Chat By The Pitch

Welcome to Chat By The Pitch — the soccer podcast that goes beyond the game. Hosted by Ian Babcock, Chat By The Pitch is built around real conversations with the people shaping soccer from every angle — coaches, players, parents, club leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, analysts, and innovators. This isn’t a highlight show and it isn’t built around hot takes. It’s about the stories, lessons, challenges, and experiences that actually define the modern game. Whether you’re a parent trying to better understand youth soccer, a coach looking to grow, a player chasing the next level, or simply someone passionate about the sport, Chat By The Pitch gives you honest, long-form conversations that dig deeper than surface-level opinions. Every episode explores what really happens behind the scenes: • The realities of youth soccer culture • Coaching philosophy and player development • Leadership and communication • Parenting athletes in today’s environment • The mental side of competition • Building healthy club culture • Technology changing the game • The pathway from grassroots to elite levels • Mistakes, lessons, and success stories from people living the game every day Guests range from grassroots coaches and academy directors to former professional players, educators, authors, performance specialists, and creators working to improve soccer at every level. Some episodes focus on tactics and development. Others focus on leadership, culture, parenting, business, and the human side of sports. What makes Chat By The Pitch different is the conversation style. These are not rushed interviews with canned answers. Ian approaches each episode as a passionate soccer parent, coach, and student of the game, creating open discussions that feel authentic, relatable, and educational. The goal is to ask the questions many people in soccer are already thinking about — but rarely hear discussed honestly. Listeners come to Chat By The Pitch for: • Real conversations instead of scripted interviews • Practical insights coaches and parents can actually use • Different perspectives from across the soccer world • Stories that inspire growth on and off the field • Honest discussions about the challenges in youth sports • A deeper understanding of player development and leadership If you care about soccer beyond the scoreboard — the people, the process, the culture, and the future of the game — this podcast is for you. New episodes released regularly. Connect with Chat By The Pitch on social media and join the conversation happening around the game we all love.

Chat By The Pitch is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Chat By The Pitch, a education show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #183

  Youth Soccer Player Development: Spotting Talent Early with Andy Cook

  Aug 20, 202652 minS1

  Andy Cook coached Beth Mead at 14 and Leah Williamson at 15. He wasn’t looking for tactics or trophies — here’s what he was actually watching for. In Part 1, UEFA A licensed coach Andy Cook takes Ian Babcock through a youth soccer player development story that starts with a season ticket at Middlesbrough and ends up inside Arsenal’s women’s program. He got his first coaching badge at 16, in a country where full-time coaching jobs in the women’s game simply didn’t exist yet, and stacked qualification on qualification for a decade on nothing but what he calls blind determination. Along the way he coached two future England internationals before either of them could drive. His answer for what made them stand out is refreshingly plain: could they control it, could they pass it, could they dribble it. Everything else — speed, tactics, position — got built out from the ball. He also talks openly about the parts that didn’t work: leaving Arsenal too early, and a first head coaching job at Oxford United where the football was fine and the man-management wasn’t. If you’re a parent trying to understand what a good coach is actually looking at, or a coach wondering whether the badges are worth it, this one’s for you. Part 2 picks up with culture, trust, and why the individual matters more than the team until 18. Key Talking Points Falling for the game as a Middlesbrough season-ticket kid in the mid-'90s, and playing local club football until 16 The moment he realized he'd never reach his best friend's level as a player — and why that pushed him straight into coaching Getting his first FA badge at 16, UEFA B at 19, and the UEFA A license at 26 — a decade of qualifications with no job market waiting on the other side "Blind determination" as a career strategy: planning a future in a profession that didn't exist yet Coaching Beth Mead at the Middlesbrough Girls' Centre of Excellence — two evenings a week, a gym session, and a Saturday game What he looked for in young players as a young coach: control it, pass it, dribble it — the physical stuff built out from there Arsenal at 24 under Laura Harvey — U17s, reserves, and a 15-year-old Leah Williamson training up with older players His theory on why today's young women's players may be more robust: more minutes, earlier, than the generation before them Leaving Arsenal for the FA — the regret, and the coach-education years that taught him to plan a session properly Oxford United, the smallest budget in the league, and the man-management lesson he's built the rest of his career on Quotes from Andy Cook “I always felt that I had different ideas to what I was being told as a boy.” “It was just blind determination. There was no job. There was no career.” “You have to plan your future based on something that you don't know.” “I thought, that is it, I've completed coaching. I've learned more every season since than I did in the first ten years.” “Could they control the ball? Could they pass the ball? Could they dribble with the ball? It all started from the ball, and then it built out from that.” “She was the best trainer, she was the one that had the best questions. She would stay back and want to do more.” “I'm always a little bit hesitant to say that's because of the work I did as a coach, because a youth player goes through so many different moments.” “If I'm really honest, I wish I didn't leave Arsenal. That's a regret I have.” “It was now trying to influence the coaches to then influence the players, and that is a completely different task, a completely different skill set.” “I never told them why I was picking them. All those man-management skills that I think are essential.” Connect with Andy Cook ✖️ X: @AndyCook87 Follow Chat By The Pitch Website: chatbythepitch.com YouTube: Chat By The Pitch Instagram: @ChatByThePitch TikTok: Chat.By.The.Pitch ✖️ X / Twitter: @ChatByThePitch Facebook: Chat By The Pitch Spotify: Chat By The Pitch Apple Podcasts: Chat By The Pitch Subscribe & Review: Your support helps us keep bringing conversations with players, coaches, and leaders that matter. #ChatByThePitch #YouthSoccer #PlayerDevelopment #SoccerCoaching #WomensFootball #WSL #Arsenal #Middlesbrough #BethMead #LeahWilliamson #UEFACoaching #CoachEducation #SoccerParents #YouthDevelopment #FootballCoaching #DevelopmentOverWinning #GrassrootsSoccer #TalentID #SoccerPodcast #NorthTexasSoccer

