In this solo episode of Chat By The Pitch, Ian Babcock reflects on years of learning as a soccer parent, coach, and constant student of the game. This episode challenges the obsession with early results and reframes success around development, environment, communication, and joy.

Ian explores what youth soccer is getting right, where it’s falling short, and what parents, coaches, and clubs can do—starting today—to create healthier, more sustainable experiences for young athletes. This conversation is for families who care about long-term growth, not just the scoreboard.

Key Talking Points

1. Why development matters more than early wins

2. The danger of overscheduling and athlete burnout

3. Creating safe environments for learning and failure

4. Why kids need space to be kids—not mini professionals

5. The importance of emotional connection between coaches and players

6. How communication breakdowns damage player development

7. Culture as the foundation of healthy teams and clubs

8. The realities and consequences of pay-to-play youth sports

9. How sideline behavior shapes athlete confidence and creativity

10. Redefining success as lifelong love of the game, not outcomes

Quotes from Ian Babcock

1. “Our job isn’t to push kids toward greatness. It’s to walk beside them so they can define what greatness means for themselves.”

2. “Winning early doesn’t create better players. It usually creates burned-out ones.”

3. “Kids don’t fall out of love with sports all at once. They drift—from joy to obligation, from play to performance.”

4. “If a child feels safe enough to fail, they’ll be brave enough to grow.”

5. “We’re raising humans first. Athletes second. When we get that order right, everything else gets easier.”

6. “Development isn’t about today’s score. It’s about who the athlete becomes over time.”

7. “Overscheduling doesn’t build commitment—it slowly erodes joy.”

8. “Culture isn’t about winning at all costs. It’s about creating an environment kids want to stay in.”

9. “When parents, players, and coaches aren’t aligned, development breaks down fast.”

10. “If a kid still loves the game at 25—or 80—we’ve done our job.”

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#YouthSoccer #PlayerDevelopment #SoccerParents #HumanFirstAthleteSecond #LongTermDevelopment #YouthSportsCulture #ParentEducation #CoachingPhilosophy #LoveTheGame #DevelopmentOverResults

Mentioned in this episode:

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Soccer Innovations: Award-Winning Soccer Equipment & Accessories

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Reeplayer: Greater access to footage gives every young athlete the opportunity to develop and be seen. Reeplayer is committed to making footage accessible to teams, families, and athletes of all backgrounds.

Reeplayer

In Part 2 of this conversation, John O’Sullivan dives deeper into the realities of pressure, anxiety, early specialization, and the myths that continue to shape youth sports in unhealthy ways.

We unpack why the so-called 10,000-hour rule doesn’t hold up, why development is never linear, and why mentality, enjoyment, and resilience matter more than chasing outcomes at young ages. John also shares powerful insights for parents on how to support their kids without adding pressure — and why nervousness isn’t a problem, but a sign that kids care.

This episode challenges parents, coaches, and organizations to redefine success, strip away interference, and help kids fall in love with movement so sports remain a positive part of their lives long after the final whistle.

Key Talking Points

1. Why the 10,000-hour rule is a myth — and what matters instead
2. The dangers of early specialization and outcome obsession
3. Why development is different for every athlete and every sport
4. How pressure shifts from excitement to anxiety
5. Teaching kids to handle nerves instead of eliminating them
6. Performance as potential minus interference
7. Why parents must separate their identity from their child’s sport
8. Letting the journey belong to the athlete, not the adults
9. How joy fuels resilience and long-term commitment
10. Redefining success beyond wins, trophies, and rankings

Quotes From Guest

1. “There’s no such thing as a 10,000-hour rule.”
2. “Kids are not computers — you don’t just program hours into them.”
3. “Nervous means that you care.”
4. “Performance is potential minus interference.”
5. “The same drive that helps some kids succeed can also destroy them.”
6. “You can do everything right and still get hurt.”
7. “Sport is something kids do — it’s not who they are.”
8. “Our job as parents is to strip away interference, not add to it.”
9. “Success isn’t winning every game — it’s kids wanting to come back.”
10. “The goal is raising athletes for life.”

