Because Football

In Part 2 of the Because Football Podcast, Jeremiah asks the questions. Jeremiah White has experience as a US Men's National Team player, played professionally in Europe, the Middle East, and North America. But, arguably his greatest impact on the game has been as an investor and entrepreneur, developing a portfolio of soccer-based business through White Sports Ventures. So it was so valuable to m...

Many professional soccer players struggle to adjust after retirement. But in Jeremiah White's case, he hit the ground running through a marketing company, investment firm, and various soccer-based businesses through White Sports Ventures. Jeremiah has experience as a US Men's National Team player, played professionally in Europe, the Middle East, and North America. He is originally from the Philad...

It's one of the most important, dramatic, and addicting parts of football: the transfer market! A club's record in the transfer market can make or break a season - heck, it can even break the club itself! And especially for football clubs in the UK, there are many potential pitfalls, but also opportunities. Our guest on Episode 42 of the Because Football Podcast is Andy Watson, founder of GBE Expe...

Mark Wagner is a strategic leader, entrepreneur, and brand builder with a history of successfully developing and leading sports teams, organizations, and companies serving the secondary, higher education, and youth sports markets. In Episode 41 of the Because Football podcast, we discuss his early journey as a player and coach, his innate passion for building businesses that support student athlet...

There is so much opportunity in global football to improve playing standards, develop coaching levels, and evolve club and league potential. All of these problems have unique solutions which are highly dependent on culture, geography, and resources. It's rare that one company can deliver ways to improve all these areas of the game - but that's exactly what our guest Aitor Orive Arroyo is a part of...

Pull up a map on your phone, close your eyes, and scroll to random pixel. Now, open your eyes, unless you've scrolled to a big blue ocean, there is probably a football team in that place. And Matthew Eide, Founder of Faraway Football, probably knows all about it. In Episode 39 of the Because Football Podcast, Matthew and host Andrew discuss: Matthew's soccer holiday to Bhutan, the "Happiest Countr...

Many people think American soccer started with Beckham's arrival, with Messi Mania, or if they're being really generous, Pele and Cruyff and Beckenbauer of the NASL. In this episode, you will learn a very different, and extremely fascination, version through the lens of the Brown family. Interview with James Brown, Author of "Mud, Blood, and Studs" and VP of SASH (Society for American Soccer Histo...

Sometimes we focus too much on modern, top flight football and forget about the wonderful simplicity of the game and its ability to touch lives. George Osoya, Executive Director of Football Without Borders Kenya, realized the power of football from an early age and sought out to leverage it to positively enhance his community. In his case in Kisi County of Northwest Kenya, the organization has com...

Learn how to become a football agent from Will Bonell of TresBon Sports, a FIFA-licensed agent. In Episode 36 of the Because Football Podcast, we discuss Will's personal history, the struggles he faced in early adulthood, how he turned things around and how those values drive him to develop a reputable football agency based on hard work, commitment, and accountability. Agents get a lot of critique...

Non-league football is a world of mystery and magic. Crunching tackles, creaking metal turnstiles, pitchside pints. These clubs are the hearts of their community. Listen to this episode with Christian Obray, founder of "Through the Turnstiles" website and "Parks to Pitches" magazine. Read Christian's articles here: https://tttonlf.com/ Order Parks to Pitches here: https://tttonlf.com/coming-soon/

Have you ever wanted to be a professional football / soccer scout? Maybe (like our guest!) you're obsessed with Football Manager and want to make it your real life? Or perhaps, you have a keen eye for talent and want to identify the next big star. On Episode 35 of the Because Football Podcast, our guest Tom Fry shares how he got started as a scout, what he did to improve and demonstrate his worth,...

How do you become a soccer scout? What qualities or skills are essential for being a successful soccer scout? Do you need to take a course to become a football scout? These are all great questions, and our guest James Doolan has the answers! I love James's story and we had an amazing chat on Episode 33 of the Because Football Podcast. James has forged his own path as a scout, initially reachin...

Federico Diaz is a Uruguayan-American central defender who has played professionally in 3 different (4 depending on how you count!) continents over the course of his career. Never quick to take no for an answer, he has paved his own path in the soccer world and his passion has sustained him through all the ups and downs. In Episode 32 of the Because Football Podcast, we discuss the origins of his...

Imagine getting to tour your favorite soccer team's stadium everyday, bump into superstar players and legendary coaches in the hallway and nod hello as colleagues, then tell a group of passionate fans all about the history and fascinating secrets of the club? If that sounds like a dream to you, then you want Gareth Houston's job! Gareth, originally from Belfast, is a stadium tour guide of...

What does a sporting director do? What is the USL Championship all about? What skills do you need to be a successful professional soccer coach and leader? Thanks to our guest Dan Visser, Sporting Director of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship, Episode 30 of the Because Football Podcast answers all these questions and more. We talk about Dan's journey from a three-time NCAA Nati...

Have you ever wondered about how to get soccer tickets for matches in the UK and other parts of Europe? Maybe you've been watching your favorite adopted team for years on TV, have seen them on preseason tours to the US, but haven't quite had the nerve to brave all the logistics and hop over the Atlantic to go see them live and in person? Want to know how to get tickets? Which soccer stadiu...

If you are a diehard football fan and have ever thought about doing something MORE with that passion, this episode is a great listen for you! In Episode 28 of the Because Football Podcast, we sit down with two of the founding members of the Ale and the Vale Podcast, Jonny Hancock and Stu Kerby. The Ale and the Vale Podcast is a fan-driven project about Port Vale FC, a football club based in Bursle...

Episode 27 of the Because Football Podcast takes us into a part of the football world that we haven't touched on too deeply so far: fan engagement for professional clubs, specifically through developing local football programs as a tool for community development. Our guest is Peter Woolcock, a Sport Consultant whose CV boasts experience leading volunteer operations for the 2012 London Olympics...

Welcome to Episode 26 of the Because Football Podcast! We welcome back Ivorian journalist Jaures Droghba to review the incredible feast of football that his country hosted. AFCON Champions Cote D'Ivoire hosted a legendary tournament this year! Not only was it the most organized and safest tournament ever, but also one of the most dramatic! The host Elephants just barely qualified for the knock...

Welcome to Episode 25 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest is Jon Boafo, an Abidjan-based director of the Ivoire Academie, a top youth football organization in the Cote d'Ivoire. A Ghanaian by birth, Jon grew up in France and then moved to the States to study at the University of Georgia. Ever since he was a kid, he wanted to be either a football agent or investment banker, and after a f...

Welcome to Episode 24 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest is Maher Mezahi, an Algiers-based football journalist who has covered North African football for nearly a decade. His work has been published in international publications such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, ESPN Africa and Al Jazeera English. He is also the host of the African Five-a-side podcast, which educated the footba...

Welcome to Episode 23 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest is Andrew Olsson, creator of Pan-Africa Football, a website whose purpose is to keep fans of African football updated and to educate those who wish to know more. He extends his knowledge and passion regarding African football with us in this eye-opening episode! What started as a course assignment about transfers of African players t...

Welcome to Episode 22 of the Because Football Podcast. Our guest is sports journalist Jaures Drohgba of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Jaures has been covering Ivorian football for the past few years and on this episode he gives us a great insight into the AFCON / CAN tournament from a local perspective. On this episode, we talk about how Ivorians are preparing to be hosts of Africa's largest sporting...

Welcome to Episode 21 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest is Charlie Pomroy, the President and Manager of Angkor City FC of the Cambodian Second Division. Charlie has been based in Cambodia for over a decade and has impacted the local grassroots football scene. His efforts with Forza Football, a non-profit utilizing football for community development, blossomed into a more formal club and w...

Welcome to Episode 20 of the Because Football Podcast! Our guest for Episode 20 of the Because Football Podcast is Lepe Seetane, who is currently the graduate assistant coach for the Spalding University men's soccer team. As a teenager, Lepe had the opportunity to move to Louisville, Kentucky from his home of Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa. He was an All-American at Trinity High School...