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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 your
journey

Episode guest

AlexiCortez

Former D1 player, founder of Southside Footy

What Is U.S. Soccer Missing? | Alexi Cortez (Southside Footy)

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The conversation

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.

The chapters

Key moments

The audience

Who should watch

soccer parents, youth players and coaches.

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