Big changes are coming to the youth soccer landscape, and families need to know what they mean. In this episode of Blue Chip Strong: The Total Athlete Podcast, hosts Gene and Alex sit down with Kevin McGovern of Coast FA to break down the US Soccer–US Youth Soccer takeover: what's changing, why it's happening, and how it could affect players, parents, coaches, and clubs here on the Grand Strand. Drawing on their own years as club and high school coaches, Gene and Alex keep the conversation practical, so you leave knowing what to watch for and what questions to ask your club. We Train Athletes.

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Every youth game has a referee, but few people know what it takes to earn the whistle. Gene sits down with two veteran officials from the Grand Strand: Jack Schultz, a referee since 1989 and State Referee since 2005 who has worked up to the USL Championship level, and John Santos, Area Referee Administrator for Myrtle Beach and Florence, who advanced to Regional Referee in 2024 and currently officiates UPSL and USL League Two.

They discuss the three relationships that shape every match: referee and coach, referee and parent, and referee and player. They also explain how games get assigned and how local officials move up the pipeline. If you're a player, coach, or parent, you'll come away with a better view of the game from the center of the field, and you may want to try it yourself.

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This is the forth and final episode of the Meet the Coaches Series. Coach Gene Dougherty sits down with Coach Terrance Butler to discuss the recruitment process for high school athlets.

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