50: A Major League Soccer Player’s Inspiration for Anyone (w/ Jeff Attinella)

Hey everybody, welcome back to the Naaman Creative Show. Today’s guest is someone who’s lived a high level in sports, which I actually think this is the first time I’ve had a sports figure, like a professional sports figure on the show. So congrats, Jeff. I’m honored. I’m honored.

Yeah, I appreciate you having me on, man. It’s awesome. I appreciate you making the time because you’re definitely running and gunning and you’ve been in a cool position, which I’m excited. So You’re a former professional soccer player, and you also now serve as the director of content strategy and brand development. Did I get that right?

Yeah. Yes, sir. Something like that. You know, it’s somewhere in that frame, you know, works out well. Yeah.

And that’s, that’s for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. And so your, your world has been soccer. Maybe we start there. What, what got you into soccer? How young were you?

I would imagine you were pretty young to have been a pro player? Yeah. So I started playing, you know, just like, just like kids do, you know, your parents throw you in a bunch of stuff. And so I started playing when I was 6 years old, doing, you know, the rec thing. And then, you know, at some point I remember my parents telling me that somebody recommended that I try club soccer, which is like the next level up, because I was just doing things to keep busy like you do with kids, right?

Like you throw them in a bunch of sports, entertain them, burn their energy. And then once I got to club soccer, It was funny, the, uh, you know, we haven’t gotten there, but I was a goalie. So I was playing all these other sports, and I’ll never forget when I was 7 years old, I’ll never forget this, which is so odd. The coach at the time was like, we don’t have a goalie, does anyone want to play goalie, or anyone think they could play goalie? I stuck my hand up and I said, I played, I played baseball and basketball, so I bet I could do it.

And I never left the- I never left the goal again. They never let me out of the goal again. So from the time I was 7, that’s like when I started playing goalie, and that’s just how it, how it worked out. Was that your position for your entire life? My entire life.

Wow. Even when I tried- I used to fight it. My parents used to fight it because nobody wants to be a goalie, especially when you’re younger. I tried to fight it, my parents tried to fight it, and the coach was like, nope, this is a goalie. Trust me, I know a goalie when I see one.

He’s a goalie. So I never got out, and I just stuck with it, and here we are. You know what’s funny is my mom, uh, when I was young, was my soccer coach, and she would not let me play goalie. She like protected me from that. And I was like, I want to play goalie.

And so I was always so mad. I did like 2 years of soccer, and then I was just pissed off that you couldn’t play goalie. Yeah, yeah, maybe she saved you, man. I don’t know, we’ll find out. Well, uh, maybe, but joke’s a little bit on her because I, I became- hockey became my sport, hockey and golf.

And so I grew up through high school playing hockey, and like, I think it was like 7th, 8th grade, those years I was a goalie in hockey. I was like, I’m gonna try this, and they needed a goalie for one of my teams, and I was like I’ll do it. And you know what? That was, in my opinion, now looking back on it, the most fun position I ever played. It was the scariest position, like people winding up a slapshot and I’m just sitting there, right?

But it was so difficult and there’s a lot of pressure, but it was so fun. I think, I think hockey goalie looks like the most fun position because like the thing about soccer goalie is the net’s so big. Right. You don’t see as many shots. Like you’re sitting back there by yourself all the time, like trying to stay out of your own thoughts of things that are going on.

But hockey goalie is just nonstop action. Like you’re getting shot at all the time. The goal’s a little bit smaller. You have all these pads on. I think I could dig hockey goalie.

I definitely understand why you would think that way. Cause whenever I watch the Lightning play and I’m watching, you know, Vasilevskiy or these other guys, it’s just like, they look like they’re having so much fun. It’s a blast. Yeah. Yeah.

So that’s, that’s definitely a real thing. And yeah, you are like, it’s a small, obviously smaller field, you know, the rink is smaller, smaller goal. So you’re in the action a little more. But I guess, yeah, I want to know, like, I want to know so many things because, you know, it’s not every day you interface with people who are professionals in their trade. Like, so I talk to a lot of business owners and people who are leading organizations and things like that.

And that’s, that’s a different thing. But sports, there’s something so obvious and what’s the word? You can’t shield not being good at sports. Yeah, you’re out there. You’re out there, you’re good or bad.

Yeah, you screwed up or you didn’t. In different other realms of the world and industries, you know, you could kind of COVID up a mistake or play it a different way or whatever. But like, if you let a goal in, that is that. It goes past that line. That’s a goal, you know.

It’s- there’s like an accountability that’s so transparent. Well, you’re just- and especially the goalkeeper position, because nobody really understands it, you know, because when you talk about soccer players, it’s everybody else is playing their own game. And being a goalie is its own thing. You know, we’re the only people that can use our hands. Obviously, we play a completely different sport than the sport that’s going on around us.

So you combine the fact that any time that a goalkeeper gives up a goal, people that don’t know anything assume that it’s the goalie’s fault. Yeah, I find that with like everybody else around you isn’t playing the same sport. It’s a very- there’s something called the goalkeeper union in soccer because it’s a very tight-knit group and only, only the people that play goalie really understand day in and day out what that’s like and what somebody is going through if they make a mistake or if they’re having success. So it’s a very unique position and it was a very, a very unique way to spend, to spend a majority of my life. Learn a lot of lessons though, that’s for sure.

Definitely. Well, I mean, also all the training, because you’re right there with the team going through training, you know, whether it be like weight training or, you know, running or whatever it is, you’re probably right alongside with them on a lot of stuff. But then you have maybe your particular cohorts or your particular coach that works with you on- yeah, so normally how it works is, normally how it works is, at least for me, the goalkeepers would come out first because you know, once the team needs- the goalies need to get their practice in, and then once the team needs the goalies, like, they call them over. So if you needed more extra time to train before you needed the goalies- so the goalies usually come out first, train in their little group, and then once the team decides, all right, we’re ready for the goalies, then you just, you kind of meander your way over and get yourself involved in the practice. So you’re really- it’s, uh, you have your tight-knit group, which is interesting.

Like, this is a layer we could talk about, I’m sure, later on, but especially once you get to the professional levels, you have that tight-knit group of people that you train with every day, but you’re all fighting for the same job. But you need to lean on each other because I can’t practice if the other guy isn’t doing his job to help me and vice versa. And then once you’re done with that training, you go over with the team and then, you know, you just kind of fit yourselves in the way the coaches see fit. I would imagine it’s pretty cutthroat. Like there’s, there’s an interesting dynamic that you just brought up where it’s like you’ve got to play together, but you’re also kind of in competition?

How’s that? Yeah, it’s, um, you know, it’s, it’s hard, especially when- so I’ve experienced it in different ways, right? So when I was on the team in Salt Lake, there was a pecking order. You knew the pecking order. You knew who the starter was.

He was somebody that was very established in the league. You understood that he was going to start the games that he was healthy for. If he wasn’t called in with the U.S. national team, he was going to play. So that was easy because there’s like Okay, that’s the guy. And I’m just- I’m the backup and I’m just trying to do my best to get him ready for games and make sure that I’m ready in case, you know, something happens.

I need to step in. Sure. That was easy until it wasn’t, because eventually you want to start playing, right? But then when I got to Portland, it was just all competition. Like every single day was competition.

It was like, we don’t know who the starter is going to be. Wow. You were brought in here to compete with the guy that was starting. And then just depending on how the games are going and how the rhythm’s going to the season, like we’re going to find out who the starting goalie is. And the idea is that we have the starting goalie towards the end of the season picked out and then into the playoffs.

So once I got to Portland, it was more competitive dynamic in terms of trying to figure out who’s going to start. But the way that I always approach things was I enjoy people, you know, so I understood that if the other person was starting, it was my job to get him ready to have the most success at his job because I understand the pressures that he’s under. Sure. You know what I mean? Because I’ve felt those pressures and then vice versa.