Connect With John O’Sullivan

🌐 Website: https://changingthegameproject.com

🎙️ Podcast: https://wayofchampionspodcast.com

📚 Book: Changing the Game

📸 Instagram:...

In Part 1 of this conversation, John O’Sullivan joins Chat By The Pitch to break down what truly drives healthy development in youth sports.

John shares his journey from long-time soccer coach to founder of Change the Game Project, explaining why burnout, fear-based coaching, and adult agendas continue to derail young athletes. We dive into culture, joy, intrinsic motivation, and why relationships — not tactics — are the foundation of sustainable success.

This episode is essential listening for parents, coaches, and anyone invested in helping kids stay in the game longer, love the process, and grow as people — not just players.

Key Talking Points

1. Why fear-based coaching can create short-term results but long-term damage
2. The difference between transactional and transformational coaching
3. How burnout often starts with adults, not athletes
4. Why coaching is fundamentally a relationship business
5. What research says kids actually want from sports
6. The myth that fun and competitiveness don’t coexist
7. How joy fuels intrinsic motivation and long-term growth
8. Teaching athletes to compete, not just “win”
9. The role of autonomy in athlete development
10. Why culture matters more than systems, tactics, or drills

Quotes From John O’Sullivan

1. “You can compel people through fear in the short term, but it’s not sustainable.”
2. “If kids quit next year, who cares how many games you won?”
3. “Coaching is a relationship business — not an X’s and O’s business.”
4. “You can’t teach winning. You can teach competing.”
5. “Joy and competitiveness absolutely coexist.”
6. “Fun doesn’t mean sloppy — it means organized, challenging, and meaningful.”
7. “Intrinsic motivation is the path to mastery.”
8. “If you remove joy or ownership, motivation fades.”
9. “Sport teaches kids how to do hard things.”
10. “Development isn’t just performance — it’s moral character.”

Connect with John O’Sullivan

🌐 Website: https://changingthegameproject.com

🎙️ Podcast: https://wayofchampionspodcast.com

📚 Book: Changing the Game

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changingthegameproject

✖️...

In Part 2, Ian Babcock continues the conversation with Dominique Molina and Antonio Perez, founders of Salient Touch Football Academy, diving deep into how real development is executed day to day.

This episode breaks down session design, open enrollment, punch cards vs. consistency, defending development, and Salient Touch’s ability-based leveling system. Dominique and Antonio explain why age alone is a poor indicator of readiness, how players are evaluated during trial sessions, and why holding firm on levels actually protects player confidence and growth.

For parents navigating busy schedules—and coaches trying to maintain standards—this conversation provides rare transparency into what thoughtful development looks like behind the scenes.

🔑 Key Talking Points

1. How Salient Touch designs sessions around player readiness
2. Why cones vs. game-based sessions change day to day
3. Open enrollment without sacrificing training quality
4. Punch cards vs. monthly commitment — what actually works
5. Why defending is one of the fastest transferable skills
6. Leveling players by ability, not birth year
7. How trial sessions evaluate the full player profile
8. Managing plateaus without rushing promotions
9. Parent communication as a core development pillar
10. Building long-term pathways instead of short-term wins

💬 Quotes from the Guests

1. “Development is best seen with consistency — there’s no way around that.” — Dominique Molina
2. “It’s not one size fits all. It’s one size fits one at a time.” — Antonio Perez
3. “If we water down our levels, we water down what we offer.” — Dominique Molina
4. “Defending is the only way you ever get the ball back.” — Antonio Perez
5. “Progress doesn’t always show on the field right away.” — Dominique Molina
6. “We evaluate the emotional and social side just as much as the technical.” — Antonio Perez
7. “Some players need time, not pressure.” — Antonio Perez
8. “Parents deserve clarity, not confusion.” — Dominique Molina

🔗 Connect with Salient Touch Football Academy

🌐 Website: https://salienttouch.com/contact

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/salienttouchfutbolacademy

👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/SalientTouch

Email: Info@SalientTouch.com

Call/Text : 940.268.3392

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From Park Sessions to Facilities: The Salient Touch Origin Story

In Part 1 of this conversation, Ian Babcock sits down with Salient Touch Football Academy founders Dominique Molina and Antonio Perez to unpack how Salient Touch was built—from a bumpy public field to a multi-location technical training program serving hundreds of players each week.

