The Inside Scoop with Anytime Soccer Training - Discussing Youth Soccer from Around the World

I sat down with Andy Barrero, Director of Coaching at OC Premier Academy Futsal, for a fascinating look at how youth soccer development differs between the US and South America.Andy shares his firsthand insights on the cultural and environmental factors that shape players on both continents — from how the game is introduced at a young age to the role futsal plays in technical development. It's a conversation that gives coaches, parents, and players a lot to think about.The Inside Scoop Podcast with Neil CrawfordGuest: Andy Barrero, Director of Coaching — OC Premier Academy Futsalocpremieracademy.com

Today's question in the Anytime Soccer Training Facebook group was a familiar one: winning or losing at the youth level has little to no correlation with development — true or false? In this quick gut-reaction episode, I explain why I think "no correlation" is a cop-out, what it actually means to define development in a youth soccer context, and why if you're going to dismiss the scoreboard you'd better replace it with something just as measurable. I also get into the elephant in the room most coaches won't touch — the accountability piece — and lay out the specific markers I'd want to see instead.

Every soccer family knows MLS Next. Everyone's heard of ECNL.But there's another path. One that's producing college players, developing elite talent, and not draining your bank account in the process.James Jordan — Founder & Head Coach of River City FC — has been quietly building something. And in this episode, he pulls back the curtain."College soccer is extremely hard. And if you're not prepared mentally for it, it's going to be a struggle for you.""I go from all-conference to bench. For a lot of kids, that takes some adjusting — I had a fairly big ego at that point."Most families never even know this option exists. Now you do.🔗 River City FC: https://www.facebook.com/RCFC803/⚽ Find a UPSL Team Near You: https://premier.upsl.com/teams/📱 Anytime Soccer Training: www.anytime-soccer.com

This isn't about finding better drills. I tried that. It didn't move the needle the way I expected.What actually changed things for my kids was building a process — a repeatable, structured approach to solo training that eliminated the guesswork, kept the reps high, and protected our relationship along the way.In this episode, I'm breaking down that process from the ground up. The framework behind it. The principles that make it work. And the mistakes I see most soccer families making that are costing their kids thousands of touches every single season.

I'll be honest — I don't have a coaching license and I never played the game. But I've spent years thinking deeply about how I'd want my teams to play. In this episode, I share my game model and coaching philosophy, imperfections and all, hoping other coaches will push back and help me get it right.

A parent asked me to prep them before their demo, so I hit record instead. In this episode, I break down the core principles behind Anytime Soccer Training — the connection between competency and confidence, why the parent is the most important coach, and how the curriculum is structured. I also get real about what no online program can promise, including individual feedback and guaranteed engagement.