Yeah, so it’s vice versa. So it’s like, okay, the coach makes the decision for me to start. My expectation is that the person that didn’t get the start is going to help me prepare as best as possible. And even though he might be sitting on the bench, like, if I give up a bad goal, he’ll be thinking to himself like, ooh, maybe I’ll get a chance. But at the same time, like, that’s the person- that’s the first person that jumps off the bench to like put his arm around you and say, hey, like, it’s okay, I know what you’re going through, I know what you were thinking, like, bounce back because we still need to have a good game, we still need to win.

So sure, it’s a very, uh, you learn a lot, you know what I mean? You learn a lot about human interaction. You learn a lot about like the levels of competing versus support. And so it was a good growing process. And you know, when you do that day in and day out, it, it piles on to a lot of life lessons for sure.

Absolutely. Yeah. Like that whole teamwork aspect, because you can be competitive and always be a team, and that competitiveness uplifts all of you cuz you’re challenging each other to be better in every moment. And that’s not a bad thing as long as it’s all in good heart, right? You know, where I’m actually- I’m truly at the end of the day supporting you because we all- when we win, we all win.

But obviously you, you want to be the one playing. So there’s that interesting dynamic, especially, especially at professional levels, because, you know, once you get to the professional levels, you’re talking about my job to feed my family versus this other person’s job to feed their family, right? You’re the starting goalie. You obviously are doing better financially. You’re in a better spot.

You get longer contracts. Versus somebody that might not be the starting goalie. So there’s, there’s so many different layers to professional sports, and especially when you’re talking about a position that’s so specific that, I mean, the best way I can say is it just teaches you a lot of life lessons and you learn a lot. You learn a lot through that process. And that’s been something for me at least that I take from sports to try to carry over when you’re talking about joining different teams, joining different workforces where maybe there’s a competitive balance, but at the same time, it’s everyone’s gotta be working towards the same common goal for the company or for whatever you’re doing after.

Yeah. And there’s a level of commitment that you’ve already proven when you’ve, when you’ve done something at the level that you’ve done. We were just talking about music because I’m a musician. My drum set sitting here on my left. And, you know, we were starting to talk about that.

Same goes with that. Like a lot of the difficulties that go into my practice of drums and, and playing, you know, like, for instance, when I played hockey, I had a really great coach. And one of the phrases that I’ll never forget is like, you practice how you play, you play how you practice. Essentially that those two should be the same intensity always essentially, or near it. Because, and for me, drumming is like that on steroids because if I’m just like goofing around drumming in practice and then I go on stage, that the music does not stop if something goes wrong.

It doesn’t- nothing stops at a show, at a game. Like, all of these are kind of interchangeable where, like, I have to play through it at the highest level. I have to be ready mentally and physically for that show and prepared as possible to power through that regardless of what happens. And, and there’s also been on my show I can’t remember what episode, but Nick, he was a former police officer and now he’s in the mortgage realm. But he- we like- a big part of our conversation was just all of this experience as a police officer prepared him for difficulties in business that he just had no idea that he was preparing in different ways.

And I feel like the world, if we do things at a high level, there’s all this carryover, whether it be like teamwork or leadership or grit, you know what I mean? Well, it’s funny, I actually just last night I had a- I went over to USF. I graduated from USF, and they had a seniors athletics, leaving athletics, like, panel seminar. Like, what’s it like to leave athletics? Like, what are the things that you could take with you into the real world?

And I’ve sat on that panel the last few years because there’s been so many things, whether I got them right, whether I got them wrong, that I’ve learned from transitioning out of athletics in that world into the real world that there are so many things that carry over, but it’s also trying to figure out how can I apply those certain things that I’ve learned the right way and not letting it, you know, not letting it almost like take over that you’re not getting the results that you want right away. Right. Because I think that at least for, for an athlete, I’ve never played music. I value music. I want to learn how to do music.

But, you know, at least like as an athlete, it’s like you learn these different things and these different characteristics and you apply them to your sport. And then when you’re on the big stage, it carries over that way. But then you always get results, right? It’s like, like I know that if I gave up a goal, that’s a bad result. I know that if I made a really good save, it’s like, that’s a good result.

So you get like that instant gratification, right? Whereas when you could be the same with music, like, oh yeah, I crushed that show. Like I didn’t make any mistakes. I did it. Like now I’m walking off my- I’m walking off my job knowing that I did a great 5-star review or I did terrible.

I got a 1-star review. But then, you know, once you step into the real world, it’s like, you do your job and then you’re just sitting there kind of like, how did I do? Right? Like, like, I guess I’ll find out at the end of the quarter when, you know, my boss decides he wants to sit down and tell me how I did. So yeah, there’s just different things that I think that there’s different things you could take from it.

But then there’s also like, there’s just, it’s just such a different world that it’s hard to translate everything over because like, uh, it’s so outward facing and the results are so obviously in your face and you know how you did based off of all the practice that you’ve put into it. Right. But even then, you know, like all of your practice, whether it be like endurance training or specific skill, you know, like with, with goalie training, some of that stuff is compounding over time and you don’t- you, I guess you see the results more in real time, but there’s a compounding effect that, that took a lot of time. And it’s kind of the same in business. That, that is the difficult thing, like with Name and Creative, like All right, we’re past 5 years, you know, 5 and a half years or whatever it is now.

And that has- there’s momentum that I was working on year one or like 3 years ago or 1 year ago where it’s like now, just now I’m like, oh, that contract is a direct result of 4 years ago work, right? And that seed that I planted. And I guess the same could be for like drum practice where it’s like, oh man, that rudiments, just those rudiments and, and locking in was really helpful to now at this show. Making sure that I’m locked in. And the same- but I like that perspective.

That’s a good- that’s a good way to look at it. I never really thought of it that way. All right. Yeah. Looking back, like, like if, like, I made this save and that was a result of the work that I put in, you know, however many years ago working on this practice.

I never thought of it that way. I never thought of it that way because I always just- I always view everything so much, at least in athletics, it’s so much like game, you know, like how the game go. Did you win? Did you lose? Did you give up goals?

Did you play well? And it was like, okay, why did I make this mistake? Instead of like, okay, how did I make this save? Like, what was the- because you’re expected to do the save. Sure.

You know what I mean? So it’s like, I like that. I’m going to shift my mindset on that. I like that a lot. Right on.

Well, look at this podcast already. Already proven dividends. All right. Thanks for listening. We’ll see you guys later.

All right. I mean, that’s- it is so important, I think, in the world in general to like you touched on it. To celebrate the wins, even the small ones. So it’s like not the win of the game because you could lose the game. You say you let in 3 goals and the other team only let in 2, so you lost.

But how many did you save? It could have been a much worse loss. And like celebrating that, like, you know, we did some really right things and it’s good to be- it’s good to be recognizing those wins even in the losses. As much as it is to analyze why we lost, is general. One of the best games I had in my career, the team lost 5-0.

Like, not even kidding, it was by far one of the best games I had in my career. I had about 10, 11 saves that were just out of this world. Like, the game could have gotten so out of hand. And then after the game, it was one of those things where it was like, we got smoked and I feel bad for the team, but I did, I did my job to the absolute best of my ability. And everybody knew that, you know what I mean?

But like, so when something like that happens, it’s easy to be like, all right, well I know that I was locked in. It’s still a team game and it stinks that we lost, but like, I know that I did my job to the best of my ability tonight. It’s those ones where it’s like, especially- that’s why, that’s why I think being a hockey goalie is kind of where it’s at. Because in soccer, it’s, you know, you could face one shot in 90 minutes, right? And that shot could go in the top corner and there’s nothing you could do about it.

