The Bear and the Ball

Jon Fleishman, founder of JMF Sports, joins us to discuss his role with the U.S. Men's National Team and the journey from small beginnings to becoming an integral part of the National Team program. Along with our host Nick Webster, Jon takes us inside the team and brings us stories of joy and occasional heartbreak.

From portraying a Swiss Army knife as an LA Angels intern to helping bring the World Cup to SoFi Stadium, Adolfo Romero's career trajectory reads like a sports industry fairy tale. Now VP at Hollywood Park, Romero joins us to share his remarkable journey through America's evolving soccer landscape. We dive deep into his early days with the LA Angels, his pivotal role with Chivas USA during MLS's e...

Join host Nick Webster as he welcomes Cal South Technical Director Michael Chin for an insightful discussion on the cutting edge of youth soccer development. Michael pulls back the curtain on Cal South's renowned Pro+ Olympic Development Program, revealing how they identify and nurture elite talent while creating pathways to national team recognition. The conversation shifts to coaching education,...

Join us on "The Bear & the Ball" podcast as host Nick Webster interviews Claire Smith from Soccer Stars, a comprehensive, developmental experience for children ages 1 to 12+. Soccer Stars recently partnered with Cal South to create our new Cal South Pathways program. Claire shares insights on using soccer to foster self-confidence and physical literacy in children. Tune in for an inspirin...

The FIFA World Cup is just 500 days away, and Los Angeles will play host to the biggest party in America. The Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission (LASEC) attracts, secures, and supports high-profile sports and entertainment events in L.A., and they'll be driving the fan experience in 2026. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Jas...

The "beautiful game" has many variations but perhaps the most exciting is 5v5 soccer. On this week's "The Bear & the Ball," host Nick Webster chats with Andrew Vorce, the president of one of the nation's largest 5v5 organizations which has recently partnered with Cal South. Andrew talks about his journey through soccer, the origins of his 5v5 company, and how they can help you easily start hos...

Earlier this week, the Cal South team invited our members to discuss U.S.Soccer's announcement that the Birth Year vs. School Year registration debate is officially back on the table. After we first put out a survey to the full membership to gather feedback, we then held a special online town hall meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10th to hear directly what our members had to say about this topic. In this...

As the founder of Unozero, Sam Garzon is taking on the big boys, namely, Nike, Adidas, and Puma. With a deep love of "the beautiful game," Sam has designed and produced some of the most desirable cleats in soccer. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Sam talks about his journey from Venezuela to America, and what was the inspiration behind creating the Unozero brand.

Gianni Buttice is a national treasure. Not only is he an expert in the world's most popular fantasy game, Fantasy Premier League but he also helps run Street Child United, an NGO that does unbelievable work throughout the world. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Gianni describes the secrets of how to climb the FPL ladder along with his work in creating World Cups for homeless children....

Gemma Thompson has lived the dream. As a young girl, she loved Manchester United and by writing a match report for the team, she won a competition that would change her life. Embedded with the Red Devils for over two decades, Gemma witnessed firsthand the winning of European trophies, Premier Leagues, and so much more. She developed close relationships with the players and the legendary manager, S...

Bradley Mulvey is the founder and CEO of FirstStrikeSoccer.com. Since arriving in the USA from Glasgow, Scotland, Mulvey has reinvented 1-on-1 training. His methods have produced top-class youth, collegiate, and pro players. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," host Nick Webster discusses Bradley's soccer journey, and the four pillars of creating players that represent the best versions o...

Brazilian-born midfielder Marcelo Sarvas has had a fantastical journey within “the Beautiful Game,” beginning in his hometown of Sao Paulo, playing for the legendary Corinthians. From there, stops on teams in Sweden, Poland, and Costa Rica eventually led him to the United States, where he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in David Beckham’s final year with the team. In his first of four seasons playin...

