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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.
Hey, hey, wake up.
Listen up, old people.
This is the episode you're all afraid of,
social media.
Because if you have a kid in youth soccer, you know thisision. feeling.
You say followers don't matter.
You say the clips don't matter.
You say it's about the work, the training, the team development,
and then tryout season starts.
Kids are moving around
Things are getting posted.
Clubsures are real.
Someone gets featured.
Another parent says, hey, did you see that post on that kid?
Suddenly you start wondering, are you smart?
Are you active enough?
I don't even know where to go with this, Laurent.
Because exposure is one of the most loaded
words in youth soccer.
Parents want it for their kids
Players feel it.
Clubs understand it.
Platforms create it.
But nobody really defines what it means.
Is exposure a showcase, a scout,
a college coach, a highlight video, a post that
gets seen by the right person?
Or is it just another thing that makes families feel like they are left behind?
Today
we're talking with David Rodriguez, the founder of Footy Axis.
And man, this guy guy knows social media, even better than you, Matt.
He built a platform around something American soccer did not
really have in a way of basketball or football or baseball did, for that matter.
Media coverage for young players coming through the system
But this conversation is not just about highlight reels and clips.
It's about what gets noticed.
What should get noticed, and what parents misunderstand.
Oh, and there is all a lot.
Yeah, David's an incredible guy who's got a mission for
this and has stood by it.
And we talk about when exposure helps, when it is
not, why parents cannot pay to have a player featured and why so social
media can open the door, but cannot become the whole plan
Because being posted does not mean you're going pro.
Lon, yeah, step right in these lines.
Having followers does not mean you are on the right path
and being invisible does not mean the path is closed.
You know, this is as Matt, you like to say, this is the episode that lives
in the area in between, the in between space
Not that social media is bad or social media is good
and is everything, but more complicated nuanced
questions, which is not normal for this podcast.
How do you help a kid be seen without turning
their childhood into some marketing campaign?
This is hashtag chasing the game
at youthsoccer in Americaric.
Hashtag, hashtag
Liron: welcome to the podcast, my friend
David: Thank you so much for having me.
Means a lot
Liron: take us back a little bit to the
beginning on, uh, what really started
Footy Access, and when was the moment
that you said, "Wait a minute. Look
at this. needs to be a platform here"?
David: So growing up, obviously
played soccer my whole life.
Always a big fan, um,
on and off the field.
I grew up in Northern Virginia,
so it was a good level.
Used to play against a lot of
guys that are now playing pro and
currently still playing overseas
or, um, in the MLS, and I was always
surrounded by a lot of those guys.
So I was able to develop my
game and then go play, uh,
collegially at Longwood University.
So played there… S- Kinda speaks to my
age a little bit, but I was speaking…
I, I was playing there in 2020.
Yeah, 2020.
So that was my first year, Fall
2020, and experienced a bit of a
rollercoaster, obviously during COVID.
So that's really where I realized I
wanted to do something that was more
in line with what I wanted to do in the
long term, something that I had much
more control over, that wasn't, um,
dependent on someone else besides myself.
That was the only thing that was important
to me in that time, was doing something
that was sustainable, that I cared about,
and that I could have influence in.
So around that time, I saw that there
were still so many different platforms
that were highlighting basketball,
American football, baseball, right?
They were all getting a lot of
exposure at the youth level.
But what I realized is that nobody
was doing it for soccer, primarily
in, let's say, the United States.
So ultimately, I, I realized halfway
through my sophomore year, well, if no
one's done it, why don't I just do it?
So I ended up actually dropping out of
college halfway through my sophomore year.
Still remember calling my dad and he
was like, "Well, what about soccer?"
He didn't even ask about the school.
He was like, "What about soccer?
You gonna stop playing
soccer?" And I was like, "Yeah.
I mean, look, I'm, I'm planning to
still stay involved in soccer, right?
That's still my passion.
It's just in a different approach, right?"
So that's really how it all came about.
Um, around the same time, uh, the
DA had just closed down and the MLS
Next league had just started, so it
seemed like there was a reset in the
market for youth soccer in America.
So it was a variety of different things,
but ultimately that's what propelled me
to dropping out and starting Footy Access.
Matt: um, with the gap that you
clearly saw in the marketplace, was
it more about players not being seen?
Was it about clubs not telling their
stories well, families not having
one place to understand w- who is
coming next, why are they coming
next, what's the path they've taken?
Share a little bit with us around what,
where the real white space was for you
David: Right.
So I would say it's a mixture of all those
things, but they developed over time.
Initially, it was about players
weren't being recognized or
showcased properly, right?
That was really the main gap.
Um, as time went on, that developed
into some of the different
things that you had mentioned.
Um, there was clubs that weren't
telling their, their proper story
for their academies or their
players or families that didn't
understand the landscape enough.
So it developed into those things,
but initially it really was about
just highlighting a player, regardless
of who you are, where you're
from, what team you're playing on.
It really started on that
Matt: What, what did you
learn quickly that you were
wrong about at the beginning?
Like ev- every startup, there's so many
kind of wrong turns that lead to, to
right pathways, and it seems like you're
doing a whole lot right at the moment,
which is, which is incredible to see.
W- what did you, where did you
quickly-- Where did you fail quickly,
I guess, and, and right your path?
David: Yeah, I would say it's more so
on the business side of things, right?
So I would mistake, which it is
valuable, I would mistake a lot of views
as in success to a business, right?
So I would find trouble in
deciphering through that, right?
I would see, okay, we got 500,000 views
on a post, and on the business side of
things, we're all over the place, right?
'Cause I'm coming from a background
of zero experience in business.
So I, I think that's the main thing
that took me a lot to get through,
is some of those vanity metrics.
Although they're great and they're what
helps us grow as a platform, as a company.
But on the business side of things,
that's where I had difficulty
in kinda understanding that.
And now it's obviously trying to balance
both and understanding what's valuable on
both ends, how one complements the other.
But that, that was really
the initial struggle
Matt: That's great.