But if you look back at your game and it’s like, I did nothing, like I didn’t- I didn’t have to do anything, and we lost 1-0. I didn’t even save the ball. So it’s like, that’s why you want those games where it’s a little bit more action, because you get more chance to, you know, provide value to the team. But that’s what makes the- you know, there’s, there’s so many different podcasts and so many different goalies to talk about it, just like the mental side of goalkeeping and, and the process of learning all that stuff. But those were some of the tougher moments where you don’t get the type of action like the hockey goalie gets.

That’s why I always thought hockey would be the would be the one. Yeah, I’m sure you’d be great at it. Yeah, but it sounds like you’ve tapped yourself out. I grew up in Florida, so I don’t really know how to skate. Yeah, I’m from Indiana, so it’s just a different, different climate, man.

It sucked waking up at like 5 a.m. and going to a- in the cold, in the freezing cold, putting- and then going to a cold rink in a freezing cold locker room and then putting on frozen equipment because I had to lay it out in the garage and it was literally frozen because the water- my sweat would It was just cold. And there was just nowhere to find warmth in that situation. Until you were like 10 minutes into practice, it was like, all right, now I’m like not cold. But it, it did like make me, uh, yeah, it builds a little character. It built character.

Yeah. How bad do you want it? It’s important. Honestly, that, that does carry through. Like cold for me is one of those like character building traits that I’ll, that I’ll never forget.

I was, I was playing outside with my best friend Danny Sheiks, shout out to him, you know, when we were kids. And I remember there was this moment where we were next to the fence And I was just like, I am so cold right now. But I remember in my mind I go, if I get through this, I’m going to be stronger. And I was like a little kid, but I was like, I recognized for a moment and I’ll never forget it that like, I’m going to be strong because I got through it. And there are certain things that- and then I had a job at a car wash and I was 15 at the time, but my fingers were like frozen because we were just working outside and- and it’s funny, the winter is our busy time.

Okay. Busiest time. But my fingers were like frozen at the car wash because everybody’s getting the salt and stuff off. Yeah, yeah. It was crazy.

We had lines like the whole lot was a line. Because nobody wants to do that themselves in the winter. No. Yeah, exactly. That too.

So 2,000 cars. Right. But, you know, I was just like, the cold was such a good lesson. But I feel like for me with drums, that, that like experience of getting through something that was hard, and empowering through it, you know, the brain starts to click through those moments, whatever that may be- sports, music, a job, you know, just playing and being cold. Like, those are defining moments where if you get through that and you take that with you, you can apply it to any situation, which is super beneficial.

Yeah, absolutely. I played in- I played in the coldest game in MLS history. And then I was on the bench for, I think it’s now the second or third coldest game in MLS history. And it was kind of the same thing. I’m standing there and I’m just like, if I survive this, I, I’m gonna like, there’s nothing I can’t do because I’m just frozen and I’m trying to play this game.

I’m trying to do this thing. Big snowstorm, icicles like dangling off my face. Uh-huh. I’m just like, if I survive this, like, I think I’m gonna be all right. Yeah.

Well, clearly you are. So, um, we’ll, we’ll find out. The more we talk, we’ll find out about that one. Okay. Deal.

Deal. We got some time. So, so walk me through it. Like what’s the, what’s the trajectory of someone to, to end up playing professional soccer? You know, you were a kid and so you started to play club, so you were already taking like steps outside of the norm.

Yeah. I mean, I’m a little, I’m a little different from, I think a lot of the stories that you hear from people that are playing professionally, especially at that level because, you know, I played soccer for fun. Like I played it growing up, I played it for fun and people said I was good. I don’t have an athletic family background, like nothing like that. So it’s like I played soccer because I was good at it.

I played other sports as well. But, you know, soccer was the one that I kind of gravitated towards to start playing a little bit more competitively at a young age because we had a family friend that said that I should. And they were like, he’d be good enough to do that. Come join our team. So when I was 7, I was playing with the 9-year-olds because that was the first time that I could do that.

So I always played a year up. So I was always playing with kids that were older than me. And then from there, it just kind of- it stuck mainly because of the friendships. Like, there were a couple of times growing up where I quit soccer because I wanted to play a different sport. I wanted to do something different, but I always found my way back to soccer because I had made so many good friends growing up that I really missed my teammates and I really missed the people that I was around.

So I was very fortunate that, you know, shout out the Rowdies. I was very fortunate that at a young age I got tied into this goalie coach. His name’s Kevin Clinton. And he used to play for the Rowdies back in the ’70s, and his son was around my age. Like, we used to compete against his son, and he saw me at a young age and told my parents, you know, hey, like, he’s good.

Like, I want to train him. He’s good. And bless his heart, man, he trained me for free my entire life. Whoa. And then eventually his, his son came over to our club, so then he became our coach.

And then from there, I had this goalie trainer that had been a professional goalkeeper, like, he’s like a second father to me. He’s a, you know, he’s like, he just took me under his wing and it was like, I think that this guy can get to the next level. And so I was very fortunate in that. And then, but then, you know, I wasn’t ever, you know, I was never called into like those big youth teams. Like I was never called into anything like that.

I was just playing club soccer and like doing well at it. And then by the time I got to high school, you know, my goal for playing in high school was Hey, if I can play in high school and do well, like, maybe I can get to college, like, maybe I can get a college scholarship for this. And then it’s like, it’s all worth it for my parents, you know, because like the amount of hours, the amount of weekends, and they’ll tell you that they love it, you know. But me as a parent now doing like one event on a Saturday, it’s like, man, like this feels like a commitment. But like to do travel ball, that’s like a real commitment, especially on the parental side of things, financially, time, everything.

So my goal was always just like, all right, if I could do well in high school and then I get a college scholarship, that’s like- and I get my college education through soccer, like, that makes everything worth it. And I went to Countryside High School, so I grew up in this area, you know. I played for the local clubs, went to Countryside High School, and then my junior year we won states, and then my senior year we were like first in the nation. We ended up losing to some team that we’d already beaten, doesn’t really matter. But like, it was all my same buddies that I played with growing up club were all my same buddies in high school.

So it was just like tons of fun. And then, you know, early in my senior year, I started getting recruited and then eventually, you know, I got recruited by some smaller schools and then eventually USF came calling. And for me, I was just like, like, I’m going to go to the biggest school I can go to. Like, I didn’t care about anything else. I was just like, you know what?

Like, maybe it was like my ego or something, but it was just like, if I can go to USF and say that I’m going to USF, like, that’s a big soccer program. That’s like a, like, look at me, you know what I mean? That was like kind of like a chip on the shoulder, look at me moment. So for me, it was always just like a step-by-step thing. And then I can keep- you want to keep going with this?

Yeah, please. Yeah. Okay. So like, so the- so it was always just like a step-by-step thing, like, can I get to college? And then once I got to college, I was just like, Okay, like, I’m good here.

There was a guy that was already starting and then, you know, the competitive and the competitor in me starts taking over a little bit. And I’ll never forget, my coach called me in and he’s like, hey, we’re going to redshirt you your freshman year. And he’s like, that means you don’t play, but you get another year of eligibility. So at the time it was like, okay, this is great because I can go get my master’s still on soccer’s dime. I could do a fifth year, I get my degree, I get my master’s, I could do all these different things with my fifth year of eligibility.

That you can’t do normally. So I was all about it. Cool. Yeah, like a week later, the starting goalie got hurt, and then I had to play in a game. And then so I lost my redshirt immediately, like 2 weeks after we had this conversation.

But I played, and I played well, and I got to play another game. And then at the end of the season, you know, the conversation with the coach was like, hey, like, like, I could play. Like, I want to be the starter. I think I could play. Like, if this isn’t the conversation, then we might need to shift it to transferring.

We might need to like have a different idea of- because like now that I’ve seen that I can play at this level, the competitor in me was like, I want to be playing. So like, so then, you know, my sophomore year, you know, the coach convinced me to stay and he’s just like, the best guy is going to get the job. So I was just like, okay, like, let’s go. And then eventually in my sophomore year, I ended up winning the job and we won the Big East tournament that year. Like, I had a really good year.