This episode dives into identity, first touch, emotional intelligence in coaching, and why individual development is often misunderstood in modern youth soccer. Dominique and Antonio share personal journeys from elite athletics, professional playing ambitions, and hard transition moments that ultimately shaped their coaching philosophy.

If you’re a parent, coach, or player trying to understand what real development looks like—and why progress isn’t linear—this conversation sets the foundation.

🔑 Key Talking Points

1. Why first touch is foundational at every age

2. Letting go of the professional dream to build something bigger

3. Coaching without mentors — learning through lived experience

4. Adapting training to emotional and psychological player needs

5. Why technical repetition alone doesn’t work for every child

6. The difference between team development and individual growth

7. Building a business while protecting coaching culture

8. Why progress feels invisible during development plateaus

9. The challenge of parent communication at scale

10. Creating environments where discipline and joy coexist

💬 Quotes from the Guests

1. “If you don’t have a good first touch, it’s impossible to be a good player.” — Antonio Perez

2. “Each player needs something different emotionally from the game.” — Dominique Molina

3. “Our goal isn’t to make everyone pro — it’s to educate them through the sport.” — Antonio Perez

4. “Nothing worth doing in sports is easy, and we shouldn’t pretend it is.” — Dominique Molina

5. “Some players need repetition. Others need sensation.” — Antonio Perez

6. “Culture starts with who you allow on your staff.” — Dominique Molina

7. “Progress isn’t linear — it’s chaotic.” — Antonio Perez

8. “Parents deserve clarity, not silence.” — Dominique Molina

🔗 Connect with Salient Touch Football Academy

🌐 Website: https://salienttouch.com/contact

📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/salienttouchfutbolacademy

👍 Facebook: www.facebook.com/SalientTouch

Email: Info@SalientTouch.com

Call/Text : 940.268.3392

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#ChatByThePitch #SalientTouchFA #YouthSoccerDevelopment #FirstTouch #PlayerDevelopment #SoccerCulture #TechnicalTraining #YouthSportsParent #CoachingEducation #SoccerPodcast

Mentioned in this episode:

Reeplayer: Greater access to footage gives every young athlete the opportunity to develop and be seen. Reeplayer is committed to making footage accessible to teams, families, and athletes of all backgrounds.

Reeplayer

TeamPlayr: Find and join the perfect youth
soccer team

TeamPlayr

Soccer Innovations: Award-Winning Soccer Equipment & Accessories

Soccer Innovations

In Part 2, Ted Kroeten goes deeper into the mechanics of free play, why traditional training misreads how kids actually learn, and how small-sided chaos builds problem-solvers, communicators, and creators. From one-v-one misconceptions to futsal culture, mixed-age environments, and why American kids rarely get “underload” time, Ted explains what the U.S. must rethink to compete globally.

He also breaks down what parents can actually do to bring joy and development back into their child’s soccer life — even without a Joy of the People program nearby.

This conversation is a blueprint for the next 10–15 years of American soccer… if we’re willing to go “down the mountain” before climbing higher.

Key Talking Points

• Why 1v1 isn’t the holy grail — and why 2v2 teaches the real language of soccer

• What small-sided games unlock: communication, deception, decision-making

• The concept of overload vs underload and how it shapes development

• Why futsal, SALs, barefoot play, and alternate balls accelerate creativity

• The danger of top-down coaching and why talk-heavy models block learning

• How kids self-regulate, self-officiate, and learn conflict resolution in real play

• Why U.S. kids lack free play opportunities — especially girls

• The global shift toward small-sided formats and why the U.S. is behind

• How parents can build play cultures at home, in neighborhoods, and in friend groups

• Ted’s vision for the U.S. over the next 10–15 years — and why a “Play Revolution” is coming

Quotes from Ted Kroeten

• “Kids don’t want to learn soccer — they want to be with their friends. The learning is a byproduct.”

