In this episode of the MSC Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Natalie Henderson, Assistant Coach with the Canada Women’s National Team and former England and Newcastle United coach.
Natalie's coach support work is below:
padlockpad.com/nh-coach-support
Together, they explore one of the most important — and often overlooked — challenges in modern football: how to stay authentic in a world full of information, judgment, and noise.
Natalie opens up about:
The growing pressure on coaches to “know everything”
Finding balance between curiosity and confidence
Leading experts across sports science, medicine, and analysis
Creating authentic environments where players and staff can be themselves
Protecting time for football amid meetings and distractions
The “167 Rule” and why every coach plays a role in player psychology
Building trust through genuine mentorship rather than tick-box programs
From imposter syndrome to leadership, from player development to coach well-being, Natalie’s honesty shines through every topic. This is a must-listen for anyone trying to balance clarity, vulnerability, and growth in their coaching journey.
All content for Modern Soccer Coach Podcast is the property of Gary Curneen and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this episode of the MSC Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Natalie Henderson, Assistant Coach with the Canada Women’s National Team and former England and Newcastle United coach.
Natalie's coach support work is below:
padlockpad.com/nh-coach-support
Together, they explore one of the most important — and often overlooked — challenges in modern football: how to stay authentic in a world full of information, judgment, and noise.
Natalie opens up about:
The growing pressure on coaches to “know everything”
Finding balance between curiosity and confidence
Leading experts across sports science, medicine, and analysis
Creating authentic environments where players and staff can be themselves
Protecting time for football amid meetings and distractions
The “167 Rule” and why every coach plays a role in player psychology
Building trust through genuine mentorship rather than tick-box programs
From imposter syndrome to leadership, from player development to coach well-being, Natalie’s honesty shines through every topic. This is a must-listen for anyone trying to balance clarity, vulnerability, and growth in their coaching journey.
How Good Is U.S. Player Development? A Tactical Breakdown with Alessandro Davite (Roma & Inter Milan)
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast
18 minutes 42 seconds
1 week ago
How Good Is U.S. Player Development? A Tactical Breakdown with Alessandro Davite (Roma & Inter Milan)
Read Alessandro's article FREE below:
https://www.modernsoccercoach.com/post/inside-the-tactical-evolution-of-usa-s-u20-world-cup-team
Following the USA U20 team’s impressive showing at the FIFA U20 World Cup, Gary Curneen sits down with Alessandro Davite — a UEFA A Licensed Coach and Tactical Analyst who has worked with AS Roma, Inter Milan, and Sora — to take an objective, global look at how far U.S. player development has come.
Alessandro recently wrote a full tactical report on Marko Mitrović’s U20 side for Modern Soccer Coach, analyzing the team’s build-up play, attacking structures, and use of “artificial transitions.” In this conversation, he expands on those ideas and discusses what makes the next generation of American players unique.
⚽ Discussion Highlights
Why the USA U20 team displayed modern attacking dynamics and adaptability
How the concept of “artificial transitions” creates a more fluid attacking model
The balance between positional structure and player connections
What European coaches really think about American players
How the U.S. can continue to evolve tactically ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Modern Soccer Coach Podcast
In this episode of the MSC Podcast, Gary Curneen is joined by Natalie Henderson, Assistant Coach with the Canada Women’s National Team and former England and Newcastle United coach.
Natalie's coach support work is below:
padlockpad.com/nh-coach-support
Together, they explore one of the most important — and often overlooked — challenges in modern football: how to stay authentic in a world full of information, judgment, and noise.
Natalie opens up about:
The growing pressure on coaches to “know everything”
Finding balance between curiosity and confidence
Leading experts across sports science, medicine, and analysis
Creating authentic environments where players and staff can be themselves
Protecting time for football amid meetings and distractions
The “167 Rule” and why every coach plays a role in player psychology
Building trust through genuine mentorship rather than tick-box programs
From imposter syndrome to leadership, from player development to coach well-being, Natalie’s honesty shines through every topic. This is a must-listen for anyone trying to balance clarity, vulnerability, and growth in their coaching journey.
