Inside College Soccer

On this episode of the Inside College Soccer Podcast, Don Williams sits down with Tony Mohammed - player development expert and Impact Soccer - to talk about his years helping players develop through Black Rock FC, his new role with Impact Soccer and how Artificial Intelligence is beginning to change the way soccer players, coaches and scouts evaluate the game. Tony brings extensive experience in player development, recruiting, college soccer and the academy environment. The conversation covers his work at Black Rock FC, the challenges players face finding the right pathway and what it takes to reach college and professional level. Then the conversation moves into AI. How can computer vision and machine learning analyse match footage in ways the human eye cannot? How can AI help coaches evaluate individual players, analyse teams and systems, identify tactical trends and understand what is happening both on and off the ball? And how can all of this actually help players improve? Impact Soccer uses computer vision, machine learning and AI to analyse match footage and provide player and team performance information at a level of detail that would be time-consuming or impossible through traditional video analysis alone. But this episode has a very direct connection to the SRUSA community. Sports Recruiting USA has partnered with Impact Soccer to incorporate AI and computer-vision-driven analytics into the scouting and player evaluation process - giving SRUSA another layer of objective information when evaluating players and helping them find the right college soccer fit. This does not mean AI replaces the human evaluator. It means technology can give those people more information to work with. For players and parents, this raises an important question: as soccer becomes more data-driven, what information will coaches and scouts be using to evaluate players in the future? Tony and Don explore exactly that. Learn more about Impact Soccer: https://www.impactsoccer.ai/ Learn more about Sports Recruiting USA: https://www.sportsrecruitingusa.com/ Tony Mohammed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymohammed Instagram: @impactsoccer.ai TikTok: @impact.soccer.media Presented by SRUSA - the world's leading college soccer placement agency. www.srusasoccer.com Presented by SRUSA - the world's leading college soccer placement agency (www.srusasoccer.com)

On this episode of Inside College Soccer, Don Williams sits down with former University of Wisconsin star and professional soccer player Chris Mueller for a powerful conversation about perseverance, confidence and what it really takes to believe in yourself when things are not going the way you hoped. Chris made 75 appearances and scored 22 goals for the Wisconsin Badgers between 2014 and 2017 - but his first two years were far from straightforward. Rather than walking away, he stuck with it. By his senior season he had become one of the most productive players in college soccer history, finishing the 2017 season with 20 assists - setting the NCAA single-season assists record that still stands today. The conversation then moves into his professional career - 200 appearances across Orlando City, Hibernian in Scotland and the Chicago Fire, as well as two caps and two goals for the United States Men's National Team. Chris talks openly about his lowest moments playing at Hibernian in Scotland, what those experiences taught him, and what it took to come back and put together a stellar run back in American soccer with the Chicago Fire. A major theme throughout is confidence - where it comes from, how athletes can develop it and what happens when performance and belief fall apart at the same time. Chris is also the author of Bet Yourself: Unshakeable Confidence for When It Matters Most, and shares lessons from the book throughout the conversation. This episode goes well beyond soccer. Chris's story is a reminder that development is not always linear, that early struggles do not define your future, and that sometimes the decision to simply stick with it can change everything. Learn more: btbtheofficial.com Book: Bet Yourself: Unshakeable Confidence for When It Matters Most Instagram: @btbtheofficial | @cmueller1662 Presented by SRUSA - the world's leading college soccer placement agency. www.srusasoccer.com

On this episode of Inside College Soccer, Don Williams sits down with TJ Perez - Head Coach of Chapman University Women's Soccer - for a wide-ranging conversation about his journey from player to Division III head coach. TJ talks about his playing days at Cal State LA before making the decision to transfer to Sonoma State, where he played under legendary coach Marcus Ziemer, scored 10 goals across two seasons and was part of two NCAA Tournament appearances. That decision became a defining moment in his life - and immediately after finishing his playing career, TJ joined Ziemer's coaching staff and began building the coaching philosophy that would shape everything that followed. The conversation covers the profound influence Marcus Ziemer had on TJ as both a coach and a mentor, his five seasons at Minot State where he served as both assistant and head coach, compiled a 26-15-18 record and led the Beavers to the NSIC Tournament Championship Game twice - and his return to California to become the fifth head coach in Chapman University's Division III women's soccer history. One of the most compelling parts of the conversation is TJ's perspective on the differences between Division II and Division III soccer - what makes the D3 model unique, why he believes there is something particularly pure about the Division III experience and what it looks like to build a programme around the complete college experience rather than athletics alone. TJ also shares what he looks for in players, what makes someone a genuine fit for a Division III programme and why the relationship between academics and athletics sits at the heart of everything he does. A great episode for players, families and coaches interested in understanding the college soccer landscape from someone who has experienced it at multiple levels. Presented by SRUSA - the world's leading college soccer placement agency. www.srusasoccer.com

On this episode of Inside College Soccer, Don Williams sits down with Henrik Teisbaek - CEO and Co-Founder of VEO - for a fascinating conversation about the evolution of sports video, artificial intelligence and the future of performance analysis. Henrik takes us back to the beginning of VEO and explains how the company set out to make high-quality sports video and analysis more accessible to teams, coaches and players across youth, college and professional sports. The conversation covers how VEO has developed its AI-powered technology and how artificial intelligence is changing the way coaches and players capture, analyse and understand performance - turning raw game footage into meaningful data and actionable insights. Don and Henrik discuss how coaches can use performance data to identify trends, analyse team and individual performance and make better-informed coaching decisions. For players, the technology opens new opportunities to understand their own game more objectively and identify areas for development alongside traditional coaching methods. They also explore the potential impact of AI and video technology on player development, scouting and recruiting - and how these tools could fundamentally change the way players are evaluated at every level of the game, from grassroots to professional. Whether you are a coach looking to get more from your analysis, a player wanting to understand your performance data, or someone interested in where sports technology is headed, this is a conversation worth listening to. Presented by SRUSA - the world's leading college soccer placement agency. www.srusasoccer.com

On this episode of Inside College Soccer, Don Williams sits down with Ben Waldrum - Head Coach of Pitt Women's Soccer and son of coaching legend Randy Waldrum, who joined us on Episode 110. Ben shares his coaching journey from Notre Dame to FC Dallas to seven seasons as Pitt's associate head coach before being elevated to head coach in May 2025. He gives a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on what it was like holding down the fort at Pitt while his father was coaching the Nigerian Women's National Team at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The conversation covers what it takes to lead a Power Four program, the transition from associate head coach to head coach, and the expectations that come with running one of college soccer's most respected programmes. Don and Ben also tackle some of the biggest issues facing college soccer today - the 5-in-5 eligibility model, the proposed two-semester college soccer season, and what those changes could mean for coaches, players and recruiting at every level. Ben also shares his honest thoughts on youth player development in the United States and whether today's development environment is doing enough to prepare players for the demands of the college game. A fascinating conversation about coaching, family, leadership, player development and the future of college soccer - from someone who has grown up inside the game at the very highest level. Presented by SRUSA - the world's leading college soccer placement agency. www.srusasoccer.com