Youth Soccer Development with Ben Shepherd of FC Wisconsin
In this episode, I am talking with Ben Shepherd, Co-Director of FC Wisconsin Boys Soccer about his philosophies and experience with youth soccer development. Originally from England, Ben has experiences both internationally and domestically with the game of soccer. Ben has served in coaching roles at various collegiate levels and now at the youth club level. With his broad view of soccer, Ben offers up some great thoughts on the game, ways we can continue to develop youth soccer as a whole, and some good perspectives for both players and parents to hear.
Ben and I specifically discuss:
- His background in soccer as a youth player in England and how he was exposed to the game
- English soccer culture
- His transition to the US and into college soccer
- Coaching on the collegiate level
- Ben’s advice to players/parents of players that are thinking about playing college soccer
- Things to consider as you are looking at various programs and levels
- Ben’s transition to youth soccer coaching
- His views on the youth soccer landscape and what can be done to improve the quality of the experience and instruction
- Ben explains FC Wisconsin’s coaching/club philosophy
- Why FC Wisconsin invests time and resources for player wellness
- Ben’s advice to players of how to get started with their collegiate recruiting process, and their role in that experience.
Ben is a great coach with a lot of experience and knowledge to draw from. He offers great perspectives that I think both players and parents would benefit from hearing! Even if your child doesn’t play soccer but is interested in playing a sport in college, his advice is great advice no matter what - and is well worth the listen!
You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or watch above!
You can learn more about FC Wisconsin on:
- Social media @fcwisconsinnationals
- At their website https://fcwisconsin.com
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