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Episode breakdown
Alexi Cortez
Former D1 player, founder of Southside Footy
What Is U.S. Soccer Missing? | Alexi Cortez (Southside Footy)
Respect yourjourney
Episode guest
AlexiCortez
Former D1 player, founder of Southside Footy
What Is U.S. Soccer Missing? | Alexi Cortez (Southside Footy)
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What we talked about
Alexi Cortez, former D1 player and founder of Southside Footy, breaks down what U.S. soccer is missing and what it actually takes to develop a great young player: why processing speed matters more than raw speed, why mistakes are the point, the car vs. driver framework every Southside family learns, and why obsession beats discipline.
The lessons
What we learned
- Processing speed beats raw speed: the trait that matters most is how fast a player reads the game.
- Mistakes are the point: the 60 to 85 percent rule means kids should be making mistakes 15 to 40 percent of the time.
- The car vs. the driver: athleticism is the car, mentality is the driver.
- Obsession and courage over discipline.
- Make life hard on purpose: challenge builds players.
- Character over the D1 dream: why he won't sell parents the D1 dream.
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The audience
Who should watch
soccer parents, youth players and coaches.
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