My Coaching Journey: United Soccer Coaches Podcast Interview

Conversation starts at 55:44.

Transcript

*This transcript has been edited for readability.

Dean Link

Another impressive young man, Kyle Smith, is part of this current class. Smith works with the Houston Dynamo Academy and he also works in digital marketing with BrandExtract. We learn about that as well. Kyle, thanks for being on the program.

Kyle

Yeah, really excited to be part of this. Thanks for having me.

Dean

Let's start off by learning your journey. I know that you went to Notre Dame. You didn't play at Notre Dame, but you went there and admired Bobby Clark, which, who doesn't love Bobby Clark? But talk about where you grew up. Did you play soccer? What led you to Notre Dame and what led you to get the coaching bug?

Kyle

Yeah, born and raised in Rochester, New York. So the western part of the state. And I'm one of six kids and we all at some point grew up playing soccer.

My parents never really had that in their backgrounds, but we all gravitated towards soccer. So kicked around a ball since I was really, really young, but my sport was actually baseball for the longest time. And it wasn't until high school that I switched over to soccer. I played for McQuaid Jesuit, my high school in Rochester. And yeah, I loved being around the game and then ultimately ended up going to Notre Dame and had a great experience there playing club soccer. And while there, as an undergrad and then in graduate school, I started to think about more getting into the coaching side of things. So I think it was turning back the clock, the summer of 2013, I did my E License course back home in New York. And that's really what led me down this path to coaching. And then 2014 got involved with the Women's Club Soccer Team at the University of Notre Dame and also Junior Irish Soccer Club, which is a local club in South Bend, Indiana, where I got the opportunity to work with Greg Dalby, who was an assistant at the time at the University of Notre Dame, and also an alum.

And he played pro in the MLS for a while and working with him was like, the light bulb just went off that I loved being around the game in this capacity and learning from him and seeing how much he was devoted to developing the whole person. And his coaching methodology was definitely influenced by Bobby Clark. And I got to watch some of Notre Dame's training sessions and the way that they built a culture focused around development technically, and then as individuals on the character side of things that made me fall in love with the coaching aspect of soccer.

Dean

And what a great way to fall in love with it, it just proves that you don't have to be an elite level Division I or pro that want to be a coach. Speaking of inspiration, what was your inspiration to want to be a part of this 30 Under 30 class?

Kyle

Ever since I started to take coaching more seriously, I pursued coaching courses through U.S. Soccer and then also through NSCAA, now United Soccer Coaches, and had a great experience with a course here in Houston, one of the Advanced National courses. And just getting involved more with organization on the course level and then the community level meeting some great coaches through the network, even the magazine and online updates and just things that were helping me develop as a coach that I could really plug into and turn to with questions and just as an outlet to better myself and in turn, better serve the players I was coaching.

I heard about the program a few years ago and didn't really think about applying until last year. I loved how the emphasis was on a lot of different development areas as a coach. It's an opportunity to go to the convention, to meet other coaches who are doing amazing things on a national level who are young and continuing to develop as well. And just the emphasis on how you can take coaching and leverage that will serve your local community. I think that was one of the questions in the application process. And being part of the Houston soccer community is something I'm really passionate about. I'm a transplant here. I've been here about six years, but have been fortunate to be involved with the Dynamo Academy and seeing everything that's going on with the soccer culture here on a local level, Paul Holocher, and with the coaches and the team at the Dynamo Academy and the Dynamo as an organization are doing to bring soccer across the Houston area. And it's just a huge Metro area is really, really exciting. So I wanted to get plugged into whatever I could to make a difference here.

Dean

Paul Holocher, I called his game when he took on UC Santa Barbara at his former university in California. Love that. He's now about that with the Dynamo. Well done you. So what drew you to Houston? And then talk about this balance because it sounds like you got a pretty exciting full-time job outside of coaching.

Kyle

So Houston, I originally came for work. I got a job right out of graduate school on the north side of Houston. And then about a year and a half ago made a little bit of a career change. So now I'm working for a company called BrandExtract, a branding agency here in Houston. I love being a part of that team and love what I do get to do on the marketing side of things full time by day, I guess. But in the evenings and on the weekends, a lot of that time is devoted to soccer. I think it was back in 2017 where I got plugged into the Dynamo Academy I had met coach Justin Neese – it was actually one of the NSCAA coaching courses. I loved talking to him and learning from him. And eventually got brought on the team as, as an assistant with the first of all, it was the U13s.

And last year  I transitioned to assisting with the U12s. So it is tricky at times, balancing full time job with obligations as well with the Dynamo Academy. But it's just so much fun for me to be around the boys and the culture that Paul and the other coaches have built. This culture of development, where again, it's very similar things that made me fall in love with coaching with Greg Dalby and watching Bobby Park operate. This culture of development where it technical excellence on the pitch, helping individuals develop mentally and those mental skills, but then character as well. And that's so, so important to me and I love helping individuals kind of pursue and fulfill their potential. That's really, really important to me. Kind of cultivating that growth mindset and others

Dean

Quick side volley, because I think they're under the same umbrella, but you can clarify me if I'm wrong, but the Houston Dash just won the NWSL Challenge Cup, which is great for that program. Even though you're on the Dynamo side, did you get pretty fired up about them winning?

