The BOCA Podcast - Soccer, Leadership & Laughs

How can players reach the highest levels of the game? Coach Diego and Coach Nick discuss what they believe a player must do to reach their maximum potential in today's youth soccer environment. Reflecting on their own journeys, the coaches talk about private training and how their environments molded their roads to success. How do players develop a love for the game?  What are parents doing t...

TCU women's soccer Associate Head Coach Ryan "Higgy" Higginbotham joins the coaches for a special episode of the BOCA podcast. After 10 years at TCU, Higgy dicusses what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of the collegiate game. What does it take to build a top tier program? What are the long term and short term goals? Coach Higginbotham talks about recruiting, scheduling, bu...

Coach Blair Quinn (Associate Head Coach at University of Iowa women's soccer)  joins Coach Diego and Coach Nick to chat all things college soccer. Tune in to hear them cover the current season, dive deep into some early success stories of the year and give their predictions for teams in multiple conferences across the NCAA. Coach Blair also gives some insight into his coaching journey, his ap...

Diego and Nick sit down with LMU (Loyola Marymount University) Assistant Coach Chelsey Patterson to talk about several topics covering her soccer journey. What's the transition like from player to coach? What were the important factors that shaped her coaching as she learned from multiple coaches in different team environments? How can we recruit and retain more women in coaching? Click here...

Diego and Nick review last weekend's action and review some of the biggest NCAA matchups. The coaches chat about how a "team first" mentality and culture can drive players, coaches and teams to success. What type of mindset is needed to succeed at the highest levels of the game? How does the culture within a program affect the final results on the field? Leaders create culture, cult...

Coach Diego and Coach Nick are back to talk about the start of the NCAA college soccer season. The guys analyze the early days of the EPL and MLS seasons, NWSL matchups and talk about the opening weekend of the collegiate soccer matchups. Diego and Nick list their top performers of the early days of the season. Which squads look ready to go? Any big upsets? How are teams, players and coaches prepa...

The guys are back catching up on EPL, MLS and NWSL as usual.  Diego and Nick dive into key matchups on both the men's and women's NCAA schedule. Which games caught their attention? Who's making waves early on in the season? Who is the real deal? How do current video analysis tools help teams, coaches and players prepare to take the field each day? Coach Diego and Coach Nick give us...

Cari Roccaro joins the BOCA podcast to talk with Diego and Nick about her path to the top. Cari recounts the journey from youth club soccer to Notre Dame, the U20 World Cup and the NWSL from her perspective.  What has she learned as a professional that powers her to this day? How can a professional approach each day with focus and consistency amid all the distractions? Tune in to hear a great chat...

Diego and Nick are back with a new season of the BOCA podcast. The college soccer season kicks off and the coaches catch up while chatting about the summer break, Premier League and Euro matchups, the ins and outs of pre-season, mental preparation and setting the tone in the locker room for the year.  What does it take to compete at the highest level of the game? How does an individual player&apos...

Diego and Nick end season 2 with a bonus episode covering June 15 - a date which signifies the first day of possible contact for many recruits in their journey to find the right college fit. Tune in for some thoughts on the (perceived) importance of this date for many future student athletes. What do Coach Diego and Coach Nick have to say about this unique date on the recruiting calendar? Send us...

Diego and Nick take a look back at Season 2 and dive a little deeper into a few episodes. What does it mean to be a role player? How do we address the mental health crisis in (and out of) sports? What is your "why"? How do we improve as coaches?    What's on the docket for Season 3? You tell us, we want to cover topics our listeners are most excited about. Send us a message and let...

Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak is the current Head Coach for the UCF Women's Soccer program. Tiffany is a World Cup Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, and has represented the United States more than 100 times. She joins Diego and Nick to discuss her path to becoming one of the most decorated female soccer players in US history and how her youth environment helped her get to the highest levels of the...

In this week's episode, Diego and Nick review some of the biggest games across multiple leagues. NWSL, Champions League, Premier League, MLS - you name it. How does watching the game improve player performance on the field? Why do women's soccer games get officiated differently than others? Plenty of questions come up in this special episode of the BOCA podcast - but if you have anything...

In this episode Diego and Nick dive into the collegiate recruiting world. Players and parents looking for some insight into the recruiting process - tune into this episode. What does the recruiting process look like from a college coach perspective? How do coaches prepare? Where are coaches looking for players? What should players expect when coaches and scouts come to watch them play?  Diego shar...

Morgan Ferrara is a former professional and Division I student-athlete, UCF Athlete of the Year, AAC Player of the Year, former Division I coach and current PhD candidate at the University of Houston. Mo joins Diego and Nick to talk about her path through youth, collegiate and professional soccer. Morgan discusses her research at UH, her experiences with athlete mental health both as a coach and p...

Diego and Nick chat about the U.S. Open Cup, Premier League and the recent NCAA rule change affecting regular season overtime periods and Golden Goals during post-season play. What does it mean for coaches and players as they approach each game? What is the response in the college soccer community? 

A string of injuries in the NWSL, a pre-season match between Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC and a Twitter spat over the Yo-Yo test spark an interesting chat on periodization, rest and recovery.  How can we measure fitness and fatigue? When do players need a break? How can parents, coaches and players manage the high school and club soccer dilemma?

The USMNT qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Diego and Nick talk about their paths up the coaching ranks and detail the steps they took to grow their careers. How did they get their first coaching job? What advice do they have for young coaches and players?  Did Coach Nick ever find his Twitter handle? Yes he did. Follow Coach Nick at @msunzimmerman on Twitter Follow Coach Diego at @Diego13Boca on Tw...

Danesha Adams joins Diego and Nick to discuss her journey through youth, college and professional soccer. Currently the Co-Head Coach at the University of the Pacific, Danesha's unique perspective gives us a look into her approach to coaching young athletes and improving the soccer community.

Diego and Nick discuss the importance of finding the right fit in the college search and dig deep into the details of recruiting, NCAA scholarships and how players can navigate the very small soccer world during their decision making process. Also, what are the effects of the NCAA Transfer Portal in a post-pandemic era?

In the first episode of Season 2, Diego introduces his new co-host Nick Zimmerman.  Diego dives into Nick's love for the game and helps us get to know his new co-host. Get an inside look at the path taken by Nick through his youth, high school, college and professional career - and his transition into coaching. 

Diego kicks off the second season of his podcast with a special announcement: a new co-host joins the team.  The BOCA podcast adds a new segment featuring special guests and unique personalities from all over the soccer world. Listen in for a special glimpse into recruiting, coaching and playing from grassroots to elite levels of the game. Season 2 kicks off March 30, 2022 

It's that time of year again. Pre-season is winding down and regular season games are kicking off soon. Many players across the country have started their collegiate sports journey - with a new team, new head coach and new expectations. Listen to incoming University of Houston players discuss their experiences, while current team members let you in on some lessons they have learned along the...

In this episode of BOCA with Diego Bocanegra, Coach Diego has some advice for parents.  What can parents do to help their children succeed at sports? Coach Bocanegra gives us a few tips on how to navigate the youth sports world with your child.  Players - share this with your parents and have a discussion that can help everyone involved in your sports journey. Coaches and parents - listen up!  Hav...

In this episode of the BOCA podcast, Coach Diego guides you through the process of attending a college showcase while positioning yourself for success. What can you do to stand out in the right ways? What common mistakes can you avoid? Tune in and listen to these tips to make the most of your showcase experience. Have a question for Coach Bocanegra or want a topic covered in the next episode of BO...