The ProPlayer Podcast

This is a special episode from inside the industry as Chris currently sits as Technical Director at one of the United States biggest women's soccer clubs - San Diego Wave FC in the National Women's Soccer League. (NWSL). He not only shares his day to day life at the club with us but also fills this episode with amazing insight and advice for aspiring coaches. For sure check out the advice on how to get your first interview and get noticed... A former Technical Advisor at the League Coaches Association, A strategic advisor to CONCACAF, with over 5 years experience as Strategic advisor of football performance insights and Group Leader Football for Performance and Anlaysis at FIFA. A graduate of Northumbria University with a Masters Degree from The University of Staffordshire. He is also a UEFA A License Coach with a. Level 1 In Introduction to Talent Identification from the FA. More than any of that, Chris is a true Gentleman who genuinely wants to help and inspire the next generation of coaches within the women's game. His warmth, and his passion shine through numerous times during the episode and you will be investing your time well spending an hour with us today.

Albert Anson Dorrance IV (born April 9, 1951) is a retired American soccer [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer]coach [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coach_(sport)]. He was the head coach of the women's soccer program [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_women%27s_soccer] at the University of North Carolina [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Carolina_at_Chapel_Hill] from 1979 to 2024. He has one of the most successful coaching records in the history of athletics. Under Dorrance's leadership, the Tar Heels have won 21 of the 41 NCAA Women's Soccer Championships [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Division_I_Women%27s_Soccer_Championship]. The Tar Heels' record under Dorrance stood at 809-67-36 (.887 winning percentage) over 33 seasons at the end of the 2017 season. He has led his team to a 101-game unbeaten streak and coached 13 different women to a total of 20 National Player of the Year awards. The NCAA has recognized Dorrance as the Women's Soccer Coach of the Year seven times (1982, 1986, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006) and as the Men's Soccer Coach of the Year in 1987. On March 10, 2008, Dorrance was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Soccer_Hall_of_Fame]. In this episode we get to see behind the winning and delve into a little more of what makes a great mind tick...Anson at his informal and eminent best.

Matthew Bishop [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-bishop-3586b234/overlay/about-this-profile/] The Football Association (THE FA) Senior Professional Game UEFA A Diploma Lead A Mentoring Masterclass... Matt experience is off the chart. Currently, he is the Football Association (THE FA), Senior Professional Game UEFA A Diploma Lead, Former Assistant Manager Aldershot Town FC, Newport County FC, Hereford FC and a UEFA Pro Diploma coach. "Bish" as he is more affectionately known will be well know in the United Kingdom and Europe, responsible for mentoring and supporting thousands of coaches and ex professional players currently working in the game and aspiring to reach the top. A man with over 30 years experience at the forfront of the coach education and mentoring game. This is an absolute must listen for any aspiring coach. Lessons in the journey, lessons in reflection, how to treat people and how to have a major impact. I want to say a huge thank you from a personal standpoint to Bish as he remains of the major influences in my life and we talk about that genuine empathy and warmth that he knew I needed during the early years of my life in the game. An expert in every sense, with the humility and drive to continue learning and a great example of exactly the kind of person we know the game is in good hands with...

JJ is a highly ambitious and forward-thinking UEFA Pro Licence holder and he is still under 40. A father of 2, a husband and a man who has accumulated vast experience within coaching, at first team and Academy level, through roles in Wales in the UK. He possess diverse experience as head coach, academy coach, coach educator, analyst and lecturer in football and coaching performance at the illustrious University of South Wales, and he uses these facets to enhance the development and performance of the players and aspiring coaches under his tutelage.Throughout his coaching career, he has led from the front to motivate and drive players, playing a key role within a multi-disciplined team having furthered his professional development through attainment of degree qualifications. He is the current assistant coach of the mens u19 Wales International football team and he is here today top talk about all that, including the journey to obtaining the famous UEFA Pro License and the week he spent with Carlo Ancelotti and his staff inside Real Madrid FC in Spain. A must listen for any aspiring coaches everywhere...

Over the last 35 years, I’ve lived every layer of American soccer — from youth standout to Division 1 captain, pro player, and coach at nearly every level: grassroots, college, and MLS academies.But along the way, something became painfully clear. Development — real, human-centered development — was missing. In [http://missing.In] 2022, I launched The Developer’s Way — a philosophy-driven coaching education platform dedicated to reshaping how we think about leadership, player development, and culture creation within a system that too often values short-term results over long-term growth. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to elevating the standards for coaching and development — not through wins and losses, but through ideas, environments, and leaders who put people first. My [http://first.My] mission: to help coaches develop their people and build environments where long-term development thrives. Here [http://thrives.Here]’s how the work is evolving:→ I’ve published 165+ articles (and counting) breaking down leadership, culture, and development systems in our game.→ I’ve written 123+ newsletter issues educating 1,800+ coaches weekly on the art and science of development.→ I’m the Technical Director at Achilles FC (MLS NEXT), where we model the Developer’s Way in action.→ I show up on LinkedIn every weekday at 9AM ET, sharing ideas, frameworks, and provocations for coaches ready to evolve. If you’re interested in applying this philosophy to your own leadership, here’s where to begin: BECOMING THE DEVELOPER COACH MINDLAB. A self-paced program designed to help coaches clarify their values, align their methods, and build environments that prioritize long-term development. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nate-baker-86580942 [http://linkedin.com/in/nate-baker-86580942]