Get on the Bus's mission is to make soccer accessible by giving as many kids as possible the opportunity to participate in GOTB so that they can use what they learn on and off the field to become positive contributors to their communities. Tim Ryerson is the creator and executive director of one of the truly great programs that enable kids to play "The Beautiful Game". In today's episode of "The B...

Former USMNT player Maurice Edu is one of the most outstanding players of his generation. A product of Cal South and our Olympic Development Program, his journey to the professional ranks is truly inspirational. In this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Maurice talks about the steps, the adversity, and ultimately the triumph of realizing his dream of becoming an international and playing on th...

Filmmaker, producer, director, and lover of "the Beautiful Game," George Valencia has been making a difference for decades providing opportunities for kids that didn't previously exist. As the founder of the Sound of Gol Foundation, George has created the animated character, La Golda, that has opened up conversations in areas that were once untouched. Now he embarks on his most ambitious project e...

Juan Guzman Jr. is one of the most respected referee educators in the country. His Referee Education program with Cal South is considered by many to be the best. In this episode, we talk about how and why to become a referee, and we also delve into the new Cal South program designed around RESPECT for officials as incidents of referee abuse continue to grow. (We can't forget VAR either!)

"The Bear and the Ball" is back from its summer hiatus to begin Season 4 with more stories, features, and opinions on "the beautiful game" from Southern California to the world. In this episode, Michael Chin, the new Technical Director of Cal South, talks about his predecessor, the legendary Steve Hoffman, and how Hoffy helped develop Chin into the coach he is today. We also talk about the Olympic...

Our podcast, "The Bear & the Ball," is hitting the road this summer taking in the magic of the UEFA European Championships. Henry Winter is one of the most esteemed soccer writers in the world and his insights into the game are second-to-none. Our host Nick Webster sat down with Henry outside the media hub in Gelsenkirchen prior to England taking on Serbia.

Buford Mobley is your typical soccer dad. He didn't know too much about the game but he knew his son loved soccer and so he jumped in with both feet. The journey he and his son went on was fascinating and involved many lessons, good and bad, that he now shares on his monthly magazine, "The Soccer Parent Lifestyle". On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," learn from Buford as he highlights so...

Imagine watching Ronaldinho versus Kaka and you're only a few feet away from these two legends of the game. This is the dream which is now a reality thanks to the visionary mind of Yuri Moreira. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Yuri talks to host Nick Webster about the dramatic growth of the game and how the next decade may look.

Toni Owens is the CEO and founder of Evolve1 and has a passion for the mental side of sports. Elite athletes see, understand, and react to the game in a way that sets them apart. Evolve1 trains athletes to develop these "invisible skills" using an intuitive, personalized E1 mental training delivered on a daily basis. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Toni and host Nick Webster look at...

From the rugby fields to paving the way to college and playing the sport of your dreams, CaptainU's Danny Carlton has seen it all. A Manchester native who was part of the Manchester United Academy program while being a Liverpool supporter, Danny excels in high performance and development environments. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Danny and host Nick Webster talk about how challeng...

Michael Erush is the Men's Head Coach for the Cal State LA Golden Eagles and the Boys' Varsity Head Coach at Harvard-Westlake School. He has also played for the Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, and Miami FC, as well as stints with clubs overseas during his career. His journey to becoming a Head Coach at the collegiate level is a fascinating story and showcases the commitment and patience needed t...

Dave Simeone is the Director of Education Programming for the United Soccer Coaches, the largest coaching organization in the world. Over many decades Dave has seen the game of soccer continue to grow and his insights, wisdom and knowledge are second to none. On this episode of Cal South's "The Bear & the Ball" podcast, Dave talks with host Nick Webster about game models, data, and how the gam...

Judged by his football peers, the local and international media, and the countless number of young Japanese over the space of 24 years, Tom Byer has forever changed the way soccer is taught and played throughout Japan. Now his name and reputation are attracting great interest from other parts of Asia. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Tom and host Nick Webster discuss the foundations o...