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  Episode #182

  From Houston to Denmark: The Cappis Family on Christian Cappis’ Path to Pro

  Aug 13, 202651 minS1

  Turning down MLS. Walking away from an SMU scholarship. A trial at Bayern. Jay and Carey Cappis share how Christian Cappis bet on development — and won. In Part 2 of this conversation, the Cappis family walks Ian Babcock through Christian’s player pathway from club soccer in Houston to the professional game in Europe: captaining a national-champion FC Dallas Academy side, youth national team call-ups, an MLS rights battle between Houston and Dallas, and the decision to start at the bottom of the Danish Superliga instead — because development beats badges, free boots, and even bigger money. Jay and Carey get honest about the hard parenting moments too: letting go when Christian moved to Dallas his senior year, the summer he came home with no prospects while his friends left for college, and the day he was deported from Denmark over a paperwork mistake. It ends with the advice every soccer parent needs to hear: it’s their journey, professional soccer is a business, and your job is to support with eyes wide open. Key Talking Points Why Christian turned down bigger clubs — he scouted their recruiting versus their developing and knew where he wouldn’t grow Free boots, kits, and warmups are enticements, not development — how the family saw through the sales pitch “In charge from day one”: making his own decisions from a YMCA rejection at age two and a half through every club choice after Playing up with older kids, scoring the winning goal against the Texans, and how one bold team choice opened the next door Letting go: the senior-year move to FC Dallas Academy — and living like a pro (groceries, laundry, driving to work) before ever signing Youth national team life: “Hey Dad, I’m going to Spain today” The MLS rights battle between Houston and Dallas — and why Christian took his chances in Denmark instead Walking away from the SMU scholarship, the Bayern trial that almost happened, and the quiet summer where Christian never doubted Deported from Denmark with 24 hours to leave — the life education no classroom offers Player identity beyond soccer: marriage, cooking with a Michelin chef, and advice for parents — it’s their journey, and pro soccer is a business Quotes from the Guests “He’s been in charge from day one.” — Jay Cappis “Everybody wants you until they see you.” — Jay Cappis “Your choice, your responsibility, your consequences — all the way across the board.” — Jay Cappis “He could basically tell you, ‘I will not develop there. They’re great at recruiting the top players, but they’re not great at developing them.’” — Jay Cappis “He very calmly just kinda looks at me, and he’s like, ‘It’s okay. Don’t worry. We got this.’ He never doubted.” — Carey Cappis “You have a finite shelf life as an athlete... You can go back to college anytime.” — Jay Cappis “You’re on a journey with that child. It is not your journey. That is theirs to live.” — Jay Cappis “Professional athletics is a business... They will do what’s best for the club, and if that means it’s not good for you, that is not their problem.” — Jay Cappis “We never really set out with the goal of getting a college scholarship or even the goal of him being pro... it was more of just, well, what’s next?” — Carey Cappis “I’m not so much proud as I am pleased. He had a vision of what he wanted to do, and he pursued it.” — Jay Cappis Connect with the Cappis Family Instagram: cappis_property_group Instagram: jcappis Follow Chat By The Pitch Website: chatbythepitch.com YouTube: Chat By The Pitch Instagram: @ChatByThePitch TikTok: Chat.By.The.Pitch ✖️ X / Twitter: @ChatByThePitch Facebook: Chat By The Pitch Spotify: Chat By The Pitch Apple Podcasts: Chat By The Pitch Subscribe & Review: Your support helps us keep bringing conversations with players, coaches, and leaders that matter. #ChatByThePitch #YouthSoccer #SoccerParenting #PlayerDevelopment #ChristianCappis #CappisFamily #SoccerParents #DevelopmentOverWinning #ProPathway #USMNT #ClubSoccer #SoccerPodcast #YouthSports #GrassrootsSoccer #NorthTexasSoccer #PlayingAbroad

