In the Season One finale of the Heart of the Game Podcast, host Brian McDonough is joined by Dr. Colin Barnes, Associate Head Coach of the UNC Wilmington women’s soccer team and a U.S. Soccer course educator, for a deep dive into football science, performance analysis, and the future of data in the game.

Dr. Barnes shares his journey from growing up in Alabama with strong English football roots to playing collegiately at UNC Asheville and professionally with the Wilmington Hammerheads, before moving into coaching, education, and performance analysis. The conversation explores why the United States still lags behind Europe in analyst staffing and data integration, and how education remains the key barrier to progress.

The episode also examines why player ownership of data may be the next major evolution in football development, and how modern tools like AI driven analysis platforms are helping coaches turn complex data into actionable insight.

If you're interested in hearing more from the Heart of the Game podcast then make sure to give us a follow, as we're on a journey to recognize the true beating heart of football: the people who give everything to the game, both on and off the pitch.

If you'd like to learn more about those behind the Heart of the Game podcast then you can check us out further on the SciSports website.