• “One-v-one doesn’t really exist. Two-v-two teaches the real communication of the game.”

• “If a kid knows how they learned it, it can be hacked. If they learned it unconsciously, it can’t.”

• “Small-sided, uncoached play is where the language of the game is spoken.”

• “Friends must come before skills. Trust must come before competition.”

• “We don’t need more performance — we need more joy.”

Episode Chapters

00:00 — Why 1v1 Is Misunderstood in Player Development

03:45 — 2v2 and 3v3: Where the Language of Soccer Lives

07:30 — Small-Sided Chaos and Real Decision-Making

11:15 — Overload vs Underload: Reading Kids, Not Results

15:30 — Why Futsal Changes How Players Think

19:30 — Mixed-Age Play and Learning From Older Kids

23:30 — When Performance Kills Joy and Creativity

27:45 — Kids Who Love Winning vs Kids Who Love Playing

31:45 — Parents, Pressure, and the Loss of Free Play

36:00 — Why U.S. Soccer Develops Too Early, Too Fast

40:30 — Self-Regulation, Conflict, and Social Learning in Play

44:30 — Building Play Environments Without a Club

48:45 — What Coaches Talk Too Much About

52:45 — Peak Height Velocity and Developmental Timing

57:00 — Why Free-Play Kids Struggle Early but Thrive Later

1:01:15 — Failing First to Build Better Players

1:05:30 — The Next 10–15 Years of American Soccer

1:09:30 — A Call to Trust Kids and Protect Play

Connect with Ted / Joy of the People

🌐 Website: https://www.joyofthepeople.org/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_o_t_p/

✖️ X: https://x.com/JOYofthePEOPLE

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyofthepeople/

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#ChatByThePitch #JoyOfThePeople #FreePlay #LetThemPlay #YouthSoccer #PlayerDevelopment #SoccerCulture #StreetSoccer #Futsal #SoccerAsALanguage #PlayBasedLearning...

Joy of the People founder and longtime coach Ted Kroeten joins Chat By The Pitch to break down what truly develops creative, intelligent players — and why most of the U.S. youth soccer system gets it upside down. Ted’s “soccer as a language” philosophy reframes how kids learn, why free play must come before instruction, and how mixed-age, low-pressure environments cultivate game intelligence no coach can teach.

From the failures of super clubs and the youth sports industrial complex to Joy of the People’s bold commitment to no tryouts, no cuts, and no overcoaching, Ted delivers one of the clearest visions of what American development could be if we trusted kids to play again.

If you care about player development, coaching, or burnout in youth sports — this episode will challenge everything you think you know.

Key Talking Points

• Ted’s journey from late-start player to coaching leader and founder of Joy of the People

• Why he walked away from the elite club model and the youth sports industrial complex

• “Soccer as a language” — acquisition vs learning, Chomsky, Krashen, and immersion

• What kids learn in free play that coaches cannot teach

• Why Joy of the People operates with no tryouts, no cuts, no pressure

• How mixed-age play, different surfaces, and alternate balls accelerate creativity

• Overload vs underload: reading effort, joy, and false intensity in players

• Why early free-play kids lag at first—but surpass others by U16–U19

• The danger of over-rewarding performance and creating kids who only love winning

• Building a true community model where every kid matters and development lasts

Quotes from Ted Kroeten

• "When I saw kids in play learning things I could not teach them, I knew there was something in play."

• "Unstructured play, street play, free play has developed the top players in the world."

• "We’ve been teaching soccer only with rules and techniques, not allowing acquisition to occur."

• "The best way to learn a complex language is not a teacher — it's immersion."

• "Kids who fall in love with explicit training programs are in danger of burning out."

• "We don’t have tryouts. We have a mix of everyone — and they bloom on their own timeline."