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  Episode #181

  The Cappis Family: How Soccer Parents Raise a Pro Without Pushing

  Aug 6, 202659 minS1

  What does it actually take to raise a professional soccer player — without pushing? Jay and Carey Cappis, parents of U.S. pro Christian Cappis, open up the family playbook. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Ian Babcock sits down with the Cappis family to talk soccer parenting and youth soccer player development from the very beginning: a toddler with a ball glued to his foot, a kid so competitive he challenged the neighborhood to a foot race in his sleep, and parents who made one rule non-negotiable — it’s his journey, not theirs. Jay and Carey share how they evaluated clubs and coaches (including interviewing a club director before joining Texans Soccer Club), why development beats winning at every age, and how a family of six divided and conquered life in Houston — from parenting in the front seat of the car to a university model school that gave them their family time back. If you’re a soccer parent wondering how to support your player without being that parent, this one’s for you. Key Talking Points Raising four very different kids — and letting each one find their own sport and path Christian the early bloomer: walking at nine months, kicking a ball at his first birthday, and sleepwalking down the street at 6:00 AM looking for a foot race How Jay made sure soccer stayed Christian’s passion — including forcing breaks to prove he played because he wanted to, not because Dad was around Letting the child drive the journey instead of pushing it — and the school decision Christian made himself to chase the youth national team “Development is your A number one job” — the family standard at every level of play How to vet a youth soccer coach: watch multiple games, look for week-to-week improvement, and check who actually gets on the field Why the Texans Soccer Club culture of development over early-season results produced pros like Christian Cappis and Chris Richards Divide and conquer: managing four kids’ activities across a huge city, one activity per child, and parenting from the front seat of the car Turning long drives to training into relationship-building conversations — and knowing when your player just needs the radio The trust that paid off: why Christian’s first call was to his dad when Danish immigration showed up at the club Quotes from the Guests “He was so competitive, even when he was sleepwalking, he was going down the street going, ‘Hey, you wanna have a foot race?’” — Jay Cappis “I really honestly believe he probably could have been a professional at whatever sport he chose.” — Carey Cappis “It was his passion, and he couldn’t go three days without getting his foot on a ball.” — Jay Cappis “Development is your A number one job, no matter what level you’re at.” — Jay Cappis “It’s incredibly difficult to know what you’re getting with any particular coach until you get some hands-on experience with them.” — Jay Cappis “I don’t really care as a parent whether or not they are the best team in the league. What I care about is every week, do I see the team improving?” — Jay Cappis “I felt like I was parenting from the front seat of the car.” — Carey Cappis “It suddenly occurred to me that if we didn’t have that long drive, we would have never had this particular conversation.” — Jay Cappis “We didn’t get it right all the time... there’s lots of learning to go around for everybody in the family.” — Jay Cappis “We did our best to make sure every child had a parent.” — Carey Cappis Connect with the Cappis Family Instagram: cappis_property_group Instagram: jcappis Follow Chat By The Pitch Website: chatbythepitch.com YouTube: Chat By The Pitch Instagram: @ChatByThePitch TikTok: Chat.By.The.Pitch ✖️ X / Twitter: @ChatByThePitch Facebook: Chat By The Pitch Spotify: Chat By The Pitch Apple Podcasts: Chat By The Pitch Subscribe & Review: Your support helps us keep bringing conversations with players, coaches, and leaders that matter. #ChatByThePitch #YouthSoccer #SoccerParenting #PlayerDevelopment #ChristianCappis #CappisFamily #SoccerParents #DevelopmentOverWinning #ClubSoccer #YouthSports #SoccerPodcast #GrassrootsSoccer #NorthTexasSoccer #SoccerFamily #ParentEducation #YouthCoaching

