of the pandemic, soccer in Iowa has basically ground to a halt. Tasked with guiding us through it? Dan Cataldi, the Executive Director of the Iowa Soccer Association. We'll discuss how Iowa Soccer Association has handled this difficult situation, but as we tend to do, we'll also touch on several other topics. Naturally, we learn about his soccer journey - one that led him down the path as a player, then as a referee and ultimately, into the administration and business side of the game. We touch on everything from Iowa's soccer calendar to large-scale indoor facilities, from referee development to expanding access to the game, plus we'll find out who the loudest player he's ever refereed (hint: it's not Matt Nickell).
While the term legend can imply age, it more so implies experience, and that's where Elvir Ibisevic enters the picture. State cup championships and high school honors were only the beginning as Ibisevic left home to train with the U.S. U17 National Team Program in Bradenton, FL. This led to a flurry of soccer adventures and ultimately, stoked his fire to pursue it as a career. Initially playing for University of Nebraska-Omaha and the Des Moines Menace, his efforts landed him a call up and cap with the full Bosnian National Team, Ibisevic signed for NK Celje in the Slovenian first division and then for BSG Chemie Leipzig in Germany. Now, back in the states and playing for Union Omaha of the USL League One, he's ready to make a name for himself. We discuss the challenges of leaving home and what its like to do something you love professionally, plus his dream to someday win the Golden Boot at the KIF Winter Reunion Tournament.
Brian Zwaschka, also known as Big Z, is a bonafide Iowa Soccer Legend. Big Z was a local youth player in the days of the original Dowling club team, coached by fellow legend, Blair Reed in the late '80s. He and Reed teamed up again at Grand View University, where he was an All-American in the early '90s. His soccer travels took him all over the world as a pro player - Scotland, England and France - but we remember him as a dominating midfield presence for the Des Moines Menace when the team was in its first years of existence. His excellent playing career set the stage for a successful coaching career - a journey that's taken him from Iowa United, Dowling and Grand View all the way to Texas Tech and Cal in assistant roles and eventually to his current position as the head coach of the Fresno State women's program. A true student of the game, Zwaschka gives us some insight into how his experiences have informed his coaching style and naturally, we cover all sorts of other topics as well.
After his squad bowed out of the playoffs, frequent contributor, Jeff Larentowicz, was gracious enough to relive the pain of their loss to Toronto FC. We also discuss the other side of the bracket, which saw Seattle beat the regular season’s best team, LAFC. We then preview the final, but naturally, we touch on a host of other topics as well.
We take a slight detour from our traditional programming and visit one of our new sponsors, the Purple Poppy Boutique in Johnston. During their Sips and Shopping event, we chatted with employees and customers, but also special guests Lindsey Arnold (DWTS) and Jensen Arnold (SYTYCD). And naturally, despite our guests' focus on fashion and dancing, we still found a way to sneak in a little Soccer Talk.
Armin Mujdzic is one of the most prolific goalscorers to ever grace the pitch in Central Iowa. After relocating to Ankeny from Bosnia in the late 90's, Armin exploded onto the local high school soccer scene, scoring a boatload of goals for the Ankeny Hawks before open-enrolling to play with the Urbandale Jayhawks, whose squad was jam-packed with talent that mostly played club soccer at the Urbandale Soccer Club (Storm, Freedom, Legend, Revolution, etc.). Lots of championships and individual accolades led to nationwide attention and a short stint at University of Alabama-Birmingham, but ultimately, being close to family was most important to him. After a successful career at Grand View and with the Des Moines Menace, Armin still bangs in goals in the local Sunday league and rumor on the street is that he has at least one child who has inherited his nose for goal.
Without soccer (or anything for that matter) happening, we've gone back to our roots and loaded up the Legends' Series. Today, Norwalk native and Drake alum, Luke Frieberg, joins us on the pod to talk about his family as pioneers of the soccer scene in Norwalk, the different coaches that have influenced him over the years and how all of it comes together in his career as an entrepreneur. Plus, some great anecdotes from his time with the Urbandale Revolution and Drake Bulldogs, not to mention helping put the one and only star on the Des Moines Menace badge.
