In this episode I welcome a living legend, Al Albert. Al’s accomplishments in soccer over a 33 year career at the College of William and Mary are too numerous to list. To provide a glimpse into his success as a head men’s soccer coach, he had 29 consecutive winning seasons, 5 CAA tournament championships, 5 regular season CAA titles and several great runs in the NCAA tournament. The 4-time CAA coach of the year is in multiple halls of fame, coached several future pros, and published a book about...
Apr 16, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 118
Mindset Coach Eric Manuel discusses how to start a mindfulness practice.
Apr 15, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 117
In this episode I welcome human nutrition professor, Amy Rains. In addition to teaching several courses at the College of William and Mary, Amy is a published cookbook author and healthy recipe guru. We delve into the damage sugar does in our diet, the importance of protein and nutrition as it relates to sports performance. Amy also discusses timing of nutrition and supplementation. This is a great primer on nutrition and a great start to understanding how it impacts how we perform athletically....
Apr 09, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Mindset Monday #20 - Mindset Coach discusses the benefits of a mindfulness practice when facing exhaustion. expertmindsetcoaching.com
Apr 08, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 115
In this episode, Justin Chezem of Christopher Newport University Men’s Soccer and I welcome Mark Plotkin. Mark is the head coach of DePaul University men’s soccer in Chicago. Mark does a great job of describing his recruiting process, what it’s like to be a student athlete at DePaul and be a member of the men’s soccer team. He also reflects on growing up in Chicago with a group of kids who loved the game including his brother Brian who is the head coach at the US Military Academy. Listen to epis...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 114
In this episode I welcome back UFC athlete Carlos Vera and his mindset coach and co-host of our Mindset Mondays, Eric Manuel of Expert Mindset Coaching. In his UFC debut in February, Carlos sustained a shoulder dislocation, torn labrum and grade 5 separation with a broken collarbone in the first minute of the bout. Despite the injury, Carlos persevered and continued to fight until the end. He describes where his mind went in the moment so that he could deal with the immediate adversity he faced....
Apr 02, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Eric Manuel discusses the benefits of growing your mindfulness practice
Apr 01, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail Podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Asia Mape the founder of I Love to Watch You Play. She discusses her experiences as a parent of athletes and the lessons she’s learned from along the way. I Love to Watch You Play has the motto helping sports parents raise healthy, happy athletes- the name says it all, young athletes repeatedly express that what they want to hear from their parents is ‘I love to watch you play’. Check out Asia...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Eric Manuel of Expert Mindset Coaching discusses practicing mindfulness and the benefits it provides in competitive athletics and life.
Mar 25, 2024•7 min•Season 1Ep. 110
In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I welcome LEAD Monrovia Football Academy products Blessing Kieh and Abraham Monsee who left Liberia to become students and soccer players at Westminster School in Connecticut. They describe their experiences as students, soccer players, moving halfway across the world and the journey to continue their playing careers in college here in the United States. Thank you to Sona Traore the Executive Director o...
Mar 21, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 109
In this episode, I welcome back Jimmy Conrad and Jay DeMerit. The two former US Men’s National teammates enjoyed catching up and reminiscing about playing with each other, playing in the TST Tournament, their thoughts on development, and much more. There are some great stories they share and fantastic insights as well. We discuss the experience participating in the TST tournament, including the emotional component and the unique atmosphere. They also talk about the physical demands of the tourna...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 108
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail Podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Gabriel Bayona Sapag and Roshan Patel of ClubEleven, a digital media publication connecting soccer audiences across North America. They have the mission to highlight unique, personal stories in soccer in an effort to grow the game and through storytelling and a feeling of connection between those in the game. Check them out at clubelevenmag.com and make sure to subscribe to their newsletter wh...
Mar 12, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Eric Manuel of expertmindsetcoaching.com discusses strategies for coping with defeat.
Mar 11, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 106
In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I welcome 2 women’s soccer student-athletes. Delaney Brown just completed her career at the University of Miami and Berkley Mape is in her first year at the Ohio State University. Thank you to Asia Mape of I Love to Watch You Play and Chris Brown of Student Athlete NIL for helping to make this happen! Summary They reflect on the impact of early commitments and the importance of mental and physical prepa...
Mar 05, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Eric Manuel of expertmindsetcoaching.com continues the discussion about coping with defeat.
Mar 04, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 104
In this episode I had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of soccer.com in North Carolina. I also had the privilege to meet Mike and Brendan Moylan who generously agreed to sit down and chat about the origins of soccer.com in 1984 and the journey they’ve been on for 40 years while building a hugely successful business. Beyond selling soccer gear, they’ve been a big player in growing our game in the US by not only bringing equipment the rest of the world was using but also telling stories o...
