Wild weekend: BIF content from United Soccer Coaches Convention

Broad. Insightful. Fun.

And BIF doesn’t even cover it all.

The Shades of Blue soccer show was front and center on podcast row at the United Soccer Coaches Convention, and we aren’t ashamed to admit it. We talked the beautiful game with 17 others covering everything from the professional ranks of Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City Comets, and Kansas City Current to the academies, teams, and clubs under them, a bit of high school soccer, and local youth soccer with plenty of irrelevant (and irreverent) moments within. We were even interviewed ourselves - Thanks, Anna!

To cover local youth, high school, college soccer, and more we sat down with: Joe Burger, Executive director of Kansas State Youth Soccer Association; KC Athletics, and more, coach Chris Thompson; Comets players Nick McDonald and Christian Anderoas; and soccer dads (and former Comets) Nate Houser and Chris Duke and Doug McLagan.

We delved into the development of the Comets, the current status and exciting future of the Major Arena Soccer League, and Saturday night’s match at the T-Mobile Center against the Tacoma Stars with Kevin Ellis and Brian Budzinski (listen here), MASL Commissioner Keith Tozer and MASL President of Communications/Media (and broadcasting legend) JP Dellacamera.

To catch the KC Current, we sat down with new Manager Matt Potter and General Manager Cami Levin and forward/midfielder Kristen Hamilton as the side pushes into a season that will see immense growth and progress from season one.

We got up to date and dug deep into Sporting KC’s latest additions with a pod of our own (listen here) and talks with Nathan Hunt, Director of Coaching for Academy Affiliates; new SKC II Assistant Coach and former MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara; and caught up with sure SKC Legend Matt Besler in an all-encompassing, forthright, and as you’ve never heard him before extended talk.

It was indeed a wild weekend. We raise a glass to the United Soccer Coaches Convention and @brandonkmilburn for taking us along for the ride.

Welcome to the action, as we do it all for growing the game and for informing, entertaining, and compelling you. Watch (and listen to) this space. And pass on to others to help this sport broaden its impact.

As was said repeatedly during the weekend… it is a large soccer community, but it feels like a small family.

Thank you and enjoy! Cody @ThatCodyTho; Robert @SpKCLife; Thad @TheBackPost

Thad Bell