Um, before we get into some of the
specifics around parents and what's
real and what's not real and what
to look for, how did you source your
information at the beginning, and how
are you sourcing your information today?
David: So I would look on Twitter all
the time at different news outlets,
whether it be academies, to different
individuals that cover the youth soccer
scene, to also going on the website and
just understanding the statistics, the
standings, um, w- who has the most goals
scored in a division, just calculating it
And I would do it that 'cause
nobody was really presenting the
information properly, so I would
do that, uh, just by myself, by
everything that's just available
online by just doing some research.
And now that's developed, right?
We, we pretty much get hit up every
day with different information,
but that's initially how we did it.
And pretty much at the start of it,
people wouldn't give me the time of day.
Um, I would ask for a roster, and they'd
look at me, "We have no idea who you
are. We're not gonna disclose who we have
on our roster." Which is fair, right?
But that's initially how it was.
It was anything that was discoverable
online, I would make it my job to
bring all that information together
and present it in a way that was easy
for anyone to engage with and repost
Liron: So were you basically amplifying
information that was already there or…
David: Exactly.
Yeah.
That was, that was the main issue is
taking all of this information that's
very complicated to, um, any parent or
player that doesn't under- understand the
landscape through and through, and making
that into something that was digestible
for anyone to come across and understand
Matt: He simplifies it so well.
30 podcasts in, I still don't know
anything, David, so I'm just as confused,
maybe more so than when I started.
Liron: our dream might come true.
We might be on Footy Access.
David: Yeah.
Yeah.
There you go.
There you go
Liron: See, it, it did work out.
Uh, the, the question is, is that help
us out a little bit 'cause obviously
we're not from this world yet.
David: Mm-hmm.
Liron: It, you got highlights, you
got rankings, scouting opinions.
Like, what… How do you separate it all?
Is there… How do you communicate that?
Is, is this something that… 'Cause
I know there's the parents who view
it, but then there's obviously the
kids who view your, your content,
and it's two separate worlds in a way
David: Yeah.
Yeah, the way we separate it
internally as a company is
different key customer segments.
So there's different posts and
different reports we do that address
different key customer segments.
So if we're talking about us posting
the US Men's National Team roster
today, for example, that addresses
the casual fan in America, that
addresses parents, that addresses
players, that addresses scouts, agents,
whoever it is in the soccer system.
Us posting a bracket from a tournament is
specific to the customer segments that are
participating, such as players, families,
um, to coaches, to staff that are
participating in that, in that tournament.
So each piece of content
addresses a different key segment.
Some of them overlap, some of them are
very specific to a s- a customer segment.
We'll post rankings, and that is very
specific to scouts, whether that be
professional scouts or college scouts
or scouts of other different academies.
Um, and then obviously it
helps out the players, right?
We'll get into that.
But that's really how we break down each
piece of content that we're publishing.
It all serves a purpose to
different customer segments.
Sometimes it serves a purpose
for every single customer segment
Matt: And you think about that, what,
on a weekly basis where you've got
X amount of posts for each customer
segment essentially, where you're
trying to reach and grow the audience.
It's, um, it, you, to, to your point
earlier, it's like you're pulling
information and you're amplifying it.
Maybe there's some opinion around players
to watch or something like that, right?
But that could be based upon
goals or something else.
how do you have the discipline
to ensure that the content you're
sharing is content that is, is real,
justified, and honest, I guess?
David: the main thing, and we set
the basis of the company on being
positive no matter what we post.
So on Instagram alone, probably to this
day, we're just short of 3,000 posts,
and that's been in less than four years.
So we've never missed a day.
We, we stay consistent, but we stay
honest to being positive in a landscape
and a social media space that is
looking for posts that are just for
the sake of views and likes, right?
that'll never be the goal, posting
things for the sake of like and views.
It's always been for the sake of
influencing a family, a player, a
club in a positive manner, right?
And that set the guiding principles
for anything that we're publishing.
As I've mentioned, we gather all this
information, we present in the right way.
That's to the extent that
we're taking it, right?
It's not how we're looking
to clickbait anyone.
It's just a matter of how you present that
information to maximize the viewership
engagement that it can get ultimately.
Liron: I mean, I told a couple of my
colleagues that I'm gonna be doing an
interview with you, so the kids heard
it too, and obviously it's like, wow.
Kids were like, "What? Footy
Access." Tell us a little bit,
what do you think it means for the
young player to be featured by you?
Do you think that between us, when
obviously we'll be on the air, do
you think there's a distrac- do
David: be there for thousands,
if not millions of people.
Liron: the, the,
Matt: bet- between us and
the four other people, David.
Liron: there's, there's some distraction
to that to the kids too, don't you
think, in a way, this, this idea
of being in front of the camera?
David: the way I see it is it,
it's on that guiding principle
of being positive, right?
If it's social media, it's to give
recognition to a player, scout, or,
or club, um, organization, right?
It's to, to positively impact
them through social media.
If it's rankings, it actually becomes
a validator for a lot of players,
and they're able to then use that
as leverage to present to a college
if they're getting recruited.
We've actually had stories of, of players
that at best… We, we have a bunch.
We had a post go out that
was talking about the top
scores throughout the season.
That player at the end of the season
ends up messaging us and telling
us that, "Thank you for the post.
It actually ended up helping me get
recruited to go play in college soccer."
Right?
So I think it's the way that we
present the information that we
post and do rankings, it's supposed
to positively impact everyone.
How a player or a family might
interpret that and use that is, I
think, the disconnect, where sometimes
they might use that as, "I'm better
than my… this other player," right?
Or, "I, I mean more because I'm
ranked X on Footy Access," right?
That's not where we position
and why we do rankings, right?
It's to help players that if you're
on the list, you're able to then use
that to help get recruited, right?
That's the ultimate idea.
Um, if I would've been on a list like
Footy Access when I was playing, I
would probably send it out to every
single coach, send screenshots to
families, to, to parents, to, to friends.
Um, but that's, that's the, that's
the ultimate difficulty is how parents
interpret that information, how players
interpret that information, and a
lot of the times they're sharing that
information within their families.
