Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

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by Liron Unreich, Matt Tartaglia

5.0(1 reviews)

39 episodes

Updated Daily

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸

Podcast Overview

Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America is a weekly podcast for soccer parents, coaches, and players who want to understand how youth soccer development really works in the United States. Hosted by two dads, filmmaker Liron Unreich and investor Matt Tartaglia, the show covers everything from grassroots soccer to elite pathways like MLS NEXT and ECNL. Combining data, real experience, and expert insights from academy directors, college coaches, and former pros, each episode explains what families truly need to know. Weekly episodes focus on the core aspects of youth soccer: player development, coaching culture, college recruiting, tryouts, travel costs, and the challenges of parenting in youth sports in today’s competitive environment. For families navigating youth soccer’s complex system, Chasing the Game offers practical advice, credible voices, and relatable stories from two dads working to make sense of American player development, one episode at a time.

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Publishing Since

10/7/2025

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Recent Episodes

July 22, 2026

The Long Game. How Do You Keep Kids Loving Soccer?

The Long Game. How Do You Keep Kids Loving Soccer? How do you keep kids loving soccer when the game keeps asking them to carry more? This final episode of our Summer Best Of series steps back from rankings, pathways, costs, and development models to ask a bigger question. After a year of conversations, what actually matters when the final whistle blows on a child’s youth soccer journey? Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia revisit some of the voices that shaped the first season, including Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, Don Farr, Tali Sommer, Ryan Farr, Andrew May, Peguy Luyindula, and David Rodriguez. Together they explore listening before solving, protecting enjoyment, giving late developers time, and remembering that the child has to stay more important than the sport. The Long Game closes the series with optimism. Youth soccer is still worth believing in, but only if we never lose sight of why children started playing in the first place. In this episode: • Why listening should come before solving when a child wants to quit • What parents often forget while chasing development • Why freedom and enjoyment create better long-term players • How Ryan Farr’s journey challenges early specialization • Why growth goals matter more than outcome goals • Why the child has to remain more important than the sport • What the best guests from Season One taught us about long-term development • Why the future of American youth soccer is still worth fighting for<ul><li>(00:00) - The Long Game</li> <li>(01:37) - Listen Before You Solve</li> <li>(05:13) - Why Parents Love Watching</li> <li>(08:27) - Playing Free</li> <li>(11:21) - Late Development Is Real</li> <li>(14:15) - Growth Over Goals</li> <li>(18:13) - The Child Before The Sport</li> <li>(20:37) - Why We Still Believe</li> <li>(21:51) - End of Season Reflections</li> </ul> <a href="https://share.transistor.fm/s/e4aa44e9/transcript" title="Click here to view the episode transcript.">Click here to view the episode transcript.</a>

July 15, 2026

What Does Player Development Actually Mean?

Host Liron and Matt interview Sean McCafferty, Juan Santamaria, Nil Congost, Christian Gonzalez, Evan Rosenthal, Matt Poland, Dr. Chris Platts, and Jose Campos about true player development beyond winning and superficial progress.

July 8, 2026

Is Youth Club Soccer Worth the Cost?

Host Liron and Matt interview industry experts about whether youth club soccer's high costs truly benefit young players' development and college aspirations.

39 total episodes available with 10 transcripts

Recent guests on Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.

Sean McCafferty

Guest

Andrew May

Guest

Ditmer de Jong

Guest

Filippo Giovannoli

Guest

Jose Campos

Guest

Tom Bowen

Guest

Juan Santamaria

Guest

Harris Faulkner

Guest

Christian Silva

Guest

David Rodriguez

Guest

Patrick Ouckama

Guest

Phil Gordon

Guest

See every guest on Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America

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What is Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in America?: Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America is a weekly podcast for soccer parents, coaches, and players who want to understand how youth soccer development really works in the United States.

Hosted by two dads, filmmaker Liron Unreich and investor Matt Tartaglia, the show covers everything from grassroots soccer to elite pathways like MLS NEXT and ECNL. Combining data, real experience, and expert insights from academy directors, college coaches, and former pros, each episode explains what families truly need to know.

Weekly episodes focus on the core aspects of youth soccer: player development, coaching culture, college recruiting, tryouts, travel costs, and the challenges of parenting in youth sports in today’s competitive environment.

For families navigating youth soccer’s complex system, Chasing the Game offers practical advice, credible voices, and relatable stories from two dads working to make sense of American player development, one episode at a time.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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