We won the Big East tournament. Which was a huge thing for USF at the time. We made the Elite Eight, and then I started kind of getting on people’s radars a little bit. But my goal was never to play pro. Oh, really?

Never. Like, I’m still sitting here thinking like, okay, cool. Like, it would be really cool if I could put together an awesome career at USF and then go on with my life. And what were you studying at the time? I was in advertising and marketing, which is kind of like- I kind of ended up there.

Oh yeah, in a roundabout way. Paid off. But then, but then it was my junior year that, you know, I played my junior year and then the team didn’t have as much success. I think we got knocked out in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but I was named an All-American. I was named First Team All-American, which like, I didn’t see that coming.

I didn’t expect it. I- that like completely caught me off guard. And then after I got named First Team All-American, the conversation shifted from, hey, like, let’s get you out, like, let’s get you the degree that you really want and get you out of here to get you on your next life, was to the next phone call was, hey, let’s get you into a major that we can get you out of here in 3.5 years because you’re going to get drafted by Major League Soccer. Wow. So I never, like, I never even thought about it.

It wasn’t on my radar. I didn’t grow up thinking like, I need to be a pro, I want to be a pro. It was never on my radar until after my junior year of college. So then, so then it, then my mind shifted and it was just like, okay, cool. Like I went and got my communications degree because it was the fastest degree that I could get and get out of college when the draft happened.

And then Yeah, it wasn’t like- that’s just kind of how it, how it went down for me. That’s so cool. Wow. It’s interesting because I would imagine a lot of people are like, I want to go pro nowadays, especially everyone you talk to. Like, I coach kids, I talk to kids, like anyone that will- anyone that will listen to me, I’ll talk to them about my experiences because I think it’s important.

All these kids want to go pro. It’s like the parents’ goal, it’s the kids’ goal. And for me, I’m like, this is not If so, if you don’t make it pro, which is a very small percentage of people in the world, yeah, is it a failure? Like, right, what’s the mindset here, you know? So that’s a, that’s a focus and a shift that’s happened in youth sports that I don’t agree with.

Like, that could be a whole different other podcast. But yeah, everybody wants to go pro nowadays, so it’s, it’s an interesting one. Well, I think that it’s a slippery slope to setting your- because not everybody can go pro. And, but it’s good to, it’s good to aspire to big things, but also to, to recognize that, you know, that, that’s, there are different paths. And I think, I think your authenticity of like, you thought soccer was fun, you had fun, you wanted to be with your friends, you were passionate about it.

Those kind of things I think made you better, you know, in a way, because you weren’t such a fixed mindset. You were actually probably a more dynamic player. Like, you know, people think of like on the field, that’s the only reason why you’re drafted. But there’s other- because if you were not a nice person or a team player and people didn’t like to be around you, that would get out and you probably would not be drafted. I’m sure there are exceptions, but overall there’s more to it than literally on the field.

It- if I- I’ll get into my pro career as well. If I wanted to not retire from my injuries, like if I wanted to keep playing, just based off of being a good locker room person- I tell people this all the time- like, think about who you are in the locker room. Think about who you are with the coaches. Think about who you are with the general managers. I could have stayed in this league.

I could have stayed in Major League Soccer. I could still be in Major League Soccer right now as a backup goalie that’s a good locker room guy, and people would have kept me around just because good energy, good vibes, you know, good at dealing with people, good at my job, of course. But there’s something to be said about- and you see in work culture too, there’s something to be said about someone that can get along with people, that brings the right energy to the table, that doesn’t, doesn’t get in the way of things but like adds value. Yeah. And I tell people that all the time, especially when guys are talking about, you know, thinking about leaving, or like, you know, how long do they want to play, and all these things, like getting into the pro worlds, especially young players.

I’m like, be a good locker room person first. Like, be that first. Because if you’re a rookie that’s not getting playing time and you’re a pain to deal with, you’re the first person that’s out. But if you’re a good locker room guy and you’re working hard, like, they’re more likely to keep you around. Which, like, if you- you just gotta hang around until you get your chance.

Then if you take your chance, you take advantage of it or you don’t, right? But like, you want to do everything you can in your power to hang around. That’s like the number one goal. Yeah. Yeah.

All right. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back after this quick break.

Let’s face it, there are times a business absolutely needs a new website built from scratch, done the right way, and Neiman Creative can help with that. However, in some cases, you don’t need to rebuild. At Neiman Creative, we specialize in transforming existing websites with ongoing management, maintenance, SEO strategy, functionality enhancements, and performance upgrades that drive new traffic and engagement. Do you have an existing website that you’re looking to evolve and grow? Connect with us at info@namencreative.com or visit our website at namencreative.com to get started.

We’re back. Thanks for sticking with us. Now back to the conversation. So why, what was your reason? I know we’re bouncing around ’cause I do want to like dive into like what it’s like being a pro.

But, you know, you had mentioned that you could have probably stuck around, um, and been that locker room guy and backup. What, what was your reason to, to not go that route? You know, I, you know, I have a family, and we always knew that coming back here was going to be what happened. And, you know, we had two young kids at the time, and we saw the shifting dynamics of what was going on in Tampa, and it was kind of one of those things where it’s like let’s see how, how my contract plays out. You know, let’s see how it plays out.

Let’s see how things go. Like, if I, if I’m the starting goalie and we’re having tons of success and my career takes on a completely different second life, then the answer is very obvious, you know, like that we’re going to keep riding this wave until the wheels fall off. And then, you know, I got injured when we were trying to figure out that decision. And it was a season-long injury. It was like, oh wait, the wheels actually fell off.

So it was like, so it’s just kind of like, you know, it was one of those things where I was really enjoying playing. I was really happy to be playing. And I had found like some sense of peace that I probably didn’t have without- I found a sense of peace I didn’t have before, just knowing like, I’m okay if this ends and I’m okay if this keeps going. And it was kind of like, all right, well, let’s let fate figure out what’s going to happen. And then I got injured.

So just kind of like, oh, yeah, it’s probably a sign to- probably a sign to be okay with that in it and moving home, you know? Yeah. Yeah. That seems right. How did you get injured?

Like, what was the play? It was so unique. I mean, it was like I literally just kicked the ball, something I’d done a million times. Yeah, I went back, kicked the ball, and then the tendon that attaches your quad to your hip, mine just like popped. I think it like had enough wear and tear on it where it was just time for it to go and You know, once that happened, it really- at the time, it really like obviously was sad and it was one of those things that sticks with you and it’s like, man, like, that’s not how you want to go out, right?

I always want it to be epic. Yeah, of course. I always told myself, though, like, like, I’m either going to go out on my own terms or I’m going to go out on a stretcher. And I went out on a stretcher. So it’s okay.

So, like, you know, not the ideal way to do it, but that’s, that’s how it ended and that’s how it happened. So it is what it is. It was your body’s own terms. Yeah, my body was like, no m�s. Yeah.

And to be fair, like, I feel better now, but like, my body was very beat up, you know, I had different- I still have surgeries that I need to get. And boy, there are a lot of different things going on. So I think my body was literally like, I don’t think we should be doing this anymore. So I took that as a sign. Yeah.

When you push your body to that level, I mean, I think like you said, like your body had enough, like that one kick is like, all right, there’s the straw that broke the back. That’s something I’d done I mean, millions of times in my life. Yeah. And it’s just like, oh, okay, nope, your body’s not ready to do this anymore. It’s like, oh wow, that’s the thing that I thought it was built to do.

Yeah, it’s funny, I’m thinking about my, uh, one of my daughters. She’s been falling a lot lately. She’s almost 16 months and she’s just the sweetest girl, but like, and she’s like, she thinks she’s a tank and she climbs on everything, but like some of her falls, like I’m like, oh my God, that looked brutal, and she kind of like cries for like a split second, then she’s like and back up. And then some falls, like, it doesn’t look like anything, but those are actually the worst falls. And she gets up with a black eye or whatever.

