If you came here from my Soccer America piece, skip ahead to the 25-minute mark. Or maybe go back to the beginning of this conversation around the 18-minute mark to hear Foudy talk about pay-to-play and the chase for results. Or back to 13:20 to hear the entire youth soccer discussion.
Today’s guest has an impossible task: Make me feel better about youth soccer, and soccer in general, and youth sports in general … maybe just life in general. But she’s faced tougher tasks. She’s Julie Foudy, Hall of Fame soccer player and ESPN journalist.
After I make an announcement and then rant about curling commentary, the interview starts around the 13:20 mark with a discussion of what’s good about youth soccer, whether soccer can have the same supportive atmosphere of extreme sports (20:30), the lack of women in coaching (26:20), her experiences as a soccer parent (31:20) and then U.S. Soccer politics, including the role of the Athletes’ Council (40:10). She also talks a bit about the U.S. women’s team heading into the SheBelieves Cup (51:10).
Ranting Soccer Dad 