Hey, it’s Neil Crawford, founder of Anytime Soccer Training and your host of The Inside Scoop. Normally, this show is all about exploring the soccer pathways available to kids around the world. But today’s a little different—it’s a check-in episode.

I’ve been quiet lately because I took on a new role: assistant high school coach and head JV coach. For someone who didn’t grow up playing the game, this feels like the full circle moment of my soccer journey—from learning through my own kids, to building Anytime Soccer Training, to now coaching a group of young men every day.

In this episode, I share my first impressions of high school soccer—the challenges, the surprises, and the lessons I’m learning on the fly. From setting standards and building trust, to dealing with skill gaps and limited prep time, I’ll take you behind the scenes of what this first season has been like.

This is just the beginning. I’ll be inviting other high school and JV coaches on the show to trade notes, share tips, and keep learning together.

So if you’re a coach, a parent, or just curious about what high school soccer really looks like from the sidelines—this one’s for you.