Club Soccer

Andrew May joins Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America for a direct conversation about what families really need in a system that often leaves them guessing. Drawing on coaching experience at Chivas USA, LA Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and LAFC, Andrew breaks down how parents can better understand club environments, ask the right questions, and avoid making decisions based on logos, pressure, or panic. This episode gets into: • how to judge a club beyond the badge • What parents should ask before joining • how IDPs and real development should work • where communication breaks down between clubs and families • how parent ego, anxiety, and private training can distort the process • what players actually need during setbacks and difficult moments • Why the parent-child relationship matters so much on the car ride home and beyond If you’re a soccer parent trying to make smarter decisions about development, fit, communication, and long-term growth, this episode is for you. Subscribe for more conversations on youth soccer in America, MLS NEXT, ECNL, player development, club culture, college pathway questions, and the real decisions families face every week. Chapters 00:00 Parents are overwhelmed. And guessing 02:00 Andrew May’s path through top academies 04:35 What changed in his view of development 07:25 Why parents struggle to read the landscape 10:05 How to judge a club beyond the badge 14:55 The right questions to ask a club 18:45 IDPs, growth setting, and real progress 22:10 Pressure, private training, and parent ego 27:10 Communication gaps between clubs and families 31:45 Supporting players through hard moments 38:40 What top environments actually do better 45:55 The car ride home and parent-player trust 52:35 You are the customer. Ask what you’re paying for 55:15 Final takeaways for soccer parents #YouthSoccer #SoccerParents #PlayerDevelopment #MLSNEXT #ClubSoccer

What a weekend of International soccer! Alexi Lalas and David Mosse dive into all the action including the USMNT opponents in Qatar. How did Mexico fare in their two matches? We then look ahead to the weekend of club soccer as the EPL has two massive heavyweight bouts on tap. Will Arsenal stay at the top of the table and take down Tottenham? In our #AskAlexi and One for the Road segments, we let the US fans air out all of the grievances following the Japan and Saudi Arabia matches... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices