Surf Nation Football Focus Podcast

⚽️ 🎙️ Summer is here... but does your player need more training, more games, or more rest? In this episode of Surf Nation Football Focus, we sit down with Rick Hadwick (Dallas Surf) to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing soccer families during the off-season. From managing burnout and recovery to choosing the right summer opportunities, Rick shares practical advice for parents looking to...

The college soccer recruiting landscape is changing rapidly—and one topic that isn't being discussed nearly enough is the rise of the gap year. Listen to Surf Nation College Panels below: Men's Soccer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvNFtaqe4ck Women's Soccer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSclVIEUwfs In this episode of Surf Nation Football Focus, Gary Curneen breaks down insights from a recent...

In this episode of Surf Football Focus, Director of Football, Gary Curneen, discusses one of the most important topics of the youth soccer season: helping parents navigate playoffs and post-season play. As travel increases, emotions rise, and games become more meaningful, families are often trying to balance recovery, expectations, playing time, pressure, and emotional support for their players. U...

Parents: Register for FREE Surf Nation Recovery webinar on May 14 below: https://event.webinarjam.com/vm2mo/register/94x4ps6m This episode of the Surf Nation Podcast dives into one of the most stressful and misunderstood parts of youth soccer — the tryout process. From the moment you register to the final decision, tryouts reveal more than just player ability. They reflect the club, the environmen...

How should clubs and coaches really manage tryouts? In this Surf Nation Podcast discussion, Gary Curneen (Director of Football) is joined by Brennan Williams (Club Development Manager) and Ashley Nesbit (Club Manager) to break down one of the most important—and often misunderstood—parts of the youth soccer calendar. This episode goes beyond selection lists and drills. The conversation focuses on h...

Access Gavin's full presentation here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb0gdPNYeU8 Most players aren’t tired… they’re under-fueled. In this episode of the Surf Nation Football Focus Podcast, Director of Football Gary Curneen break down one of the biggest hidden factors impacting player performance—nutrition. Following a powerful webinar with Gavin Mole (Dallas Surf Director of Coaching and regist...

This week on the Surf Nation Football Focus Podcast, we sit down with Mario Mrakovic, Surf Junior Youth Academy Director at San Diego Surf, to explore one of the most important topics in modern player development: individual training. With more players turning to private coaching, extra sessions, and at-home practice, the challenge is no longer access — it’s direction. In this conversation, Mario...

Check out our partners Goal Side Media at: goalsidemedia.com Contact Marisa at: goalsidemedia@gmail.com Recruiting today looks very different than it did even five years ago. With the transfer portal, fifth-year seniors, and increased international recruiting, high school players are now competing in a far more crowded and complex landscape. That means timing, visibility, and presentation matter m...

Choosing a college through soccer can feel overwhelming for families. Big names, division labels, and outside pressure often take over the conversation before anyone has taken a step back to ask the most important questions. In this episode of the Surf Nation Podcast, Gary Curneen reflects on a conversation from the recent Surf Summit in Austin with Sierra Surf Director Debs Brereton, who shared a...

Taka webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESTtfvkGnJU In this episode of Surf Nation Football Focus, we take a closer look at how elite football environments are using data to better understand player performance — and why it’s not about goals, assists, or flashy statistics. Modern scouting is shifting toward something much deeper: the quality of a player’s actions, especially what happens off...

College recruiting communication can feel confusing, inconsistent, and at times frustrating for players and families. Coaches reply without committing, conversations stall, and phrases like “stay in touch” or “keep us updated” leave a lot open to interpretation. In this episode of the Surf Nation Football Focus Podcast, Gary Curneen breaks down how college coaches actually communicate during the r...

In this episode of Football Focus, we cut through the noise around college recruitment and get honest about what actually matters to college coaches when they evaluate players. Beyond highlights, rankings, and social media clips, coaches are assessing behaviors and habits that translate to their environment. We break down the real indicators of potential — decision-making, game understanding, adap...

College coaches receive hundreds of recruiting emails every week — most are deleted in seconds. In this episode of the Surf Nation Football Focus Podcast, Gary Curneen breaks down exactly how college coaches read emails, what gets filtered out immediately, and the five simple rules that help your message stand out. Built from real conversations with Division I coaches, this episode gives players a...