Episode Chapters

00:00 — Ted Kroeten’s Late Start and Multi-Sport Roots

03:10 — Coaching at the Highest Levels and Seeing the Cracks

06:00 — Walking Away from the Youth Soccer Industrial Complex

08:30 — Founding Joy of the People and the Decision to Prioritize Play

11:45 — Watching Kids Learn What Coaches Can’t Teach

14:30 — Poverty of the Stimulus and Why Play Accelerates Learning

18:00 — Soccer as a Language: Acquisition vs Instruction

22:45 — Chomsky, Krashen, and Immersion on the Field

27:30 — The Panenka Penalty and Non-Verbal Soccer Communication

31:30 — Why Cone Work Fails Under Real Pressure

35:00 — What Parents Miss When They Watch Training

38:30 — Early Attempts at Free Play — and Why They Failed

42:45 — Building a Community Hub with the City of St. Paul

46:30 — Kids “Not Knowing How to Play” and What That Revealed

50:45 — Removing Tryouts, Cuts, and External Pressure

55:30 — What Joy of the People Looks Like Day to Day

59:30 — Losing Games Early to Win Long Term

1:03:30 — Why Joy and Belonging Come Before Results

Connect with Ted / Joy of the People

🌐 Website: https://www.joyofthepeople.org/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_o_t_p/

✖️ X: https://x.com/JOYofthePEOPLE

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyofthepeople/

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In Part 2, Kassandra Ruelas takes us deeper into her journey — from rediscovering her love for the game under Coach Temas, to the fate-driven path that led her to Vial/Villarreal, to leaving home for Spain as a teenager. She shares what life, training, and tempo looked like overseas, how Spanish clubs develop players through structure and intelligence, and what it felt like to finally find her rhythm abroad.

This episode also uncovers the hardest chapter of her career: tearing her ACL overseas, navigating the injury alone during a national blackout, and learning her younger sister tore her ACL the same week. Kassandra opens up about her recovery, her mindset, and what she hopes players and parents take away from her story.

Key Talking Points

• Finding joy again at Sting and the season that rebuilt her confidence.

• Earning the first-ever North Texas Player Training Week invite in Spain.

• How fate connected her to Vial after a controversial point error.

• The Spanish development model: daily structure, zones, rondos, and tempo.

• What life looked like: gym, training, Spanish class, film, late-night sessions.

• Being “the foreigner” and the pressure of integrating into a new culture.

• Highest levels she reached in Spain and how licensing works for minors.

• The game where her ACL tore on a routine change of direction.

• No trainer onsite, calling Christian at 4 a.m. Texas time for support.

• The national blackout that blocked access to her MRI results.

• Learning her sister tore her ACL days later.

• Returning home for surgery and beginning the long recovery.

• Rebuilding mentally while rediscovering who she is beyond soccer.

• Leaving the door open for Spain but embracing uncertainty.

• Message to parents: support but let players own conversations.

• Message to players: attitude and curiosity separate you.

Quotes from Kassandra

• “Coach Temas brought the love back for the game.”

• “Being the first North Texas player selected — I knew I had to go back.”

• “I was jumping the entire night when they announced I was going to Spain.”

• “In Spain, the ball does the work. The tempo is smarter, not just faster.”

• “I spoke Spanish, but I was still the foreigner. That pressure stays with you.”

• “I knew the moment it happened — something was wrong with my knee.”

• “I was alone in the locker room with no trainer. I just wanted my mom.”

• “The blackout hit the day my MRI came in. I couldn’t talk to anyone.”

• “Two days later, my sister tore her ACL too. It didn’t feel real.”

• “Right now I’m learning who I am outside of soccer.”

• “Curiosity and attitude — those two things take you farther than talent.”

Connect with Kassandra

📸 Instagram: Kass_1123

Follow Chat By The Pitch

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#ChatByThePitch #NorthTexasSoccer #DFWSoccer #GirlsSoccer #ACLRecovery #PlayerJourney #WomensSoccer #YouthSoccerStories #SoccerMentality #PlayerDevelopment #TexasSoccer #SoccerCommunity

Mentioned in this episode:

Reeplayer: Greater access to footage gives every young athlete the opportunity to develop and be seen. Reeplayer is committed to making footage accessible to teams, families, and athletes of all backgrounds.

Reeplayer

Soccer Innovations: Award-Winning Soccer Equipment & Accessories

Soccer Innovations

TeamPlayr: Find and join the perfect youth
soccer team

TeamPlayr