And, um, it's about, number one,
acknowledging that you're featured and
whether that be on the rankings, whether
it be on social media, um, but it doesn't
define who you are as a player, right?
It doesn't define whether
you're on the list or not.
It should just be something that could
help you in the long term or wherever
you're trying to play, whether it
be professionally or, uh, college
or semi-pro, whatever it may be.
Um, but it, it, the, it shouldn't define
who you are as a player i-in my eyes.
We did a video with Julian Hall, which
was one of our first videos that we
ever did on YouTube, and the reason
why we did that video and why we are
s- having a setup, cameras all over
him, is because I was in the Dominican
Republic and the United States had
won the U15 CONCACAF Championship.
And what Julian did after they won
was come up to me and thank me for
being there and being able to bring
exposure to him and the team, right?
And what I took that as was I want people
to see who this player is off the field
as well, 'cause there's moments like
that that people don't even understand,
um, of who this person is, right?
So then that's why we're doing
an interview with the player.
That's why we're on the sidelines
recording players because
it does mean a lot to them.
Matt: And Julian Hall, what a, what
a player, Um, it's a great story.
When, when parents hear the word exposure,
usually they think about or we think
about showcases, highlight videos, college
coaches, scouts, social media, maybe a big
tournament, all, all the things, right?
From your seat, which is a unique
one, what does exposure actually
mean, and what's most effective?
David: Number one that comes into my
mind, obviously, the social media side
of things, just given the access point.
Um, the barrier to entry
there, it's so easy.
You could go to a field, you could
record a match, and someone from
Saudi Arabia or someone from England
could come across that video.
So I think that's the
highest point of exposure.
But to your point, there's different
layers of exposure dependent on what
someone is trying to accomplish.
If I'm looking at I'm a player in the
youth soccer system and I want more
exposure, that could mean if I… the
differentiator between me playing in
a certain league versus another and
what that league attracts in terms
of recruiters, scouts, colleges.
Um, so that's the other
side of exposure that I see.
And for us, and, and what I try to do with
Footy Access is explain those different
layers of exposure, um, because I think we
have an obligation to educate and inform
our audience of those things as well.
Liron: Do you think that what you're
doing is starting to replace this concept?
Is it growing in parallel to it?
I mean, what, what,
what hole is it filling?
David: I, I think we are, are
complementary to the market.
There's different ways to get recruited.
For us, as I had mentioned, the barrier to
entry for social media is basically none.
You could go to a field, you could record,
you could capture anything you want.
Um, I, I think we're
complementary in that regard.
We're not looking to replace any
type of showcase or, um, or different
tournament, but rather complementary
to there isn't just tournaments,
showcases, camps that you could attend.
You could also get recognized just
through a platform on social media.
We have seen that happen through,
through things that we've posted
Liron: Are you going there to be surprised
by talent you didn't think about, or
is this you're usually going there
to, to see something in particular?
David: It's a balance of both.
It's going into a tournament or
showcase with the understanding of
different players that are going
to be there on different clubs,
on, on different age groups, and
understanding who those players are.
And we'll go- we'll be naturally
attracted to those matches, and we'll
also see different players within
those matches that shock us, right?
So a, a perfect example of this was
we, we're partnered with the Best
of Cup, which is a tournament in
the Northeast region that brings
together USYS teams, ECNL teams, MLS
NEXT teams, a variety of different
leagues in the youth soccer system.
And there was a goalkeeper that
was committed Division II, and he's
playing against the Philadelphia Union
Academy with a bunch of US national
team players, things like that.
And we came into the game looking at
all the Philadelphia Union players,
the guys on the national team, and then
we see this goalkeeper that, he's not
even six foot, that had an outstanding
game, and then we're posting about him,
which ultimately, who knows if he would
ever gotten exposure to that extent.
And I think that that video ended
up doing minimum 100,000 views and,
and got across a bunch of different
Matt: So, uh, David, what is your, what is
your business model, and has that evolved
with, with the business as well, or has
it been the same thing from the beginning?
David: Yeah, it's, it's definitely
evolved, but initially it was just
sponsorship deals and advertisements.
So if there's different programs being
offered for different players at different
levels, um, advertising those different
things, college camps, advertising those,
um, filling the gap there, um, being able
to be almost like a, a middleman for, um,
players and then trusted organizations
'cause we've become this trusted
community, uh, in the youth soccer system.
So that was the initial, I'd say
100% for the first couple years.
It was the advertising revenue for
different brands, things like that.
But that has ultimately evolved as
we try to diversify different revenue
streams as we continue to grow.
Um, then the latest edition of that
within the last year was releasing our
Footy Access website, which allows us
to then offer premium subscriptions.
And what that has helped different
parents, players, and, and scouts do is a
centralized hub to have access to a list,
a database of 50 to 100 different players
amongst different age groups, right?
You can't really do that
on social media properly.
You're not gonna write a bio for 100
different players on social media, right?
There has to be a balance, and that's how
we're able to capture the value, um, from,
from what we generate on social media,
and then that is then pushed to something
that we own, which is the website, right?
We don't own Meta, we don't own TikTok.
Those are just the, the funnels to
then something that we're able to
control more is the website, and it's
been able to become a success for a
lot of different players and scouts.
Liron: So you curate your basic…
It's a curated collection.
David: Yeah.
Yeah, so and that's what it's been
able to do, it's validate players.
Validate players, um, help get
exposure to the highest level of
scouts to different colleges, whatever
level you're looking to play at.
And, and that's what we've been
able to do with the website.
So, um, it's evolved, uh, it-
it's evolved over time with adver-
advertising to the website, offering
subscriptions through there.
Um, and then we also have a newsletter
that we're, we're monetizing as well.
It's going out to over
15,000, uh, different parents,
players, things like that.
So we're, we got all our
bases covered in terms of that
Matt: we all know the long list of
challenges within youth soccer in this
country, W-we all talk about the fact
that, uh, pay-to-play is real for a
lot of different reasons, How does your
service not turn into a pay-to-play type
of service where there are parents who
are willing to do anything for their
kids, uh, including getting them access
or having them in one of your lists?