I’m like, oh my God. Yeah, kids are, kids are tough to figure out with the injuries. Those ones are tough to figure out with the injuries. Yeah, you never really know. Yeah, you never know what’s gonna happen with those ones.

Yeah, yesterday I was at a swim class with her and just holding her, and then she opens her mouth and I’m like, her tongue is bleeding. I’m like, when did that happen? You just never know. But she’s like smiling. Yeah, you never know, man.

Yeah, kids are, kids are tough. Yeah, that’s funny. So you, you were in- in how long were you a pro for? So I was a pro for 12 years. So.

Okay, so that’s a good run. Yeah, it was a good run. It was a good run for sure. I’ll dive into that. So it was funny because this is how it all kind of ties into the Rowdies.

And this is why- this is why, like, for me, working for the Rowdies means so much. Like, it means a lot more to me than just a job. And like, I’m very passionate about the organization because they really helped me. Yeah. So out of, out of- and, and I’m making my career sound like very rosy, like there were a lot of struggles and there was a lot of like different things that, you know, were very taxing mentally and things like that.

So out of college, you know, expecting to get drafted pretty high, doesn’t happen. And then so I get drafted by Real Salt Lake, a team out in Utah, and I get out to there. I get out to their like preseason camp and very quickly it was very obvious that I wasn’t going to make the roster. They had 3 goalies there that were already established. One of the guys, the third string goalie, ended up being one of the best goalkeepers in MLS history later down the road.

Oh, the first string goalie, it was quite literally the best goalie in MLS history. And they had a backup that had been there for 8 years that everybody loved. So I show up and I’m like, what am I doing here? Like, you know, you- I was married at the time and it’s like you pack your- you pack your bags, you tell everyone you’re leaving, you get out there, and then like within the first week I’m like, this isn’t gonna work. This isn’t gonna work, you know?

Like, this- I’m not making this roster. So I give it 2 weeks of preseason, and then eventually I called- I talked to the goalie coach and was like, hey, like, the writing’s on the wall here. Can I- like, I’m assuming I’m not going to make this team. Can I get released from here? Or like, can I start looking for other teams and try to figure out somewhere that I can go?

He’s like, yeah. He’s like, you’re not gonna- you’re not gonna make the roster. He’s like, but we have your rights. So like, at the time, like, if you drafted a player, they still had professional control over you in Major League Soccer. Huh.

So like, in order for me to go somewhere else, they would have had to wheel and deal or something would have had to happen, which was fine. Like, to be honest, I wasn’t ready to play at that level, and I found that out pretty quickly. But my first phone call was to Tampa Rowdies because I said- because I had practiced with them in college. I knew the GM, Perry Vanderbeek, very well. You know, my old coach played for the Rowdies.

Like, everybody at the Rowdies knew who I was. So my first phone call was to the Rowdies, and I said, hey, like, it’s not going to work out here. Do you have a spot on your roster? Like, do you have a spot on your roster for me? Because I’m trying to figure out my next move.

And he was like, yeah, absolutely. So I signed a deal with the Rowdies, like, left Salt Lake, had a deal with the Rowdies signed within a week. Whoa. And then, you know, it’s, it’s second division, so it’s very different. Like, the money’s not near- like, the money is not even close, like, the, the- to what you would have had.

Yes. Like, the structure is not close, but for me it was perfect because it was home. I was home and it was like, I’m comfortable here. I can do this here. I can work other jobs here, which I did because I had to make money.

But it was like, you know, this is where I’m comfortable. And, and if it wasn’t for the Rowdies, I don’t know that I would have kept playing at a Division II somewhere else. Like, it had to be home or else I probably would have stopped playing and moved on with my life. So, you know, I do my 2 years with the Rowdies and, and I was fortunate that I say fortunate, but I feel bad for the other guy. But he got injured.

The starting goalie got injured. That’s just how it happens. But the starting goalie got injured in my first year, so I took over halfway through the season, played well. They gave me the starting job my second year, and then my second year was 2012. We won the championship.

We- I was goalie of the year. I was like best 11. We had an epic final at Owings Stadium. If anybody’s listening to this that was at the game in 2012, they know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re not, you should YouTube it.

It was crazy. And then so yeah, like we ended up winning that game and, and after that Salt Lake called me back up and they were just like, hey, like we’re ready to bring you back now because they still have my rights. They’re like, we’ll bring- we’re ready to bring you back in now as the backup and, and we’d love to have you here. So it’s just like, you had no choice. I didn’t have it.

I could have waited it out, but I was just excited to get the contract. Sure. I was like, man, like I didn’t get this 2 years ago. I did my thing and now I’m getting this contract. So I signed with Salt Lake.

Like, some stuff happened in between that I’ll- it’s not worth detailing because this could go on forever. But then I get to Salt Lake, and then, you know, we have a very good team. We have- I made some of my best friends on this team. It’s a bunch of established guys. Like, the team, the team my first year made the MLS Cup Final.

I was a backup for that. I was a backup on the bench for that. So it was just like a very well-established team that I got to find myself on. And then, you know, the starting goalie got called into the U.S. national team. The World Cup was the next year.

I started getting games. I started playing, people started saying like, oh wow, this Adinela guy is pretty good, like he’s probably like one of the best backups in the league. And then that kind of turned into my- that kind of turned into my reputation was every time I got to play, it was like, wow, he’s the best backup in the league, he’s the best backup in the league, like he could be starting anywhere else but Salt Lake. So then it was kind of one of those things where it’s like, you know, Salt Lake gives me another contract because they’re like, oh, we want to keep them. And I’m like, I want to go, like it’s time for me to go because I want to go compete because I’m playing against this guy.

And then eventually the GM, God bless him, Craig Weibel, he, he helped me get out when he probably shouldn’t have, but he helped me. He helped me get out of Salt Lake. And in a roundabout way, I ended up in Portland, which was like a dream. Portland, Portland Timber soccer to me is like the pinnacle. That’s like the fans are crazy.

The town loves it. It sells out every single game. They chant the entire 90 minutes. It’s like the pinnacle. So when I got signed by them, I was just like, this is it.

Like, this is like, this is where I’m supposed to be. This is meant to be. Won the position my first year there. We made MLS Cup Final my second year in 2018, which I was a starting goalie for, which was awesome. It was crazy.

We played in Atlanta, Atlanta-Benz Stadium in front of 70,000 people. Crazy. We lost 2-0. We didn’t have a chance. We didn’t have a chance in that environment.

But so, you know, I’m glancing over that, but that was like the career year, that was the peak. And then I just started getting injured and then it just from there, it just slowly, you know, starting goalie, backup goalie, third string goalie, backup goalie, first string goalie. Like, the injuries and the fluctuation just started happening and taking its toll. And I just never wanted to leave Portland. I just loved it.

I loved- I loved being a Portland Timber. I loved being on that team. Could I have left and probably bettered my career? Probably. But I don’t know, I just didn’t.

And then eventually, once that injury happened, that was just like, okay, cool, like, I’m good, time to time to call it and then move on home. Wow, what a journey. Would you say that 12 years- what’s the average of someone, you know, a pro? Low. Not, not 12?

No. So, so yeah, is it different for goalies though? Yeah, goalies are kind of like quarterbacks. Like, you get a little bit better with age, you get a little bit better with experience. Like, the younger guys are probably not the ones having the most success.

It’s those guys that are like in the 30s, and then, you know, if you’re able to stay healthy, the guys that are like 35, 36 are probably playing the best because they’ve seen everything. But, but you have to, you have to be really good to, to stay there. Sure. Do that. Yeah.

Wow. What a, what a neat, like, realm of life, you know? Like, not a lot of people, like music, some musicians might be able to say that they’ve played in front of 70,000 people, but even then, that’s like, those are A bands, A-level bands. Crazy. That’s a lot of eyes.