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  Episode #180

  Why Pay-to-Play Youth Soccer Is Failing American Players with Alex Lubyansky

  Jul 30, 202654 minS1

  Is pay-to-play youth soccer actually developing players — or just monetizing false hope? Alex Lubyansky says it's the latter, and he's building the proof. Alex is the General Manager and Head Coach of Detroit Metro FC, a completely free, senior-level football club run on the European model — on American soil. He's also an M&A attorney, an A-licensed coach, a former sporting director in Europe, a soccer parent, and an immigrant from Kyiv whose first ball came out of a trash can. In this conversation with host Ian Babcock, Alex breaks down why there's no real pyramid in American soccer, why 99.9% of kids belong in rec, and why free play — not expensive coaching — is what actually develops players. If you're a soccer parent wondering whether club soccer is worth it, a coach frustrated with the system, or anyone asking how to fix US soccer, this episode gives you a clear-eyed map of how the machine works — and a working model for what comes next. Rooted in North Texas, heard around the world. Key Talking Points Detroit Metro FC's mission: a completely free, senior-level European model on American soil, built to reform US soccer from outside the system Why Alex says there is no real pyramid in American soccer — just a "circle" of pre-professional leagues, MLS included, that avoid playing each other The one honest test for any youth program: is a child being charged a subscription fee to participate? If yes, it's pay-to-play — no matter the badge The case that 99.9% of kids belong in recreational soccer, and why free play develops players faster than structured, expensive coaching How the pay-to-play machine monetizes false hope — and why frustrated parents and coaches misunderstand what the system is actually built to do The ID camp myth: why college rosters are filling with international players and what that means for American families chasing scholarships Alex's anti-nepotism rule: no owner, coach, or staff member's child is ever allowed to try out for Detroit Metro FC How the club is funded: capital plus belief, an ROI model over a vanity play — and lessons from the Wrexham story What real senior-level football looks like: open trials, honest cuts, and a merit-based roster spanning a 16-year-old to a 40-year-old Alex's fix for the youth game: give the game back to the kids — pickup, free play, safe spaces, mixed ages, and parents over private trainers Quotes from Alex Lubyansky "If you can afford a used car, you can start Detroit Metro FC in DFW, and I'll tell you how." "A pyramid implies that there's a way to go up and go down. That's not possible in the US. It's a circle." "What we are doing as a country is the best monetization of false hope in the history of the planet." "Coaching does not develop players." "I think 99.9% of kids in this country belong in recreational soccer." "Parents are way more important than coaches. Way more. It's not close." "Not making it is not a failure. Not trying is the failure." "You wanna fix youth soccer? Give the game back to the kids. Let them play pickup. Let them have fun." "I'm not selling you a franchise. I'm not asking you to invest in my league." "He never charged me. He wouldn't let me pay him if I offered for 900 days, and he turned me into a monster." Connect with Alex Lubyansky ⚽ Club: Detroit Metro FC — free, senior-level football in Detroit, Michigan YouTube: Alex mentions his YouTube channel in the episode — link to be confirmed before publishing Follow Chat By The Pitch Website: chatbythepitch.com YouTube: Chat By The Pitch Instagram: @ChatByThePitch TikTok: Chat.By.The.Pitch ✖️ X / Twitter: @ChatByThePitch Facebook: Chat By The Pitch Spotify: Chat By The Pitch Apple Podcasts: Chat By The Pitch Subscribe & Review: Your support helps us keep bringing conversations with players, coaches, and leaders that matter. #ChatByThePitch #YouthSoccer #PlayerDevelopment #PayToPlay #FreePlay #SoccerParents #YouthSports #USSoccer #DetroitMetroFC #GrassrootsSoccer #SoccerCoaching #NorthTexasSoccer #SoccerPodcast #DevelopmentOverWinning #RecSoccer #EuropeanModel #SoccerCommunity #ClubSoccer #SoccerFamily #ProtectTheJoy Mentioned in this episode: Soccer Innovations: Award-Winning Soccer Equipment & Accessories Soccer Innovations Reeplayer: If your team is looking at camera systems this season, you need to check out Reeplayer. It’s built to make recording and live streaming games simple — no complicated setup, no waiting hours for footage. You get your games fast, and you can share them right away with players, families, and coaches. If you’ve been dealing with the hassle of other systems, this is one worth looking into. Reeplayer