David: Yeah.
I, I will say it's impossible to pay to be
featured on anything we've ever published.
It's, we've gotten the offer pretty
much every single day since we started.
Liron: I can only imagine.
David: we haven't taken one cent from
Liron: I wonder if I know some
of the parents who called you.
David: I wouldn't be surprised, honestly.
It's, and, and I get it, right?
If I'm a parent and I know that a
platform could bring exposure to my son
or my daughter, and that could be the
differentiator of them being recruited to
a college to, to play pro, like I get it.
But that's not why we started,
and that also dilutes the brand
of taking any type of money from
any parent, player, or, or family
Liron: I, I will tell you
things you, you already know.
Parents, forget the kids
right now, we're parents.
Parents are obsessed with exposure.
They, they have this idea of, "I
want eyes on my kids," and especially
on the levels that our kids play.
And I hear many times, especially now
during tryout season and kids have
been moving from team to team, parents
being-- thinking about, "Well, I want
the kid in this team because they'll
have more eyes." They're not thinking
it's gonna be more minutes on the field.
And
What kind of eyes are gonna be on my kid?
In a way, if I'm getting this right,
you're almost relieving that pressure
because if there's platform, a
platform like yours that is objectively
looking at kids, that would be a
vehicle of exposure, and I think
could relieve some of that pressure.
On the other hand, you're mostly
in these major tournaments.
You're not going to the peripheries to
look at, at smaller teams, or are you?
David: We're starting to
delve into that a bit more.
So us partnering with that tournament I
had mentioned, the Best of Cup, it brings
together all these different leagues.
Doesn't matter what club you're
playing for or what league you're
playing for, you're able to compete
amongst each other, and it removes
that barrier of just you're competing
in one league over the other, right?
You're able… It brings
a tournament together.
It brings teams together like a
tournament like that, and we're
looking at different partners to align
with that are continuing to do that.
There's a bunch of these large
conglomerates that own a lot of different
tournaments, a lot of different clubs.
They're having ID sessions.
They're having different
tournaments that they're hosting
for the international teams and
domestic teams competing in them.
So for us, we're looking to align
with more tournament providers on that
end, so we're not limiting ourselves
to who can get exposure and where
we're bringing exposure to as well.
Liron: Have you seen kinda your stories
make a big change in a kid's trajectory?
David: Yeah, absolutely.
I'll, I'll tell you one that comes to
mind, I, I knew the dad, and the dad,
honest to, to you guys, to everyone
listening to the podcast, has never,
um… We, we've never posted him
because he didn't deserve it, right?
He didn't have the recognition or, or
Liron: You didn't post the dad or the kid?
David: Um, the, the kid.
The kid.
The dad either.
Matt: Li- Liro- Liron,
Liron was asking for
Liron: know I'm already
thinking for a friend.
This guy keeps wanting to get on,
on Footy Access, this dad, but, uh,
David: so we, we covered a, a club.
Uh, it was an MLS club.
We did the behind-the-scenes video
with them, and the dad ended up
messaging me a couple months later and
he said, "Hey, David, just wanted to
let you know that my son had different
offers to go play professionally,
sign a first-team contract.
We ended up going with this club
because of a video we saw Footy Access
post, and we signed a professional
contract with them." So to hear stories
like that, where you're bringing
exposure to an organization, right?
We talk about the players, we talk
about the families, but an organization,
and then that will then influence a
player into making that decision to
sign professionally with this club,
it shows the power of what we've
been able to do and the value of what
we've been able to provide in the
market to all these customer segments.
That's a full circle moment of the
families that influence, the players
that influence, the club is then
influenced because of what we've been
able to cover and what we've been
able to, to, to bring exposure to
Liron: I- is, is there a flip side to
it where back to the parent, a parent
would call you, pitch the kid, forget
paying for the kid, but pitch the
kid, and it's a kid that's not on your
radar, and you would go see that kid?
Or do you… Or usually you really
keep a distance between that and,
and you have your own network?
David: We try to be as
objective as possible.
So I do have a lot of
relationships with a lot of the
scouts and organizations, right?
And they're always telling me about
players that they're either, one, trying
to recruit, or two, that is within
their organization, and I'm all ears.
I'm always all ears.
It doesn't mean that we're
gonna post any player.
You can tell me as much information as
you want, but what we'll do is we'll
take that information, we'll share
it with the team, we'll validate what
they're saying is true, whether that
be the goals that they're scoring,
to the form that they're on, to
their story of where they came from.
Um, we, we try to keep it as ob- objective
as possible, go through its rounds of,
of who that player is or what they're,
what they're saying to, to myself or
anyone in our organization, 'cause we also
have a journalist that's really sourcing
a lot of this information as well.
Um, but, but that's really how we
break it down, narrow it down to
what stories we may be reporting
on, what we're not reporting on.
Maybe we don't report on now, but
we, we stay… We, we bank that
information, and as things progress,
we say, "Okay, wow, this is an amazing
player," or they're, they're doing
a lot of great things, then we bring
exposure to that story or that player.
Um, that, that's kind of the relationship
that we have with different things
that are being reported to us, and
then how we take it internally.
Matt: How, um, it, it's fairly easy,
I would think, to track strikers and
attacking players in general, whether
it's goals or goals, goal contributions.
Um, I would argue goalkeepers
too, who have legitimate
statistics that you can track.
what about the rest of the, the 11 who
aren't showing up with goal contributions,
or saves for that matter, um, that also
need and want exposure and probably need
it even more so in a lot of ways because
they're not scoring goals or saving them?
David: That, that's where we turn
to the, the experts in the industry,
different scouts that are recruiting these
players day to day that have a better
understanding of what makes a player,
quote unquote, "great" objectively.
We don't necessarily determine
if this player is great or not.
We just determine they played a, a
great match, or we, we think that
this is a great goal, or they, they
scored a hat-trick in a match, right?