Yeah, it was crazy. I mean, You think about, you know, you think about all the events. I still laugh at it because I’m a big sports guy. So like, you know, you see like the SEC Championship Game or like the College National Championship Game or like, you know, anytime that anything’s going on in Atlanta-Benz Stadium, there’s- they host all the huge events. And like, there’s still times where I have to like pinch myself and be like, dude, you like- you played there.

Yeah, you did that in front of these people, in front of all these people. And then so it’s cool. Like, it’s a pinch yourself moment. I wish we would have won. That would have been cooler.

But yeah, it is what it is. Yeah. Yeah. You take what you get there and You only have so much control. Yeah, for sure.

It’s really neat though. I mean, and it’s really inspiring that you’re able to now- so you said you coach kids, you kind of bring that back, so you keep your career. It’s just a different form. Yeah, it’s been interesting. You know, it’s- I think with a lot of athletes or a lot of people that have done something for so long, you spend a lot of time trying to figure out what’s, what’s the right thing I should be doing, right?

Like, And I was, I was pretty active. I, you know, when I was playing, I actually, we actually, I wrote 5 children’s books and they’ve been published. So like, I did different things when I was playing that like kept me a little bit busy for my mind outside of, outside of sports. And, you know, like podcasting and things like that were stuff that I did when I was playing. So I always try to keep myself busy trying to figure out what my path was going to be when I was finished playing.

But until you actually hang them up and you’re staring at you know, no income coming from what you’ve been used to doing and like, you know, I still got to figure out these different things. You do a lot of different stuff to try to figure out what the right path is. And coaching kids, like, I like to do that on the side now and like, but you know, like you spend a little time thinking like, oh, is this something that I could do for a living? Like, is this something I want to do for my life? But, you know, for me it was one of those things where it’s like, ah, this is a cool side thing where I can help where I can.

But sure, there’s a lot of time figuring out your path and what you want to do that not a lot of people talk about, especially when you’re leaving pro sports. Yeah, I think that’s, I mean, I, I, it’s, I don’t mean to like bring music into it, but I think it’s the same. Oh, of course. You know, like bands and musicians have their rise and then they’re burnt out or for one reason or another they gotta check out or they caught a groove and now they’re not there. And so it’s like, what’s next?

Do they teach guitar lessons? What’s the next, like, ’cause you gotta, you gotta make the income, you gotta work, you gotta keep busy. So it’s like, what’s the next thing? Well, nowadays all the ’90s bands are, resurfacing, which is awesome. Yeah, it’s just cool to see that, which has been awesome.

Yeah, you know, hey, you got your energy. And I saw the Goo Goo Dolls- I saw the Goo Goo Dolls like 3 weeks ago. I got invited to this like really like awesome private fundraising thing. I forget his name, I forget the lead singer’s name, but it was just him and a guitar for like 2 hours. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

It was so cool. Oh yeah, those intimate like one-off shows are, are really neat, you know. I’ve played a couple where it’s like, this is- this isn’t my favorite show, but this is special. Like, there’s one house show that I played where it’s like, this is not my biggest show at all, but this is really fun. Yeah.

You’re being ground level with people. Yeah. Yeah. It’s just like, it’s just a lot of fun. And inevitably cops come.

Of course. Adds to the- adds to the show though, right? It’s just always, always the case. Yeah. So you- you’re- now with the Rowdies in a different capacity.

So I guess what, what brought you back to full circle as you were telling me, you know, what, what was that? Okay, I’m, I’m back, but in this context. So when I retired, I worked for a company called Smack Apparel, a t-shirt company called Smack Apparel, and I did similar stuff, branding, marketing, social media, like PR, all that stuff for this company. And while I was doing that, I was also doing broadcasting for soccer leagues on the side. Oh, cool.

So it was kind of like I’m doing the media branch here and Smack Apparel is like, it’s all about sports. I’m a sports guy, like, through and through. Clearly. Yeah. Like, that’s like- there was like sports, American football, hockey, baseball.

I mean, I’m sure if people are listening to this, I’m sure that they own a Smack Apparel shirt. If you have lived in this area for long enough. And I was doing broadcasting on the side and I used to- I kept meeting with- I kept meeting with the Rowdies being like, hey, like, I think we could do some different content ideas, some different fun content ideas, like not in full capacity, but like, I want to help you guys. Like, let’s get the word out. I want to do these things.

And I kept sitting down with the president. His name is Ryan Helfrich, great guy. And I kept meeting with him, meeting with him throughout the years. And it’s just like I’m coming back to games and, and eventually when I was ready to leave SMAC, I saw him at a game and I was like, Ryan, like, I’m like, I’m ready to like make this full time if there’s a spot. Like, I want to- like, I’m trying- I’m thinking about shifting careers.

Like, you know, I’d love to sit down and talk with you. And we talked, we talked, we talked, and, and eventually it turned into a role that, you know, that I’m, that I’m in now where it’s, you know, it’s adding more content value to the organization. It’s trying to get it out in the media in different forms. It’s using my connections. It’s, you know, it’s just a lot of different things to try to add value to the club and try to get it more well-known and like more popular amongst the community.

Because, you know, throughout the 4 years that I was retired, it was like, you know, I’m doing youth soccer stuff, I’m doing this broadcasting, I’m having multiple, multiple parents come up to me all the time as the soccer guy asking me what their kids should be doing about soccer. Oh boy. So I’m sitting there and I’m watching them like, this sport is growing so rapidly here. And there’s this organization that has been around for such a long time. There’s such a storied history of it.

It means so much to me. We gotta start, you know, I gotta do my part to start connecting these things and bringing them all together and, and trying to really find out how we can get this team out there in front of as many people as possible because it is such a good product. It is, it is soccer at a very high level and it’s the team in Tampa, you know what I mean? It’s a team in Tampa and St. Pete. This is your soccer team.

And I don’t think a lot of people are in tune with that, or at least not enough people for my liking. Yeah. So it’s, you know, it was one of those things where it’s like, I’m very passionate about it. And the stuff that I did with SMACK Apparel in terms of like branding and getting out there and media connections and things like that, and the career that I had in soccer, it all just kind of blends together into this, like, at least for me, in my opinion, this perfect mix of my previous life, my life post-playing, and trying to build something that I’m actually really passionate about. So that’s how it all kind of came together.

Luckily, Ryan, Ryan believed in that too. So shout out to Ryan. Yeah, shout out Ryan. Like, I’m fortunate that it all came together. And then on top of it too, like, with the timing of things, like, with the new ownership coming in, there’s new energy, there’s new juice, there’s new- you know, I knew the old owners as well and they were great people, but, you know, like, anytime you get new owners into a sports franchise, there’s new juice, there’s new energy, there’s new- you know, you could take things in a lot of different directions.

So it was just a combination of a lot of things that came together, and timing was perfect. And, and now it’s just like I love what I’m doing and I’m trying to spread it as best as I can. So cool. It’s how ideal. Yeah, it worked out.

Yeah, it really did. It’s like, it seems like now if you could kind of construct an idea, like your chosen profession, like this would be near it. It’s close. Yeah, for sure. What do you want to do when you wake up?

Yeah. Like, what would be ideal? It seems like you found a really good groove. It’s been, it’s been cool. And it’s, you know, more than anything, it’s the full circle nature of it.

Yeah. Because I think that this is the time where the Rowdies can really blow up, you know, I think that soccer is taking off. The World Cup’s coming this summer. There’s so many different opportunities for the organization and, and it’s, it’s just the timing of it seems very, very right. And then I get to do the color analyst work too, which I love.

Like, I love broadcasting the games and they brought me into the booth to do that as well. And I love that. So it’s, it’s the one thing I was doing as my side project, my main job, soccer, it all just kind of jumbled up together into the, into a nice little mix for me. That’s so cool. Was that because you put yourself out there and said like, I’d like to do that, or someone knew that you were doing that and then asked you?