As soccer-less life continues, we're still finding ways to talk soccer. Our good friend and stud soccer player, Sam Holmes, joins us today to discuss his soccer journey, what its like to be coached by your father and of course, his Paralympic National Team exploits. Sam's soccer travels have taken him all over the country, not to mention the world, but he'll also touch on playing for the Roosevelt Roughriders, Des Moines Wanderers FC and which Holmes he would select in backyard 2v2 battle royale!
Anyone you want to hear during our Quarantine Interview series? Slide into our DMs with suggestions!!
Strange times in the world today, but never fear, more Soccer Talk is here!
Today we have a conversation with a good friend of the pod and all-around soccer renaissance woman, Anna Tuuri. Sadly, we couldn't have her in to the studio, due to social distancing guidelines, but we had a nice video chat. Not only does Anna play (goalkeeper) and referee, but she's also a budding coach...oh yeah! and she has her own podcast, Keep the Game Beautiful. Anna is quite the roll model for women everywhere - she puts herself out there with confidence and carries herself like a professional. We enjoyed it! Hopefully you do too!
If you have any ideas for our Quarantine Interview Series, slide into our DMs!
Before the season was suspended due to coronavirus/COVID-19, we sat down with a group of the following high school coaches to discuss the upcoming season: Carlos Acebey - Waukee Derek Lounsberry - DM East Jimmy Frizzell - Urbandale Matt Ream - DM Roosevelt Heath Weeks - Johnston Hidajet Tica - Southeast Polk There was a lot of interesting conversation and not only could you tell that we had a group of passionate people in the room, but it was clear that there was a level of genuine mutual respect for what each other are doing. We really enjoyed it and hopefully you will too!
We took the pod on the road to see Nashville SC's inaugural MLS game against Atlanta United at Nissan Stadium, just off Broadway in downtown Nashville. Needless to say, it was a blast. But even better, we had a chance to speak to our most frequent guest live and in the flesh! Enjoy a quick chat with Jeff Larentowicz about a couple of days in the life of a pro.
FINALLY! We are back!! We've got under-the-radar legend, Aaron Wylie, in the studio. This guy has some stories! Growing up in Des Moines, pursuing his passion and playing soccer for a living. Good talk!
Shame on you for not thinking we were coming back in 2020! We've been busy tightening up our production and getting things "just right" for the studio. Plus, who doesn't need a chance to recharge the batteries a little bit? This episode is a short one - a quick update and preview and we'll be back before you know it!
It’s been awhile and with the holidays rapidly approaching, we were thinking of our beloved listenership. As such, it only seemed right to give you one more episode before we begin the next decade. Bill Scott, one of our biggest supporters and a true Iowa Soccer Legend, joined us in the studio to talk about growing up locally in the soccer scene, how things have and haven’t changed, plus how soccer has translated into his business success.
Frequent contributor Jeff Larentowicz is back on-air. We discuss the free agency process, coaching your own child, our FREE u7 clinics and his status for the 2020 MLS season.
We are bringing you a marathon episode - six standout high school players from Central Iowa that have recently made college commitments via National Signing Day. Then we’ll discuss our personal experiences and how they compare to the common threads of our guests. This is a long episode, and while we would love you to listen to the entire thing, here is the interview order: 1. Taryn Reitsma (Waukee to U of Minnesota) 2. Andrew Feltz (Dowling Catholic to Colgate) 3. Cole Vincent (Ankeny Centennial to Drury) 4. Emilia McDaniel (SE Polk to Grand View) 5. Carlie Jensen (Ankeny Centennial to Indiana State) 6. Ashley Harrington (Ankeny to U of Northern Iowa)
Our producer dropped the proverbial ball on the timely publishing of this pod, but better late than never. We have MLS veteran, Jeff Larentowicz, back to recap the MLS Cup Final, as well as briefly preview the USMNT’s Nation’s League games.