We're gonna bring exposure to that.
Um, but we lean on the relationships
that we, the relationships that
we've built to if a player is a six,
right, how is he getting exposure?
That, that is a whole different
conversation to how you bring a, a
striker into getting exposure, right?
It, it's much easy, it's much easier to…
You, you don't even have to
be in the soccer industry.
You see a striker score three goals, it's
like, okay, he's a great player, right?
So thankfully, everything, everyone within
the organization has an understanding,
has played at a level, right?
I played Division I soccer.
Um, my, my business partner
played for the US Men's National
Team, played professionally.
Um, every withi- everyone within the
organization played to an extent, so
there's a grasp and an understanding of
what different players on the field, what
their duties are, but then also leveraging
the network that we have and the trusted
people that we have relationships with
to s- sometimes determine that and
lean on them for that information.
Matt: What do, um, David, what, what
do parents think gets noticed that
actually doesn't matter as much?
David: That's a really good question.
I, I honestly, I think it
is the social media stuff.
Like, it, it, it, it serves its purpose
if you're able to help it, like, recruit
you, but it doesn't mean that you're
gonna go pro if you're posted, or that it
means that you should be going to Europe.
I, I think that's the misconception,
that it's great that we have a voice and
we're able to bring recognition to, to
players, but that shouldn't skyrocket
your expectations either, right?
If someone does good, we're looking to
bring exposure to that, but there should
be a sense of humility and understanding
on your situation for a player and a
family to… I- if there's a feature, if
you're getting exposure, that doesn't mean
that… Or, or there's sometimes it's the
comment section of people saying different
things, and that becomes the reality.
I think that's the misconception.
It, it's really… It, it's a, it's a fine
line on how you interpret those things
Liron: Do you see that there's,
like, a sweet spot for ages for
what you call exposure or kind
of putting a kid on a platform
'Cause for example, is 17 too late?
Is it 12, 13, 14?
Is it… 'Cause it's exactly
what you just mentioned.
It's like, oh, well, my
kid was on Footy Access.
But bro, your kid was nine.
David: it's a good question.
A lot of people actually ask that.
So we typically start bringing exposure
to a lot of these players when US Soccer
start, or these, any national team starts
recruiting them into national ID camps,
which is typically U14, U15, right?
Before that, I think it's, it's
not fair to the player to start
bringing exposure and ranking them
o- on different things, right?
Um, they're not fully developed to
the point that even US Soccer is
considering them for any type of ID camps.
So that's really where we start.
And you have your early bloomers, right?
I think the most obvious one is,
is a player like Cavin, which was
12, 13 years old, playing U15,
then, you know, playing MLS, right?
You have those exceptions, but that's
really where we, we typically start.
But that goes to any age, right?
There's posts that y- you'll find
that we're highlighting a, a player
like Alex Freeman, who is already
in the first team, Villarreal.
He's playing first team, Orlando City.
He had a great season,
um, but he's older, right?
He, he's way older than a lot of the
players that we cover, but what that
content does is help inspire some of
these younger players, and that's why
we really cover those stories, right?
As a player that went through the
academy at Orlando City, played
on the second team, played on
the first team, then transferred
over, um, to, to Spain, La Liga.
Those stories also help inspire a lot
of the young players that follow our
account, and that's… That goes back
to the different pieces of content
that we post serve different key
segments, have different objectives
for, for why we're posting them.
So really sky's the limit in terms
of the age of what we cover, but
in terms of when we initially cover
them, usually that, that U14, U15.
Keep it, keep it simple terms.
Liron: Oh, no, it's important.
'cause I'm gonna get a lot of calls
after this podcast, unfortunately, so
Matt: Uh, w- we, we've talked, we've
covered this a bit on different episodes,
um, where there seems to be a point where
US kids, where they realize it sinks
in whatever level they're playing that
they're not gonna play in the Prem, or
they're not gonna play in La Liga or Serie
A or whatever it may be, and then they
start thinking about, "Well, I should go
to college, and I should get an education.
how much of that do you hear?
How much of that do you see?
Or do you think it's just a total myth
and it's, uh, something that doesn't
exist the way we've portrayed it?
David: Yeah, it happens all the time.
I hear it all the time.
Essentially every single family that I
come into contact to, players that I come
into contact to, a lot of the times the
way that they interact with, with me gives
me an understanding of how they f- what
they expect from a son or a daughter.
They sometimes expect that they should
be signing a professional contract today.
Sometimes they think that they're too good
for a team and that they should leave.
The, the way I see it is that understand
what the goal is for a player and
the family, that becomes your North
Star, and what's in service of
accomplishing that is what you should do.
It doesn't matter in what
timeframe that's accomplished.
It doesn't matter if it's you're signing
a pro contract at 15, or you go to
college, and then you get drafted, and
then you're on the second team, and then
you sign a first team contract at 25.
If your objective is to go pro, I don't
think there's a set timeline on that,
and I think a lot of the struggles
that a lot of families and players
have is that they see their peers, just
mainly on what we cover, they see their
peers signing professional contracts.
They see that their peers are… They
have an agent that's representing them
to then go get them a contract, right?
And, and they feel obligated to
also be at that level, which it's
okay not to be at that level.
It's okay not to sign a pro
contract at 15, 16 years old,
and I think unfortunately, people
have become desensitized to that,
of signing a contract so young.
But I, I think the best thing to do is
really understand what's valuable to you.
Is it to play at a high
level, at, at the club level?
Then you go play college soccer,
and you get a good education.
You're able to get a scholarship,
and then you're able to then go
play afterwards, or you're able
to have a career off the field.
And either of those options are
okay, but I think most families
and most players don't know really
what that North Star is for them.
They just see everyone else
signing a pro contract.
It sounds amazing.
I also wanna sign a pro contract.
That, I think that's really the, the issue
Liron: so for you, when you're looking
at kind of your, your, the holistic
way of looking at so many kids, right?
what excites you?
Is it like telling a story of this top-end
kid, or is it telling the discovery story?
