Youth soccer focuses on development, but our systems still prioritize results.
In this episode of Chasing the Game – Youth Soccer in America, we sit down with Morten Grahn, former director of the NYCFC Soccer Academy, to discuss a harsh truth in American youth soccer: elite environments are not designed to develop every player, yet early success is often mistaken for a sign of long-term potential.
Morten uses a strong staircase analogy to explain why being higher in the system doesn't necessarily mean a player is better at progressing or more prepared for what’s next. We discuss how parents, coaches, and clubs often conflate rank within the system with proper development, and how that misunderstanding can influence decisions for years.
We cover:
• Why quietly winning can overshadow real development in youth soccer
• How elite programs rely on structured plans rather than feelings
• Why most players aren’t “rockets” — and why that’s normal
• How challenge, struggle, and even not playing can be key to growth
• What parents should really watch for in competitive environments
This episode is for parents navigating academies, tryouts, and performance pressure, and for anyone questioning whether the current youth soccer model truly supports long-term growth.
Chasing the Game aims to bring clarity and honesty to a system that often feels unclear. This conversation doesn’t give easy answers, but it helps families think in a better way.
The next chapter of American youth soccer is being built by a new generation. Not administrators. Not executives. Players. Young adults. People who lived the system from the inside and are now fixing the gaps they experienced firsthand.
In this episode, we talk with Brando Babini and Billy Pavlou, founders of Youth4Youth FC and Next Level USA, two programs reshaping development through supplemental training, real match minutes, and near-peer mentorship.
As parents inside the youth system, we see the pressure, confusion, and lack of clarity that families face. This conversation explains why the future depends on new leaders who understand both the player’s world and the parent’s world.
We cover:
• Why supplemental training exists and how to use it the right way
• Why match minutes matter more than ever
• Mistakes parents make without realizing
• How mentorship fills the emotional gap in youth soccer
• Differences between youth clubs such as NYCFC, Red Bulls, Met Oval, and Kickers
• What exposure and recruiting actually look like today
• Why the U.S. is primed for soccer innovation
This is the next generation of U.S. youth soccer. It starts with people like Brando and Billy.
This week on Chasing the Game, we sit down with one of the most influential figures in American youth soccer: Noah Gins, Founder and CEO of Albion.
We break down structure, culture, college pathways, measurable development, retention, and what true “success” really means inside a U.S. club system that too often rewards the wrong things.
If you’re a parent, coach, or player trying to understand why youth soccer feels chaotic and what a functioning system could look like. This episode brings clarity.
Topics We Cover
• How Noah built one of the most successful youth clubs in the country
• Why U.S. development suffers from fragmentation and inconsistency
• The four core pillars of success at Albion
• Retention, culture, and long-term development
• Why “beautiful soccer” and winning often conflict
• College recruitment myths and real pathways
• How clubs should define success vs. how parents define success
• Albion’s long-term vision for U.S. youth soccer
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Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com
Website – https://chasingthegame.us
Instagram – https://instagram.com/chasingthegamepod
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Click here to view the episode transcript.
In this episode, Ben Olsen provides one of the most honest breakdowns of youth soccer development in the U.S., covering how kids handle pressure, the differences he observes inside MLS NEXT academies, and why the American system often struggles with player development, culture, and long-term growth.
Ben speaks openly about the realities of pay-to-play, how parents influence development, the gap in soccer IQ between U.S. players and the global game, and what coaches look for as kids transition from club soccer to college recruiting and ultimately the pro pathway.
For parents navigating ECNL, USYS, MLS NEXT, high school soccer, or the college pathway, this episode offers clarity on how elite environments truly operate and what really matters for your child’s development.
Key Takeaways
In Part 2, Patrick Ouckama expands on how MLS academies balance opportunity, pressure, and player well-being. We explore what “success” really means for young athletes, how to handle burnout, and what U.S. clubs can learn from Europe’s development model.
Patrick also shares what parents should focus on beyond the scoreboard, and how small cultural shifts can build better players and happier families.
Hosted by Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia
In this first part of our conversation with Patrick Ouckama, Technical Director at the New England Revolution Academy, we go deep into the culture of player development inside an MLS NEXT environment. Patrick reflects on what has changed in U.S. youth soccer, how academy systems shape player mentality, and why development always has to come before winning.
From Ithaca to the Revs to D.C. United, his story reveals the realities of balancing ambition, access, and joy in the game.
Hosted by Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia.
In Part 2 of our conversation, Luis Robles (MLS NEXT Technical Director and former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper) shifts from his own story to the system our kids are currently in. We discuss how MLS NEXT works alongside other leagues, why “quality of play” is evaluated by human analysts (not AI), and how video and data support coaches, players, and college recruiting. Robles explains the U13/U14 field-size change (more touches, fewer track-meet games), the push to improve playing-time and substitution rules, and why parents are central to communication and culture.
What you’ll learn:
Chapters:
[00:00] Welcome back: setting the table for Part 2
[01:00] Collaborating across leagues (ECNL, USL, EA, EDP)
[04:00] Jerseys and culture: why kids rep Europe and how MLS can win fans
[06:00] “Quality of Play” explained: human analysts, not AI
[08:00] Video for development: cataloging moments; analysts vs. box-score stats
[12:00] Encouraging creativity: rewarding productive 1v1s
[16:00] Using video well for coaches, players, families; college-recruiting access
[19:00] Rankings, perception, and the role of parents in the conversation
[21:00] U13/U14 field-size reduction: touches, decision speed, actions to goal
[24:00] Nine-a-side, international comparisons, and communicating the “why”
[25:00] Next focus: playing time and substitution rules
[26:30] Roster math, minutes, and birth-year vs. school-year
[29:00] Bio-banding and flexibility: doing what’s best for the player
[31:00] Keeping kids engaged through the drop-off years (11–14)
[33:00] You can’t predict 11–13: even La Masia says so
[35:00] U16–U19 = performance stage: college, MLS NEXT Pro, first team
[40:00] Host reflections and takeaways
[42:00] Outro and thanks
Guest:
Luis Robles: MLS NEXT Technical Director; former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper and captain.
About the show:
Chasing the Game – Youth Soccer in America helps families navigate tryouts, leagues (MLS NEXT, ECNL, GA), costs, travel, coaching quality, and the paths to college or pro—through candid conversations with people shaping the system.
Transcript:
In Part 1 of our conversation, Luis Robles, MLS NEXT Technical Director and former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper, shares his inspiring journey from underdog to MLS legend. Luis opens up about resilience, leadership, and the lessons learned on the field that now shape his work with the next generation of American players.
In the debut episode of Chasing the Game, co-hosts Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia set the stage for the series. They share their personal journeys as soccer parents, reflect on the challenges of navigating clubs, leagues, and academies, and explore why youth soccer in the U.S. can feel like a maze. Across nearly an hour of conversation, they compare American and international approaches, highlight the impact of pay-to-play, and preview the themes and guests to come this season.
Soccer. Everywhere else, it’s four cones and a ball. In America, it’s spreadsheets, flights, and hotel bills.
Chasing the Game is a new podcast from Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia, two soccer dads trying to understand how the world’s simplest game got so complicated in the U.S.
Each week, they talk with the people who’ve lived it, from Ben Olsen and Luis Robles to Noah Ross of NYCFC’s Youth Academy — unpacking the culture, costs, and chaos of youth soccer in America.
Join us as we chase the game, one story, one season, one sideline at a time.