After his squad bowed out of the playoffs, frequent contributor, Jeff Larentowicz, was gracious enough to relive the pain of their loss to Toronto FC. We also discuss the other side of the bracket, which saw Seattle beat the regular season’s best team, LAFC. We then preview the final, but naturally, we touch on a host of other topics as well.
Our frequent contributor is becoming a mainstay as we delve deep into the MLS playoffs with five-striper, Jeff Larentowicz. We recap the most recent round of the playoffs, preview LAFC-Seattle Sounders and Atlanta United-Toronto FC, plus we touch on MLS referees, VAR and more.
We hopped on and off I-235 to check out the return leg of a big Missouri Valley Conference matchup between the Drake Bulldogs and the Valparaiso Crusaders. The Titan Tactician then joined us in the studio the day after your co-hosts ventured into the brisk chill of autumn to ensure our loyal followers got their weather report and some candid coach interviews at halftime.
Our favorite frequent contributor and MLS veteran, Jeff Larentowicz, joins us again to discuss the MLS playoffs, best players he’s played with and against, plus we go on a great tangent about long breaks in the season.
As Blake will say, we “sort of kill a few birds with one stone” on our trip down down Highway 69 in the KIF bus to Indianola. Not only were we able to take in two great games of college soccer, but we were also able to enjoy a nice event that really highlighted the soccer community. We have the Titan Tactician in the studio as well, and he took great notes. Our listenership can be sure the analysis of both games will be thorough.
Despite being down a man, we hopped in the Kick It Forward van and took a drive down Highway 163 to see the Central Dutch host the Loras Duhawks. It was an instant classic - muddy pitch, two top teams with contrasting styles and lots of goals - plus we had the Titan Tactician taking notes.
Regular guest and MLS stalwart, Jeff Larentowicz joins us to discuss the MLS playoffs, his favorite places to play and his experiences with “the pink jersey.”
The Titan Tactician rejoins us in the studio after his summer hiatus to breakdown the big Wartburg-Simpson game over this past weekend. We discuss lots of standout players, the mentality of teams at this point in the season and of course, we dig deep on the tactics employed by both squads.
We extend our Local College Soccer segment to bring closeted Iowa Soccer Legend, Rick Isaacson, to the studio. We discuss his playing background, the Simpson Storm and their local flavor, plus we touch on the basic Iowa youth player and the difference between development and playing to win.
Evergreen Jeff Larentowicz joins us for his second time ever on a podcast. We discuss Des Moines’ new USL Championship announcement, but also travel in Major League Soccer and of course, a great travel-related story from Jeff.
What a big time episode! Not only do we have a (potential) future Iowa Soccer Legend in the studio, but Charlie Bales joins us to discuss the ins and outs of the big USL Pro announcement made by Kyle Krause. Our exclusive coverage will provide a little more insight than you’ve been able to read in other publications, plus you’ll get to hear genuine excitement from three guys who have grown up in the Iowa soccer community.
The legendary Ventsi Stoimirov joins us in the studio to not only discuss the Grand View University women’s program, but we also learn about his super interesting origin story and his perspective of the history of Des Moines Soccer.
We welcome Drake coach, Gareth Smith, to the studio to review the first quarter of their season and of course, preview the remaining games as they strive to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. We also have a chance to tap into Smith’s unique perspective as Director of Coaching for the state association and speak about development of the Iowa player and some of the challenges they face as the national landscape continues to grow.
Returning to the studio, Blair Reid chats with us about the upcoming season for his Vikings as they look to get back to the national tournament for the first time since 2016. We cover preseason, settling into school and their early run in against several nationally ranked opponents.
We circle back to the Game of the Week and kick things off with a contest between the women’s teams from Drake and Baylor. But first, we have a chat with Baylor coach Paul Jobson about his coaching journey, working with his wife and what it’s like at a program like Baylor.
In our first Local College Soccer Preview segment, we had the pleasure of interviewing Drake University Women’s coach, Lindsey Horner. Lindsey joins us in the studio to talk about the Bulldogs in 2019, the recruiting trail and the overall soccer landscape in Iowa.
