The Bear and the Ball

As commissioner of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), Yan Skwara has overseen a steady growth in the league as more players understand that there is a true pathway to the collegiate and professional playing levels. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Yan and host Nick Webster talk about the history of the league and how it has grown from a small Southern Californian league to becom...

United by the inclusive spirit of soccer, Women in Soccer's mission is to increase the agency and representation of women and marginalized individuals working in "the beautiful game" through community building. Whether you’re on the field, or cheering from the stands, work in the business, want to be in the business, or are a passionate change-maker, Women in Soccer (WIS) is here to support you. F...

Kassie Gray  grew up in San Jose, CA, playing soccer from the young age of 5. She played club soccer for Los Gatos United and high school soccer at Leigh High School. She joined the Olympic Development Program at age 12 where she climbed the ladder from District Team to State Team to Regional Team, and eventually made the U18 National Team. Kassie’s passion was always the camaraderie with her...

The United Soccer League is one of the most innovative, progressive leagues in world soccer. Their esteemed USL Academy program has already provided opportunities for players to attain their dreams of playing at the next level. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Liam O'Connell and Carrie Taylor, Technical Directors of the USL Academy pathway, discuss the growth and future plans of their...

For 6 years, Sarah Teegarden Harkes traveled around the world competing at the highest level. She consistently trained and challenged herself to improve physically and mentally, learning how to be resilient, a team player, and a leader. A graduate from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, she learned valuable skills in leadership, management, strategy, and innovation. She represented Wake Forest...

The world of soccer continues to change at lightning speed. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," host Nick Webster talks with DarkHorse. AI CEO Billy Brush about how artificial intelligence will revolutionize the way in which scouts may access data in order to discover players that may sometimes fall under the radar. DarkHorse. AI provides a professional, edit-free reel in one click. As h...

On the latest episode of Cal South's "The Bear and the Ball" podcast, host Nick Webster will talk with IDA Sports co-founder Laura Youngson about her efforts to battle gender inequality throughout the world with Equal Playing Field. Laura Youngson is a social impact entrepreneur whose experience includes founding two companies, IDA Sports and Brunswick Aces. Laura has also worked as a senior polic...

"We Are Soccer" is described as the premier soccer show for fans of all ages, discussing professional soccer, youth soccer, and everything in-between. Its host Craig Hearn chats with guests and provides comments on soccer from all leagues around the world, all while having fun. "We Are Soccer" brings you the news from the world of soccer and breaks it down in easy to understand segments.  In...

Sunil Gulati has been described as the most influential figure in U.S. Soccer. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Sunil talks about the future growth of the game, and the upcoming super-events that will dominate world soccer over the next decade.

Mental performance is a skill. Just like bouncing a ball and swinging a bat, it takes practice to hone. And just like any other skill, while some are more naturally gifted than others, everyone can master it with practice.  Join Nick Webster and Mike Clark on this episode of "The Bear & the Ball" as they embark on a voyage of mental performance discovery.

Portland Community Football Club is THE MODEL that clubs should follow. Affordable, inclusive, and designed to be an experience where all feel welcome. Founder and Executive Director Kaig Lightner is simply remarkable and has created a club that changes lives while advocating for "the beautiful game". In this episode of "The Bear and the Ball," Nick and Kaig discuss the real issues that truly matt...

Susana Melendez is a nutrition expert. On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Susana and Nick discuss everything about food. What to eat, what to drink, and how to deal with the voices that we hear surrounding food.

John O'Sullivan is a well-respected author, coach, player, and lover of "the beautiful game." In this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Nick and John discuss the fear that surrounds youth soccer, from missing out on THAT college scholarship to not making the JV soccer team.

LINDA FLANAGAN   is a freelance journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. A graduate of Lehigh University, Flanagan holds master's degrees from Oxford University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and was an analyst for the National Security Program at Harvard University. She is a founding board member of the New York City chapter of the Positive Coaching All...

Peter Frintzilas is a technology executive and the CEO of TeamSnap, the application that every parent can't do without when it comes to the match day soccer experience. On this episode of the Bear and the Ball, Nick talks with Peter about the origins of TeamSnap and where it may go in the future.

Shay Haddow is an expert coach and speaker on confidence and mindset for female athletes. Having worked with hundreds of young female athletes and college teams from across the country, she’s empowered girls from all walks of life to strengthen their self-belief to play and live confidently As the founder of Alpha Girl Confidence Academy , host of the Alpha Girl Confidence Podcast , and author of...

Don Williams has been helping aspiring soccer players get to the promised land of college soccer for decades. In this episode of "The Bear and the Ball," he breaks it all down. The process is a lot easier than it's made out to be, however, there are some hurdles that must be jumped correctly. If you want to go to college and play soccer, if you are a parent that thinks your child can play soccer,...

Bryan Alcantara is a coach educator for U.S. Soccer delivering education for USSF Grassroots candidates. He's also a dad who's passionate about his daughter enjoying the game and is constantly thinking about how the game is the teacher; however, data, whether you like it or not, is also a teacher. As a director for Track160, one of the most innovative platforms on the market today, Bryan and Nick...

Neil Crawford is a soccer dad, coach and founder of Anytime Soccer Training. Anytime Soccer Training is a comprehensive online soccer training app with thousands of 100% follow-along training sessions. Neil’s passion is helping other parents navigate the youth soccer landscape by providing actionable tips and insight gathered from over a decade of coaching and training. On this episode of the Bear...

Skye Eddy discovered her passion for soccer at an early age. Her enthusiasm for the sport, combined with her keen interest in child development and education, paved the way for her unique contributions to the soccer community. Eddy's journey in soccer began with her own experiences as a player. She excelled in the sport and continued to develop her skills over the years. Her understanding of the g...

The Bear and the Ball welcomes back the founder of the AST Academy, Jim Madrid. This week we delve into the power of building culture and affirmations.

Jim Madrid, the founder of Advance Sports Technology, AST, joins the Bear and the Ball to discuss the importance of one of the most powerful words in life, namely TRUST. Over the next few months, Madrid will dig deep into the AST fundamentals and principles for helping you, and your teams reach goals that they never thought would be attainable. This series is a MUST for players, coaches, and paren...

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Derek is a lifelong south Florida sports fan, and has been working in soccer/sports as a graphic artist since 2008. His stops have included Miami FC (USL1), the Florida Marlins (MLB), Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL), and North American Soccer League, as well as creating custom logo designs for clubs and leagues across North America, such as Atlantic City FC,...

Ryan Jorden has been the Head Coach of the UCLA Bruins for 4 seasons and in that time he has transformed the men's soccer program. Jorden has reached the top of the collegiate soccer tree and has done it the hard way earning every step of the ladder. On this episode of the Bear and the Ball, he talks about his journey from graduate assistant coach to starting a program with a blank page. He also d...

As CEO of Liverpool FC, Peter Moore oversaw one of the most successful periods of this historic club. Now based in Santa Barbara, Moore is building the foundations for a USL expansion team, Santa Barbara Sky FC. With a wealth of experience in the gaming and soccer world, Moore continues to feed his love of the beautiful game through multiple channels including the Netflix hit, Welcome to Wrexham....