Like
David: I- if I had to say, it would
likely be the ones that are the underdog
stories of a player we did a, a post
a couple days ago, if not yesterday.
My days are all over the place.
But, uh, a player on San Jose Earthquakes
that was playing Division II college
soccer, then he went to go play
Division I college soccer, then he
got drafted, then he ended up getting
released and went to another club.
That is what interests me the most, and
that's the stories that I love us telling
because it then inspires other players
to then also understand that you don't
need to be signing these, these pro
contracts on a certain timeline, right?
'Cause you go play college soccer
Division II doesn't mean that you
can't go play, uh, professionally.
Um, w- a s- one of the stories that was
breaking in the last couple years was
Patrick Agyemang, who was playing, I
believe, Division III college soccer.
Um, and then made his way
through, went to go play at,
uh, I think Rhode Island, if I'm
Matt: You are right.
Yeah.
Yeah
David: And then he, he's getting drafted.
He… And then he goes and plays with
Charlotte FC, then he ends up earning
a transfer to Derby County overseas,
and then he's on the US Men's National
Team, and unfortunately ended up getting
injured recently before the World Cup.
But it's stories like that that inspire
a lot of players, but then also makes me
happy to see that it doesn't matter who
you are or where you play, that you're
able to bring exposure to those players,
and there's… You're still be- Y- you're
able to recognize, um, the adversity
and the journey for a lot of those guys.
Liron: You, you don't
find it overwhelming?
I mean, there's just so
many, so many players.
There's so many, it's like I, I
just don't under- I can't even get
my brain around, like, uh, h- how
this, how this even begins to work
David: Yeah, it is, it
is overwhelming at first.
Once, for us, we start aligning with
a lot of these different leagues,
that helps us better service and
cover the whole entire landscape,
um, one league at a time, right?
One organization at a time, and we're
able to help grow and scale that way.
And then for the leagues themselves,
it helps them, um, also become a
better high-profile event because it's
easily accessible to be recruited,
um, to be seen, to be engaged with.
So that's why we're starting to align
with a lot of those tournament providers.
Uh, we ju- I just had a meeting a
couple weeks ago with one of them that
runs a lot of different tournaments
in the United States that include
international teams from Mexico or
from overseas in Europe, and the main
thing they said on the call was like,
"I wish that there was something like
this when I was growing up and playing."
And that's really why I, I started
initially is, i- is exactly that.
So it is a bit overwhelming at first,
but with the help of some of these
organa- organizations and partnering
with them, that helps clear the, the
space a bit in terms of understanding
Matt: Well, the good news is with the
number of leagues and the number of
organizations and players, you have a
whole lifetime worth of work ahead of you
David: Yeah.
Actually, we'll never be short
of coverage i- in stories.
There, there's some that pop up every
single day, so that's a good point
Liron: is this part of how you see the
vision of Footy Access, Because now you're
gaining all this knowledge, you understand
the stories you're telling, you see how
much effect an exposure can have on a kid.
And by the way, I do say kids, all
of a sudden a kid has 100,000 people
looking at some video that they did,
could be an, a mind-blowing experience,
But you, you're, you're gaining all
this kind of industry knowledge.
do you find that people
come to you for advice?
And if so, how do you
institutionalize that?
David: Yeah, it, it happens a
lot where a player… It just
happened over the weekend.
Uh, a player will, will ask me for
advice, families will ask me for
advice, and it goes back to what
I'd mentioned about the North Star,
like what's important to you guys?
Is it making sure that you get a good
education while also balancing soccer?
Is it, um, going to play professionally?
Is it becoming, um,
financially successful, right?
Some families, some players
have different objectives.
It, it's hard to sometimes distinguish
me as being associated with Footy
Access than also as a friend, 'cause
thankfully being in this industry,
I've been able to create great
relationships with families and players.
So it, it d- it sometimes
depends on who I'm talking to.
If it's a friend, right, that
conversation's completely different.
If it's from the perspective
of me in this industry, that
perspective is also different.
But I think it r- it still remains true
that you have to understand really what
your goals are, and everything then on,
every single day, every single week, is
in service of, of that long-term goal
Liron: Got it
Matt: H- have we, um, have we
lost the script a little bit?
Have we become so in love with
the highlight or the exposure that
we've lost the reason the kids
are playing to a certain degree?
And do you, do you see that?
Do you feel that?
I mean, I'm not suggesting that
you guys are a part of that at all,
but the world we live in, right?
David: Right.
I, I think yes, because there are
different platforms or different
organizations that will post anything for
the sake of a highlight, whatever makes
someone laugh or… And it depends, right?
Some platforms are… That's, that's
their mission, is to make people laugh,
to just get views, get, get engagement.
Um, I, I do think sometimes things are
posted for the sake of posting them.
I do see that a lot, and that's not
just in soccer, that's across various
different sports, different industries.
yeah, life.
A lot of people post things for the
sake of posting them, and I, I do think
we've, we've shied away from really what
matters when you're posting, um, things.
That, and that's really why we
have things like our newsletter,
we have things like our website.
It shies away from the realities
of some just flooded social media.
People just look through anything
and everything in the matter of a
minute, and what becomes valuable to
someone is… It, it, we've lost it
in terms of what you're saying, Matt.
Like, that's, that's what we've come to,
is that that isn't as valuable anymore.
Um, so that's why we have these
different pieces of inventory, we
like to call it, like the website,
newsletter, offering a different
type of value that isn't just social
Liron: Well, I mean, it, it leads,
it leads me to this next point.
I have a 14-year-old, uh, boy, be the
soccer player, but I've always, um,
curbed his social media interaction
and h- what things he can put on it.
S- um, he has very little highlights
on his, on his very little posts.
Do you think that… And it's a mistake?
I think I made a mistake.
I think I should have allowed him to
push things a little bit further at 14.
David: No.
Liron: asking.
I don't know
David: No, I don't think so.
I, I, I see players that, that post
too much, like they'll post everything.