Someone called me, you know, I had it. I had an agent because I was doing, you know, I was doing podcast stuff. I was doing different things for Smack and, you know, there are different influencers and stuff that wanted to work with me and things like that. And so I had an agent from this area who like, he works in that space, but he also does soccer broadcasting. He just called me and was like, hey, would you ever want to try this?

And I hadn’t given it any lick of thought. And I was like, yeah, I could try it. Went down there, I tried it once, liked it, thought it was okay. The guy gave me good feedback. He’s like, if you do this more often, like, you can make a job out of this.

And I was like, oh, that’s interesting. Never thought about that before, you know, because I like yapping. I love- you could tell I like yapping. I like talking on podcasts in this setting. But when you do the games, it’s a very different type of conversation.

It’s a very different type of talking. Sure. And, and then it just kind of like year after year, it just, it just kept stacking on top of it. And then, you know, when the Rowdies were like, are you tired of traveling doing this? Like, you could come do this for us.

I was like, Soul. Yeah, yeah, say less. Yeah, that sounds, that sounds more ideal than what I was doing. So, so again, like, just falling into it. But all that, all that time, you know, from like what you were studying in college and, you know, about stacking- bring it back, the stacking like we talked about initially.

That’s, that’s really has played out so, so transparently in your life. It’s, it’s really, you know, I’m really happy for you. I appreciate it. You know, we don’t know each other very well, but like I’m so happy to hear that. That’s just very cool.

And, you know, I look forward to like what, what we can do together, especially the other things I have going on. And I should- I feel like I should say, because of some of the connections, like one of our members, he has always has season Rowdies tickets, but sometimes he’ll hit me up and be like, me and my clients can’t go. Like, you want them? And I’m like, yeah, you know? And so I’ve brought my family, I brought a client or two, you know, and partners.

To some of these rowdy games. And my wife, who’s from Turkey, so, you know, football- yeah, appreciates it big over there. Yeah. And it’s just really fun. I brought my father-in-law who’s from there, you know, and there is a fun energy in that stadium.

I mean, sports in general just have a cool energy, but that, like, that location is beautiful. I don’t know, like, even for me, like, the colors are fun. But, you know, because I’m, I’m, I’m a hockey player, so I don’t know soccer like fully in and out, but it’s, it was like so fun and you’re really close to the action, at least those seats. And so it’s just really neat night. Like I recommend if anybody hasn’t been to a game, like just buy some tickets.

Also, I feel like that’s a really affordable experience compared to, compared to some other stuff going on in the series. Oh my goodness. For sure. For sure. Yeah.

Totally worth it for sure. No, that’s what I think, that that’s what, you know, like I said, like I’ve played in these big stadiums and that’s cool, it’s an experience for what it is, right? But when you’re talking about bringing your family or, or diving into a team and really like getting passionate behind a team, the stadium setting is so intimate. Yeah. And, and, you know, we make a point and the players make a point, and this year the team, like, I’ll talk about the team here in a little bit, but like, you know, the team is a bunch of awesome dudes like, we’re starting this podcast, so like, I’ve been very hesitant to like want to get to know them too well until I sit down with them and talk to them, you know?

Right. I think that there’s something about having real conversation where you really get to know somebody. Yeah. And as you know, as I’m sure- yeah, but, but, you know, like, every person I’ve talked to, and it’s like, it’s just a bunch of good people. And, you know, after games, it’s like, it’s a point to go sign autographs for people that are hanging around.

Like, players go sign autographs for kids that are waiting around after the games. Like, where do you get that? Yeah, it says a lot. You could be right on top of the action, and if your kids want to run around, like, there’s a place for them to run around. And, you know, the- it’s just, it’s just a very unique pro sports experience that, that I think people need to really value and appreciate because it is the game being played at a really high level, but it almost feels like you’re part of it, like you’re really like a part of it.

And then especially when you talk about, you know, 7,000 or so seats at LA Stadium, the more people that are in there, if you’re a fan, if like you can actually impact the game. Sure. You’re in a big crowd and like you’re playing in front of all these people, like, yeah, it’s loud. Like, of course it’s loud. There’s a lot of people there and like it’s going to be that way.

But when you’re talking about an intimate setting like this, it’s like the more people that show up and the more people that get behind it and the more people that are really like cheering and into it, you actually have an impact on what’s going on in the field, which you can’t say that at a lot of places. So I think it’s a pretty, you know, if you haven’t been again, or if you have been like, it’s, it’s a unique thing that I think a lot of people should really be appreciating and, and valuing honestly, because it does add value to the community. Absolutely. Yeah. That’s, that’s enormous.

Like we’re all like, that’s an illustration of community, you know, that you don’t often think, and we haven’t talked about until this, that the, that the game is also affected by the people in the stands. Oh, you know, just like in music, 100%. The, the, the show is affected by the energy that you’re getting back. You know, people are like standing there straight and quiet versus like, yeah, or singing along. That is a different vibe.

And you feed, and everything’s energy, like literally, of course, you know, so like you literally feed off of that positive energy, that enthusiasm, the, the, the support, the players on the field feel it for sure. I’m, I’ve lived it. I know it. You know, there’s games where, you know, there’s games that I’ve played in where there’s no fans there. And you got one, one guy, you know, that’s very loud and just obnoxious.

And it’s just like he’s the only voice you hear. Yeah. And, you know, that’s annoying, but it doesn’t give you an advantage. Like, it doesn’t give the home team an advantage. That’s just like, oh, this person’s very annoying.

Sure. But then once you get to those stadiums and it’s like, like, that’s why, that’s why I heart Portland. Like, Portland was like, these people were singing the entire game. Like, you walked into the stadium when you walked into Portland, you as the away team, right, you get there a couple hours before the game. This- the fan section is already almost filled up, which is thousands of people.

They have songs that they’re singing at you the second you walk into the locker room getting off the bus. And then they drink- like, when you’re walking off the bus, there’s fans jingling their keys telling you to get ready to go home, like, take your keys and go home. So it’s like- and it’s just an energy that you feel immediately when you walk into the stadium. And, you know, my pipe dream is like, how can I turn- how can we turn this organization, the Rowdies, who has a huge following, who has a big fan base, who has a beautiful stadium, they have the support of the city into something like that. Yeah.

Because once you’re doing something like that, that’s something that’s going to span generations. It’s not like a momentary flash in the pan. This is like you’re born into it. So it’s like, in my opinion, it’s like, how do we start getting these people that are living here, there’s people moving in. You said you’re from Indiana.

There’s people that are moving in from all over the country. I understand everybody has their home teams, right? But your kids are being born here. Yep. Your kids are being born here.

What games are you gonna take ’em to? Right. What traditions are you gonna start building with your families? Which teams are you gonna support? And it’s like, if you like soccer and if you wanna watch soccer, the Rowdies are your team, period.

So let’s like start trending it in that direction and start building something that can, you know, your kids’ kids can be fans of. That’s my, if I could like, you know, foresee this happening 10 years from now and I’m stacking it by starting talking about it on this podcast, that’s like the layers of what y’all trying to build this to. Yeah, I know. It’s clear. I think your podcast with the players, I mean, I wonder how very few organizations, if any, are doing something like that, making people more accessible.

So like, that’s enormous because there’s that connection and they’re more invested. And there’s like this back and forth energy within this. And you also get to know the people behind it because that game is just a blip in the season and the story of these players and you, you know, and like what you’ve been through and what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve gone through. It’s like this is all such a vibrant story that plays out on the field in these 90 minutes. But we could take a lot throughout our lives and and support each other in all sorts of different ways.

So I just, I love your take on it. I think, I think that goal will come to fruition over time. It’s inevitable. It’ll take, it’ll take time for sure to build it, but you know, there’s a vision, you know, I think that that’s part of it. You know, I have a vision for what I think it can be.

