Part 1: American Soccer Nation with Mark C. Franek

Mental Health & The Modern Athlete

At some point, every athlete feels pressure. Pressure to perform. To make the team. To earn playing time. To live up to expectations from coaches, parents, teammates, and often themselves. And sometimes that pressure starts to outweigh the joy that made us fall in love with sports in the first place. That's why I was so excited to sit down with Melanie Bieber. Melanie is a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of Level Up NJ Counseling and Consulting. She studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University and has spent more than a decade helping children, teens, parents, and families navigate anxiety, confidence, communication, identity, emotional wellness, and personal growth. She's incredibly thoughtful, incredibly practical, and throughout this conversation shares tools that athletes, parents, and coaches can start using immediately. The conversation covers anxiety, confidence, fear of failure, identity, resilience, and practical tools that athletes and families can start using right away. Whether you're raising an athlete, coaching one, playing yourself, or simply trying to navigate pressure in your own life, this conversation is for you. Learn more about Melanie Bieber and Level Up NJ Counseling and Consulting at LevelUpNJ.com. [http://levelupnj.com]Big ups to the Friends of Freddy:  Philly Soft Pretzel Factory [https://phillysoftpretzelfactory.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]: Tell ‘em Freddy sent ya! Hill & Sea Co. [https://hillandsea.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]: Great gear. Repping from the mountains to the ocean! American Soccer Nation [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/American-Soccer-Nation/Mark-C-Franek/9781668037710?utm_source=chatgpt.com]: Excellent book about the story of US Soccer! Save Sight Now: [https://savesightnow.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Wonderful cause supporting advanced research for inherited retinal diseases. XtraTime 215 [https://xtratime215.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]: Great camp and training from, literally, world class coaches. Reduce [https://reduceeveryday.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopn4A7p5Wr9DQLbMOUaWtfeSrfGIxP5pq4_VgPuZr1qOEgMeGYN]: reusable drinkware that makes sustainability an easy everyday habit.

Play Free: LFG!

The World Cup is here. I wanted to talk about Mexico, South Korea, the U.S., ticket prices, youth soccer, and all the other stuff that's been bouncing around in my head this week. And, I did...but I kept coming back to something else. My daughter drew Argentina, Türkiye, and South Africa out of a hat a few days ago. Since then she's been asking questions nonstop and watching every match she can. And honestly, I think that's pretty awesome. Play free. LFG!

WE BACK: US Men's & Women's, EPL, Champions League, Spurs stay up and Adult soccer. LET'S GO!

We back! Talk a little bit about my schedule...and where this is going moving forward. GREAT guests coming. All good stuff. How about this, Mauricio Pochettino recently challenged the US Men's National Team with a simple message: Play Free. It's a phrase that stuck with me for obvious reasons. He's welcome ;-). This week, I dive into the conversations surrounding the USMNT roster, expectations heading into a World Cup on home soil, and what success should actually look like for American soccer. I also touch on the US Women's National Team loss but want to acknowledge, here, their impressive response against Brazil after I recorded this... playing physical, competing, and earning a big result against one of the world's best. We also look back at a massive week across the game. Congratulations to Arsenal supporters everywhere especially my friend James Dooley, who would never forgive me if I didn't mention him (as I omitted that in the recording). We talk Champions League, the end of the Premier League season (thank God Spurs stay up), and the excitement building around soccer in the United States. We also continue to celebrate the adult game: VE's Over 30 and Over 50 teams captured Northeast Regional Championships. The US Over 40 National Team represented the country proudly on the world stage. And across the country, thousands of players, coaches, volunteers, and families continue to prove that soccer isn't just about the professional game. It's about community. Because long after the scholarships, contracts, and trophies are gone, people are still showing up. Play Free, everyone.

Soccer Is the Great Connector | VE, Philly Soccer Culture & Why the Game Never Leaves You

This episode is a little different. Freddy heads home to the Philadelphia area to "play" with VE in an Over 50 regional semifinal against Christos SC, but what unfolds becomes way bigger than the game itself. From legendary Philly soccer stories and reconnecting with old teammates, to beers in the Ratskeller and conversations about aging, identity, and community, this episode dives into why soccer stays with us forever. Inspired by recent conversations with Jimmy Connor, Dave Jones, Barry McCarthy, and Mark Franek’s idea that soccer is “the great connector,” Freddy reflects on club culture, the soul of the game, and why places like VE remain the heartbeat of American soccer. Featuring candid conversations with players around the club, including VE Director of Coaching Rob Oldfield, and an old friend and teammate: Jeremy Philo (plus a few others) this episode is about friendship, belonging, old stories, brutal heat, missed chances, penalty kicks, and the people who keep showing up because they simply love the game. Link to all things VE: https://veclub.org/catering/ Also, want to shout out Paul Zgalich. He funded and sponsored the uniforms. Paid the ref fees and picked up the tab at the Ratskeller. Scored the goal of his life as well. Please check out his company: https://www.rate.com/loan-officers/paul-zgalich-156843 Additionally, yuge thanks to the Friends of Freddy: Philly Soft Pretzel Factory Langhorne https://phillypretzelfactory.com/location/langhorne/ [https://phillypretzelfactory.com/location/langhorne/] Hill & Sea Co. https://hillandsea.com/ [https://hillandsea.com/] American Soccer Nation by Mark Franek https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/American-Soccer-Nation/Mark-C-Franek/9781668034837 [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/American-Soccer-Nation/Mark-C-Franek/9781668034837] Save Sight Now https://savesightnoweurope.org/ [https://savesightnoweurope.org/] Brendan Sullivan and XtraTime215 Camp https://xtratime215.com/ [https://xtratime215.com/] Reduce Everyday https://reduceeveryday.com/ [https://reduceeveryday.com/] Play Free FC. Real conversations with the people who shape the game.

Chasing the Game | USA Over 40s Head to Senior World Cup

A group of former high-level American players, all over 40, are heading to Thailand to represent the United States at the Over 40 World Cup… and somehow, almost nobody knows this exists. In this episode, Freddy sits down with U.S. Over 40 Men’s National Team head coach David Jones to talk about building the program from scratch, competing against countries with professional over-40 systems, the brutal World Cup draw featuring England and Iran, and the passion driving this entire movement forward. This conversation goes way beyond soccer. It’s about culture, sacrifice, brotherhood, and proving the game never really leaves you. Check out their site here: https://www.usmsnt.com/ Big thanks to our supporters: Philly Soft Pretzel Factory [https://phillysoftpretzelfactory.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Hill & Sea Co. [https://hillandsea.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] American Soccer Nation [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/American-Soccer-Nation/Mark-C-Franek/9781668037710?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Save Sight Now [https://savesightnow.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] XtraTime 215 [https://xtratime215.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Reduce [https://reduceeveryday.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopn4A7p5Wr9DQLbMOUaWtfeSrfGIxP5pq4_VgPuZr1qOEgMeGYN]