Kyle

It's just incredible. I had so much fun watching that team and everything that they did under these circumstances. And I do think there's a little bit of...here in Houston...again, I'm really proud to be a part of the time organization and to be a part of the city and its culture. And I think that is more than ever reflected in our sports teams on, on the pitch and the Dash and having kind of grit, determination that a little bit more open style of play that James Clarkson's brought. He's done an incredible job. He actually was the Academy director for quite a while as well, but he's transitioned to that head coaching role in the NWSL and just is doing a fantastic job. But the ladies did amazing and it's awesome that they brought that back to the city. And I think it's just a great building point for both the Dash organization and the Dynamo to continue to grow and compete at these really high levels. Tab Ramos has just come in for the first team and the Dynamo, just a lot of positive energy that is going on in the soccer culture here in Houston.

Dean

So help me out, you said you're one of six, your family from Rochester. I'm wondering if mom and dad are still there. Sounds like New York's starting to get this COVID thing under control. I do kind of sense in Texas, it's still a little bit of a wild, wild West. How safe are you and how often does your family check in, on you with this pandemic going on?

Kyle

Yeah, family's still back up in Rochester. A lot of them, although we're pretty scattered now – Baltimore to Indianapolis, to Houston, and then a few back home as well. But all the time I'm checking in on them. And thankfully everyone's been fine through all of this and here in Houston, I think things have started to get back under control, which is exciting because there's talk now of introducing protocol to safely return to play on the Academy side of things. And then I know MLS just this weekend announced that they're returning to play. And I think the Dynamo's first home game is August 21st. So there's some positive momentum on a national level to kind of wrangled this pandemic and get back to normal as much as possible. On the Academy side of things, I think it's just so important for the boys to safely and the Academy has done a really good job, developing a protocol to return, to play in a safe manner.
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But so then to get back to the pitch and see teammates and interact and engage have that, that social aspect, because the past four months it's been amazing to watch them take ownership of their own development. They have done an incredible job. I want to give them a shout out because individually they've taken what coach Tanner Chassman – there's actually a coach in the Dynamo Academy who's a skills coach and that's his focus is working on the technical side of things. And he's done an amazing job, developing a program to help these boys and give them exercises and, and things to focus on while at home. And they've just committed to executing on those day after day. And it's been awesome to watch that.

Dean

Tying it all back together, it was just announced that United Soccer Coaches convention will go virtual January 11-15. I'm guessing you were in Baltimore. And part of that awards banquet on that Friday night and enjoying every part of being live and with 10,000 of your closest friends in the coaching world, obviously safety first. So we'll go virtual. I'm hoping you had a good enough time in Baltimore that even though it's virtual, you'll want to participate in the convention.

Kyle

I totally understand that move. And I'm looking forward to tuning in because in so many ways the convention experience, that was my first experience in Baltimore going to the convention. And just the opportunity to reconnect with old friends in the coaching world who live different places now, but that's kind of a central meeting point. And meeting new faces in the 30 Under 30 Program. And then new coaches who sometimes you just say hello, or you're at a presentation and there's this mutual connection and a lot of awesome things to come out of that. And the mentorship as well, got the opportunity to meet Bo who has been a part of this past year in the program and really grateful for that as well. So again, I just loved the experience and anytime I can replicate that in years to come, I'd love to be a part of it.

Dean

As we look at you and your resume, and the fact that you're doing both, what does United Soccer Coaches mean to you? And then with that, do you think there'll ever be a day where you're only doing coaching or do you like that balance?

Kyle

It's a question I definitely wrestle with sometimes. And I remember the first time Bo and chatted, we talked about that. Because for a long time, he was in the legal world and coaching as well. And you do have a love and enjoyment for both things. I do love being a part of the soccer culture and the coaching culture. To me is it's helping others and it's helping their development because I love seeing people fulfill their potential or being part of that journey. So right now actually I'm involved in a lot of the media side of things, even with my full-time job. And then in past year, a little bit more with the Dynamo Academy and might be helping out a little bit more on that front going forward, which I'm excited about just telling the Dynamo Academy story and what the boys are doing and what the coaching staff are doing and what the organization as a whole is doing in Houston to bring the game to families throughout the area.
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There's a lot of awesome initiatives going on. One that comes to mind is the Soccer Starts at Home program. Tom Byer is an expert in that program and he's partnered with the Dynamo. So, you know, Paul and Tom are going to a lot of local schools throughout the Houston Metro area and introducing that concept to families and their children. I just think the future's really bright for Houston and soccer. So I want to continue to be a part of it in any way that I can.

Dean

Kyle Smith, another great member of the 30 Under 30 class. Thanks for being on the United Soccer Coaches Podcast presented by TeamSnap.