Winning Is Part of Development with Juan Santamaria

Winning is part of development. Juan Santamaria, Sporting Director and Vice President at Cedar Stars Academy, joins Chasing the Game to talk about competition, mentality, playing time, college recruiting, MLS academies, and what parents misunderstand about the pathway.This episode gets into the uncomfortable parts of serious youth soccer: losing players to MLS academies, helping families through the college process, the cost of showcases, why players need to drive their own recruiting, and when parents have to step back.Juan also gives a clear answer on what a player needs by age 13, what parents should stop chasing, what they should ask clubs, and the warning sign that a player may be in the wrong environment.More from Chasing the Game:Chasing the Game - Youth Soccer in Americachasingthegame.us(00:00) - Winning Is Allowed (01:45) - Meet Juan Santamaria (05:52) - Losing Players to MLS Academies (11:06) - What a Sporting Director Actually Does (18:09) - Can Cedar Stars Keep Top Players? (24:11) - “You Have to Be a Monster” (29:03) - The College Recruiting Reality (35:00) - MLS, Europe, and the Pro Path (39:00) - The Cost of the Pathway (46:00) - When Parents Need to Step Back (49:00) - Winning Is Part of Development (51:40) - Quick Fire: Resilience, Pathway, Complacency Click here to view the episode transcript.