We take a slight detour from our traditional programming and visit one of our new sponsors, the Purple Poppy Boutique in Johnston. During their Sips and Shopping event, we chatted with employees and customers, but also special guests Lindsey Arnold (DWTS) and Jensen Arnold (SYTYCD). And naturally, despite our guests' focus on fashion and dancing, we still found a way to sneak in a little Soccer Talk.
We welcome Daryl Brazeau to the studio for a chat and a beer - Summer Shandy to be exact, per the recommendation of our sponsor Central City Liquor. We discuss Daryl‘s involvement with producing high-quality female soccer players in a wide-ranging interview.
We headed out to the Altoona turf to take in the Des Moines Wanderers FC as they hosted the return leg of their series with Union Dubuque FC. We also interviewed Union coach, John Denham, about working with an adult amateur team and growing a project from the ground up.
We introduce our newest segment, Beers on the Table, sponsored by our good friends at Central City Liquors. Our first guest on the new segment is Sean Giza, a former local player turned referee. Sean discusses his experiences as a referee over an icy cold adult beverage.
We welcome back the legendary Sean Holmes to the studio. As happens with Sean, we discussed a wide variety of topics that included a myriad of names dropped, but the themes for the day: high school soccer recap, club soccer tryouts and Iowa’s soccer landscape, as well as a side project, Des Moines Wanderers FC.
Blair Reid, a living legend and pioneer of the beautiful game in the Des Moines area, stops in to the studio for a chat about the history of the game locally. From the early days of the Des Moines Menace to his upcoming 35th season at the helm of the Grand View University Men’s Soccer Team, Blair has all sorts of interesting things to share.
We preview the upcoming High School State Finals across all classes for the boys featuring Iowa City Regina vs. Waterloo Columbus Catholic in 1A, Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Council Bluffs-Lewis Central in 2A and Waukee vs. Iowa City West in 3A.
Vision Soccer Academy’s Chris McGill joins us on the pod to discuss their program in Waukee.
We welcome Jaime Leiva to the studio to discuss his program, the United Futbol Academy. A true grassroots effort, we learn about UFA’s unique approach to youth soccer in Central Iowa.
Kirk Artist of the Iowa Rush joins us in the studio to talk about their program in Ankeny.
We sit down with Andy Commins, Director of Coaching for GPS Iowa, to talk about the club. Formerly known as Altoona Soccer Club, they have recently become affiliated with Global Premier Soccer (GPS), which additionally is tied to Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich.
We sit down for a chat with Gary Eyles, the Director of Coaching for the Ames Soccer Club. We touch on a range of topics - not only youth soccer, but also climate change, gymnastics and the Special Olympics.
We were on hand for the a big substate final at Coach Cownie Soccer Park pitting the Hawks of Ankeny against the Railsplitters from Lincoln. It was an evening of intense competition, a little bit of controversy and ultimately, a beautiful night for the beautiful game.
As the boys’ regular season comes to a close, we saw the eighth-ranked Valley Tigers take on number twelve, the Lincoln Railsplitters at Coach Cownie Stadium.
We took a trip up north to cover the big Ankeny Derby for both the boys and girls, rounding out a hat trick of doubleheaders for the KIF media team.
We breakdown our heroic efforts to combat the Adam Emmenecker Challenge, but also discuss our super exciting outdoor futsal court project and the money we’ve raised so far.
We split up our KIF media team to simultaneously cover both the boys’ and girls’ games between the Urbandale Jayhawks and the Johnston Dragons, which kicked off at the same time in separate locations.
El Presidente, Matt Sahag, calls in to discuss our Game of the Week, which saw the Ankeny Hawks visit the Dowling Catholic Maroons. Then, another Matt joins us. Matt Ream of the Roosevelt Roughriders calls in to talk about their big metro match-up against the North Polar Bears.
We introduce MLS veteran Jeff Larentowicz for the first time and talk a bit about our latest project-Des Moines’ first outdoor public futsal court.