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  Episode #179

  From Small Club to D1: Jada Davis on Betting on Yourself in Youth Soccer

  Jul 23, 20261h 4mS1

  She didn't commit to soccer until the summer before her junior year — and still earned a Division I scholarship from a small club no college coach was watching. Former NCAA Division I player Jada Davis joins Chat By The Pitch to break down youth soccer player development from both sides of the touchline. A multi-sport kid from the DFW Metroplex who bounced from karate to dance to basketball before soccer ever stuck, Jada shares how a competitive streak, ID camps, and pure hustle carried her from a small private club to Prairie View A&M — where she collected an offer from every other school in the conference first, just to prove a point. Now a youth coach in Dallas with a background in personal training and sports nutrition, Jada opens up about the injuries that cut her college career short, the unexpected path into coaching, and how she builds a player-led culture where even her eight-year-olds run their own warmups and hold each other accountable. She also digs into the psychology of coaching girls through the Girls Academy Credential of Coaching Excellence — why words land differently than we intend, and why culture has to be player-driven. If you're a soccer parent heading into tryout season, a young player wondering if your club is “big enough” for college, or a coach trying to balance development over winning, this conversation is for you. Jada's advice is simple: find a coach who cares about the person first — and never let the size of your club decide the size of your dream. Key Talking Points A multi-sport childhood — karate, dance, basketball, volleyball, track, and cross-country — and how cross-training made her stronger and always in shape when she committed to soccer Falling in love with competing before falling in love with the sport, and why she didn't choose soccer until the summer before her junior year of high school Playing for a small private club instead of a big-name academy — and how ID camps, game film, and self-advocacy got her in front of college coaches anyway Choosing Prairie View A&M: putting an HBCU at the top of her list, having no plan B, and earning an offer from every other school in the conference first Two season-ending foot fractures, the decision to play through the pain, and what she'd tell players facing the same choice today The unexpected call from TOCA that turned a personal trainer into a youth soccer coach — and why she almost said no Building a player-led culture with eight-year-olds: player-run warmups, accountability between teammates, and zero tolerance for negative talk The Girls Academy Credential of Coaching Excellence: the psychology of coaching girls and why it doesn't matter what a coach means — it matters how players interpret it Parent buy-in, over-communication, and the ongoing conversation about development versus winning at the youth level Her tryout-season advice for families: find a coach who values the person before the athlete, and a club with real standards, culture, and a pathway Quotes from Jada Davis “I just like to compete. You could put Uno in front of me, and I'm probably gonna win nine out of 10 games.” “I don't think it matters what club you play on if you wanna play in college. You just have to make the effort yourself.” “She offered me the least, and I truly believed all I need is one season, and I was absolutely correct.” “I wanted to stick with something where I could just create my own path.” “I kinda steered away from coaching 'cause I was like, 'I don't wanna turn into the coaches that I hated.'” “It doesn't matter what we mean when we say it, it matters how they interpret it.” “It's their team. It's not my team. They're playing. I'm not playing.” “I don't care if you make mistakes as long as you fix them.” “You don't have respect for people when they don't care to get to know you.” “Sydney looked at me and she said, 'We got this.' It's something I live by. I think about it every day.” Connect with Jada Davis Instagram: @CoachJadaDavis Facebook: CoachJadaDavis Follow Chat By The Pitch Website: chatbythepitch.com YouTube: Chat By The Pitch Instagram: @ChatByThePitch TikTok: Chat.By.The.Pitch ✖️ X / Twitter: @ChatByThePitch Facebook: Chat By The Pitch Spotify: Chat By The Pitch Apple Podcasts: Chat By The Pitch Subscribe & Review: Your support helps us keep bringing conversations with players, coaches, and leaders that matter. #ChatByThePitch #YouthSoccer #PlayerDevelopment #SoccerParents #GirlsSoccer #YouthSports #SoccerCoach #CollegeSoccer #HBCU #PrairieViewAM #NorthTexasSoccer #DFWSoccer #ClubSoccer #DevelopmentOverWinning #MultiSportAthlete #CoachingGirls #SoccerCulture #TryoutSeason #SoccerJourney Mentioned in this episode: Reeplayer: If your team is looking at camera systems this season, you need to check out Reeplayer. It’s built to make recording and live streaming games simple — no complicated setup, no waiting hours for footage. You get your games fast, and you can share them right away with players, families, and coaches. If you’ve been dealing with the hassle of other systems, this is one worth looking into. Reeplayer Soccer Innovations: Award-Winning Soccer Equipment & Accessories Soccer Innovations

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