Um, and the reality of it is, the way I
see it is, let's say it's a top player
in the system and they continue to work
hard, they stay consistent, they s- they
stay healthy, they will be recognized
ultimately, whether that be at the
collegiate level, professional level.
I, I, I don't think a great player is
gonna be… The end-all be-all will
be what they post on social media.
So to, to your point,
Liron, no, you're all good.
I think you're in the clear.
Matt: By the way, Liron, there, there,
there are other proof points 'cause
you got a great kid who's not, uh,
who's not pushing himself on the world,
Liron: I know, but you know what,
actually it came up, it came up.
I'll… Thank you, Matt, for that,
but it a- actually did come up because
I remember there was, um, we were in
the car one day, and he talked about
this, uh, friend of his who had, I
don't know, 3,000 followers, let's say,
on, on Instagram, and he has 1,000.
I'm just throwing numbers,
but he has it pretty low.
And he's like, "Ah, you know, if I, if
I was more a participant," you know.
And, you know, and he tried to beat the
data, be like, "Who cares about how many
people follow you on Instagram and see
some highlight that you did three years
ago against Dusk?" So what I'm gonna do
is I'm just gonna play him this episode,
and I'll say, "Look, I mean, you're not
gonna listen to me, but you're definitely
gonna listen to, uh, David, right?"
And be like, "Then no
problem." So thank you,
David: I, I, will say it can help.
Liron: Oh, geez, come on,
David: I will say it can help.
I mean, that's really what w- w- the
basis of really where we started is being
able to bring exposure off of one video.
It could, it could be seen by anyone.
But I also think that if you're a great
player, it won't… That video won't
matter if it's posted or not, right?
If you're a great player.
But I think it could help.
It could help that one person sees
it, one extra person sees it, two
people see it, three people see it.
It's just three more people
that wouldn't have seen it.
But if you're a great player, I
wouldn't stress too much about what
you're posting on social media, w- how
many highlights that you've posted.
I, I personally know a family and a
player that completely shut off their
social media, probably had no post.
They're starting the MLS right now
and play every single minute, and
they're wanted by every single club.
So it's, it's whatever
you want, to be honest.
I mean, hopefully it's, it's a
great player and you're able to
get recognized no matter what.
But some players can benefit
off of the exposure that
they're posting on social media
Liron: I just wanna make sure he doesn't
have more followers than the podcast.
That's really what I'm trying to get into.
David: But if he does, then you
can start collaborating with
him and we'll see some of it.
It works out
Matt: David, uh, h-how much-- You
think about when you started this
four years ago, and it's incredibly
hard to start a business, and you've
started a, a media company that's,
that's now t- devolving into a tech
company with multiple revenue streams.
Um, generally speaking, how much more
interest is there in youth soccer, do you
think, in this country, like at the elite
levels, than there was four years ago?
David: Oh, it's completely shifted.
Yeah, I think it's completely shifted.
There's so much attention that's
now focused on North America as
a whole, and there's more media
pages coming up every single month.
When I started this almost four years
ago, no one else had anywhere to go to.
It was just us.
So that helped us, right?
And we've had to evolve because
there's so many now, but that's
because the game's grown, right?
So the way I see it, there's more
people covering the game, which,
number one, that's the reason why I
even started, so I can't be mad that
there's other platforms trying to
bring exposure to the game, right?
It's, it's just a matter of how
they do that is sometimes the, it
leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
But it, it's evolved so much, and I
think it's only the tip of the iceberg
of where this game will be headed in the
United States primarily, because it's
still not a mainstream sport here, right?
It's, it's growing.
We all know that.
But it's still not a mainstream sport.
There still hasn't been, let's say,
a huge influx of development that has
completely changed our national team
or has completely changed the whole
entire organization and, and scope
of what the United States market is.
There's still so much untapped potential,
and that's what excites me of, there's
so much still left to be developed in the
United States as it relates to soccer.
So I think it's just starting off, and
I'm just glad that Footy Access started
when it did, because we're now in a
position of we have a voice, and we're
able to then use that voice surrounding
the FIFA World Cup, different youth
events, different tournaments, and
even looking forward to LA 2028, right?
The roster of the United States is gonna
be the 23 and under, so there's gonna be
a lot of young players within that squad.
So I think we're hitting the
market at the perfect time, but
there's so much room to still grow.
So that's what really excites me, is being
along in that journey and hopefully that
Footy Access has that influence to, to
help it grow as well, continue to grow
Matt: And so you, so you're
gonna have more and more of
those types of stories, right?
Somebody you featured three, four years
ago that is now playing on a first
team and eventually playing for the
national team or is playing in Europe.
be able to look back
and, and see the impact.
I'm not suggesting that's what propelled
them, but you, you surfaced it, you know,
and you, you, you found a player that
was something special, and that player
did the work, you know, the rest of it
David: Right.
Yeah, absolutely.
And for us, it's just
highlighting that, right?
We're not, we're not changing
the trajectory of Julian Hall
because we posted a video.
Look, he was gonna be great regardless
if we posted it or not, right?
And there's a lot of those players, so
Liron: I think that's
part of the key, right?
And like you said with the social
media, if you're, you work hard, you're
destined, you're talented, that window
of opportunity is gonna show itself.
David: Yeah.
Liron: can't force that timing.
Matt: I mean, I, I think, I think that's
true, but we still talk a lot about
in this country that there are still
players who don't end up getting an
opportunity at the right levels, right?
And, uh, y- yeah, if you're super, super
talented, it's, it's more likely at this
stage, I would hope, that kids get an
opportunity regardless of socioeconomic
challenges with our system, right?
Which is, which is one of the issues.
Um, but there's still, there's still
kids out there, you know, buried in
leagues that don't necessarily have
the right badge, uh, who-- or, or not
playing in leagues at all, that, that
could eventually get s- the-- if they
get the right exposure, can end up in
the right place and could end up, you
know, making something out of this.
David: Yeah.
And that could be all the difference,
which, which is exactly why the,
the exposure side of things is so
important through us is that could be
all the difference of a player that
might get buried into a league that
no one's heard of or a club that's
never been heard of, um, 'cause
there are so many of those players.