Feb 29, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 103
In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer, and I are privileged to welcome Jackson Meyer and Jubril Bamgbala, Cadet Student-Athletes from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Summary In this conversation, two West Point soccer players, Jubril Bamgbala and Jackson Meyer, discuss their experiences at West Point and the transition from high school to college soccer. They talk about their expectations versus reality, the leadership lessons...
Feb 27, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Eric continues the discussion about coping with defeat and being cautious not to attach your identity to your sport.
Feb 26, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the 100th episode of the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode, Justin Chezem of Christopher Newport University Men’s Soccer and I welcome Craig Appleby. Craig is the head coach of men’s soccer at Johns Hopkins University. Coach Appleby has been highly successful at a prestigious university and recruiting the right type of student-athlete is the lifeline to that accomplishment. This is a great conversation with two leaders of perennial tourname...
Feb 20, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Summary In this conversation, Scot Cooper and Eric Manuel discuss coping with defeat in sports and life. They explore the importance of the groundwork that can be done before encountering defeat, such as accepting the inevitability of failure and adopting a growth mindset. They also discuss coping skills for dealing with setbacks, including seeking social support, practicing positive self-talk, and practicing optimism. The conversation emphasizes the need to separate athletic identity from perso...
Feb 19, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I welcome Pat McStay of the ECNL’s Heritage Project and the Richmond Strikers. Along with his duties at the Strikers, Pat has taken on the role of developing the Heritage Project which connects youth soccer players in the U.S. with the countries of their heritage to potentially play for those countries’ national teams. Pat des...
Feb 15, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Jack Rasmussen, the Founder of the Caddix Cleat Company. This innovative to cleat utilizes small movements in the studs to prevent non-contact injuries. Jack and his dad took an idea and made it a product through research, trial and error, and ingenuity. This is a fascinating product that is available for pre-order on February 14th. Check it out! Summary In this conversation, Jack Rasmussen di...
Feb 13, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Summary Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I Brian Plotkin, head coach men’s soccer coach at West Point, discuss the unique recruiting process and player development at the United States Military Academy. He highlights the importance of finding players who are not only talented in soccer but also have the right mindset for the challenges of West Point. Brian shares success stories of former players and emphasizes the pride and esprit de corps that cadets...
Feb 13, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail Podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Allen Hopkins, Jr. Allen had a long career through college and professional soccer. He went on to be a sports broadcaster, which is a great story he shares and now is the Executive Director of Black Players for Change, which is comprised of Black MLS players, staff, and coaches BPC is a positive bridge between sport, life and soccer, it’s a universal language that can be used to advance and ad...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail Podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of men’s soccer at Christopher Newport University and I welcome Steve Swanson, the long time head coach of the University of Virginia women’s soccer program. Steve discussed his time with the women’s national team, being a part of two World Cup wins, developing great players and teams at UVA, and how recruiting and college athletics is changing. Great visit from a top caliber ...
Feb 06, 2024•53 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Eric Manuel of www.expertmindsetcoaching.com discusses developing mental toughness through consistency.
Feb 05, 2024•6 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Hi, I’m Scot Cooper and welcome to the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode Chris Norris, the head coach of the College of William and Mary men’s soccer program and I welcome one of his former players, Will Smith. As you will hear, Will made the most of his opportunity as a student-athlete on the field, on campus, and abroad. Among many other highlights, he went on to co-found a residential youth soccer academy in Liberia called LEAD MFA. There’s more to the story obviously...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Hi, I’m Scot Cooper and welcome to the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I welcome Ryan Martin, the head coach of USL side, Loudoun United. Ryan has worked with great soccer minds and that developed his coaching style. He discusses lessons he learned from his influences, how he evaluates players and the path from college to professional soccer. His perspective is valuable for anyone looking to a...
Jan 30, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Eric Manuel of www.expertmindsetcoaching.com discusses the importance of challenging yourself as a habit to develop mental toughness for life and sport.
Jan 29, 2024•8 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Hi I’m Scot Cooper and welcome to the Tales From the Trail Podcast by MatchPlay. In this episode I welcome Nacho Lerech of CSA Becas International. Nacho discusses his journey from Argentina playing for a large club, Boca Juniors, to finding his way to college in the United States. He finished at the University of Vermont and began working for CSA Becas where he helps international students find a home at universities in the U.S. in addition to continuing his playing career in Europe. Nacho was ...
Jan 25, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 89