And, and, and to be honest, like a lot of it is taking it from what I experienced because I’ve seen it. Yeah. You know, they, they play in a stadium that used to be a baseball stadium. Portland. Ah, really?

I’ve seen it. Like, I’ve, I’ve, like, I’ve lived it and I’ve seen it. So it’s like the vision is clear. Oh yeah. But it’s back to your point about the players, and it’s, and it’s, you know, it’s the same with musicians, it’s the same with anybody that’s on a big stage, right?

You see that person for what they do and you’re like, oh, you know, he’s a drummer, like, he’s very good at drums, like, kudos to that guy. But it’s like, what were the struggles that that person had to go through to get to the stage that they’re at? Like, who’s the human behind these soccer jerseys that you’re watching. And it’s like, oh, okay, he’s a good- he’s a good human. He’s a good family man.

He’s a good- that’s right. The other- right. Those are the people that you really want to fall in love with and support. Definitely. You know, so it’s like, how can we get the stories out?

You know, we’re doing the best that we can with it. So it’s like, how can we get these- how can we get our fans to get to know these players, who they are as humans, so that they support them as humans and they love them and they know that they’re going to give their all on the field no matter what. But like, win, lose, or draw, the fans still love them because you knew that this person gave maximum effort. You know that this is a good human. And it’s like, that’s what keeps people coming back, you know, with wins, losses, or draws.

Like, if you could support the humans behind the jerseys, that’s where you get- start building fans, like real fans. Sure. Yeah, they’re in it. What’s the podcast called? Tim Beiraud’s Podcast.

Easy as can be. Oh my gosh. Yeah, easy, easy. Can’t forget it. Didn’t want to overthink the name.

No, sometimes straightforward is the way to go. Yeah, I didn’t want to overthink it. Real quick before we end. Yeah, we’ve reached a moment called Rapid Fire. All right, let’s do it.

Sound effects and all. So just a few questions I ask them to all guests. So I like to see the similarities and the differences. So if you can keep it concise, great. If you need to expand it, all good.

You just have a hard time keeping concise. You know that already, I’m sure, but I’ll do my best. All right. So question number 1, I love this one. What’s your biggest source of inspiration?

Hmm. My kids. Yeah, my kids for sure. I’ve never been more inspired. Like, right when my first one popped out, I was like, yep, everything’s just changed.

Yeah, got to get it done. Yeah, no excuses anymore. Failure is not an option. No, no, no, no. Yeah.

So my kids for sure. Love it. How old are your kids? 9 and 6. So my daughter’s 9 and my son’s 6.

Oh, cool. Yeah, you have one of each. Yeah. Oh, neat. I’m happy for you there.

Thank you. Um, okay, good answer. That’s the right answer. 10 points. Nice.

Uh, so island time. You’re plopped on an island. You have one book to read that plops down from the sky. That’s your book that you just read continuously. What’s that book?

Greenlights. Matthew McConaughey. Love that book. Okay. Love that book.

That’s fairly new. That book changed my life. That, yeah, that book changed my perception on a lot of things. Cool. Okay, awesome.

Green lights. Matthew McConaughey. To be fair, I listened to it on audio, so like his voice probably played a big part in changing how I read it. So now anytime I go back and read it, it’s- I read it in his voice, which is like soothing, you know, the McConaughey voice. That book, that book caught me at the right time in life for when I read it.

Oh, perfect. That’s like- that’s been my- that’s been an inspiring book for me. It’s always good to find like that right thing at the right time, like, like whether it be music or a book or a film or show, it’s like, oh, that, that hit. Yeah, it got me, it got me at the right time for sure. And he- it’s always good to hear when, when the author reads their audiobook, especially like a voice like his.

Like, come on, you can’t- I stood no chance. Yeah, I stood no chance. All right, Same Island, you’re there, and now an album, a music album drops from the sky. What- On Repeat, what’s that? I mean, I’m a very- I’m a very in-the-moment music guy.

But I think I could listen to Mumford Sons live at Red Rocks. Mm-hmm. Okay. Nonstop. They’re great.

And it’s cool that you chose a live album. I love live albums. Yeah. More so than any- I love live albums. That’s my thing.

Because there’s a fidelity and a rawness to it, like a game. Oh yeah, I love it. And there’s like the- they improvise a little bit and then you hear like they lean into the crowd. It’s like, come on, Red Rocks. And it’s just like you hear the people.

I love live albums. Oh, cool. Oh yeah. Uh, neat, neat. I, I haven’t listened to Mumford Sons in a bit, so thanks for the reminder.

I mean, great. If you, 2 months from now, my answer to that might be different, but I’ve just been like, you know, you know when you get into like one of those modes where it’s just like, I’m gonna listen to this album now. Oh yeah. Yeah. I’m in one of those modes with that album.

There are lots of modes. Yeah. That’s why it’s a tough question cuz it’s like, well, how am I feeling on this island? Did I just lose everybody and now I’m alone or am I vacationing on this island? True.

Yeah. Kenny, I might go Kenny Chesney if I’m on a vacation, but it seemed like I was alone and just trying to get through my, get through my thoughts. It’s funny because the, the, uh, episode we dropped today with Dr. Hamad Shirazi, he’s a great dude, chiropractor from Atlanta, and he’s very holistic. And I asked him this question, he goes, probably like a tone, a frequency. Oh yeah, you just, you just broke open the whole game with that because it’s like, well, if it’s going to be on repeat, you know, I- if you choose an album, it’s a mood.

And I was like, true, good answer. Like one of the- find one of those anti- if I’m alone, maybe one of those anti-anxiety albums. Yeah, pure relaxation. Yeah, Kevin Hu. Yeah, that might be the winner then.

All right, last question. How do you define success? How do I define success? I mean, I think my answer, honestly, I think my answer even just like a year ago would be totally different, but I mean, is it bringing you joy? You know, like if something’s bringing you joy, that’s probably a success because there’s a lot of things in the world right now that don’t bring people joy that are in your face a lot.

Right. So if you’re doing something that brings you joy and, you know, you’re putting food on the table, then I think that that’s probably a success. Absolutely. Yeah. Great answer.

You’ve just won Rapid Fire. Congratulations. Yeah. I’m glad you got me this year because last year my answer might have been different. But no, I think bringing joy is a good one for that.

That’s great. You know, you’d be surprised. You maybe- nope, you wouldn’t probably be surprised. But that’s like happiness, joy, you know, sustained happiness. Those are, those are the most common regardless of the people who I have on here.

Yeah, it doesn’t matter. That’s why I like asking these questions. I think everyone’s striving for it, right? Like it’s a hard- there’s life. Life gets busy, man.

Like there’s- yeah, it’s hard to find. It’s- if you can find sustained happiness and joy, like that’s a good living. That’s a good way to be living. Yeah. And that’s what we all want.

You know, at the end of the day, we’re so alike. Yeah. And that’s what I like to, like, uncover with people, like, on and off the microphone. You know, it’s just like we enjoy many of the same things, but these differences just get in the way. Like, even sports differences.

It’s like, you guys both like soccer. Both teams love soccer. You’re just rooting for, you know, a different team, but 99% of your love is for the game and the sports and the energy. You know, it’s, uh, it’s that, that company I talked about, Smack Apparel, makes a living off of rivalries in sports. That’s so funny.

That’s a- yeah, that’s a sports rivalries is a very interesting dynamic. Oh sure. Yeah. Appreciation for the game is, is the ultimate thing that, you know, bonds people for sure. Definitely.

Well, I appreciate you. I appreciate, you know, like the high level that you brought to that sport. And you’re, you know, you’re able to like take it to, you know, imagine the different people who are listening to this this podcast. Just really neat how you’re able to continue that flame on and keep inspiring people. And it’s just been cool to get to know you, man.

I appreciate your time, man. I appreciate you having me on. It was fun to talk. It was good, good conversation, man. I appreciate it.