I know those players personally
that I grew up with that are great
players that I've seen, but through
a multitude of different reasons,
they didn't get that exposure.
But if they could've, through
one video, one extra person that
saw it, that could've changed
the trajectory of their career
Liron: But, you know, as we wrap up,
David, I mean, I'm thinking about it
again as, as a parent you… A couple
weeks ago you and I just spoke on
the phone and I saw it on your feed.
You featured a, a son of a
very good friend of mine.
David: Oh, yeah.
Yeah
Liron: Now, the exposure of this player
probably doesn't mean much to this player
because that player is already is a
13-year-old boy He's playing for La Masia.
He's already got all, all the,
all the attention in the world.
David: Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Liron: So when you're posting that, and
maybe I'm going too deep 'cause I love
making movies and telling stories, but
when you're doing that it probably wasn't
really about the kid, it was you were
trying to tell another story because it
wasn't, unlike we're saying where you're
exposing somebody who's you're giving
them kind of a window, this kid already
has, he's already had that window.
He's been on every news channel
in Spain and in his home country.
When you feature something like that, what
is the bigger story you're trying to tell?
David: I- it's more so the recognition
to someone that is having that
success, is giving them the recog- the
recognition of what they're being able to
accomplish, and then also inspire other
people that may see that story, right?
It doesn't matter what club you're
playing for or what that journey is at
13 years old to La Masia, whatever age
that is, or at 20 years old, right?
It's being able to highlight and
recognize those stories and inspire
someone else that might be able
to maybe pursue the same thing or
maybe not pursue the same thing
Matt: I was reflecting.
I think David, we got, we got introduced,
um, through a mutual acquaintance
who's been great to, great to our
show, and my first reaction to him
was, "I'm not so sure that these sites
are good for the psyche of kids."
David: Right
Matt: And I was a little bit concerned,
and he said, "Listen, I've, I've known
him since he was, you know, one guy with
a camera trying to tell great stories,
like to be, to, to have a, a positive
impact." I don't think I knew a tenth of
it as far as like what you're actually
trying to create and what you have
created and the impact that you've had.
So it's just super impressive, of what you
built and excited to see, what's to come.
David: Matt, thank you so much.
Because really what we've been able
to accomplish, I say we because
it's not me that's Footy Access,
it's, we have a team of seven.
We have a partnerships team, content
team, um, journalists, graphic
designers, my business partner, right?
It's, it's all of us, and I wanted to
make sure I said that before we ended.
Um, everyone in the company has the same
mission is bringing exposure to the young
players within North America primarily,
and we stayed true to that mission,
and everyone that's involved within the
company has, has stayed true to that.
So to hear that other people are speaking
positively of that, of myself, that
means a lot to me and, and it shows
that we're, we're doing the right thing
Liron: David, you're a storyteller, buddy.
That's what I'm telling you.
David: That means a lot.
Means a lot coming from you
Liron: yeah.
Big- the biggest mouth here.
How do you say, wow with emojis?
Yes, So the line from David that parents probably
need most is this.
It doesn't mean that you're going to go pro just because
you you've been posted, even with millions
of views potentially.
This is the whole tension of this episode, because
in you soccer, tens can start to feel like progress.
A post feels like progress.
A ranking feels like progress.
A highlight feels like progress
a platform noticing your kid feels like progress.
And sometimes it can help.
David is clear, very clear about that.
But he's also clear that exposure is not the same thing as development.
It's not proof.
It's not a guarantee and it should not skyrocket a family's
expectations overnight.
Yeah, I mean, this is the part that kind of hit me, and I took note
during this interview.
David wasn't saying that social media is fake, as
you keep saying, Matt.
He's saying that it has to be interpreted carefully.
He said, it serves its purpose if you're able to help it
recruit you and for you.
Then immediately, you know, adds a little warning.
It does not mean that Europe is next if you are on
one of our posts, and it doesn't mean that you have a pro contract coming next
It just doesn't mean that your life is about to change or go on a different path.
And for parents, this is a little bit confusing and hard to understand
because we're looking for signs, right?
We want to know, is our kid doing okay?
We want to know of the work they're putting in matters.
We want to know if somebody's seeing them
and being seen should not become the same as being worthy of being seen.
Yeah.
I mean, that is why David's North Star idea really matters.
He said, families have to understand the goal for the player and for the family.
That becomes your North Star.
That is really the practical takeaway.
What is actually important for your kid?
College, scholarship, pro pathway,
the right school, happiness, love of
the game, the right environment
and ultimately how they see themselves
as a player and as a person.
Once you know that, exposure becomes a tool.
Without that, exposure becomes a chase.
A lot of heavy words.
You know, David, did give us some relief,
so everybody relaxed.
At the end, he said something like,
I think a lot of families should hear.
If you're a great player, I wouldn't stress too much about what
you're posting on social media.
But it doesn't mean ignore it, right?
Because then he goes immediately and he says, hey, hey, L, one
video can help.
One person will see it, then two, then three
and those are the people who would not have seen it any other way.
So it's real.
And the player still has to be a player.
They still got to work hard to be real.
The level has to be real.
The game has to to hold up even when the camera is off.
And in a pay-to-play system, I think another quote matters,
David said, it's impossible
to pay to be featured on anything we've ever published.
That's an important line because the minute visibility
can simply be bought, exposure becomes another product.
Families feel pressured to purchase.
And you soccer already has enough of those..
And kudos to David for holding the line.
Yeah, so the question is not whether social media matters.
It does.
That's obvious.
The question is whether is it serving the player
or whether the player is starting to serve the exposure?
Thank you so much, David, for coming on,
talking to us, and giving us a little bit of nuance that is so
sorely needed.
If this episode help you on whatever social media platform
you're on, you hypocrites, make sure you like it,
make sure you share it.
This has got to be a helpful episode, right, Matt?
any soccer parent should hear this.
This is hashttag chasing the game,
you soccer in America.
A collab sealer off