The Bear and the Ball

Bradley Mulvey is the founder and CEO of FirstStrikeSoccer.com. Since arriving in the USA from Glasgow, Scotland, Mulvey has reinvented 1-on-1 training. His methods have produced top-class youth, collegiate, and pro players.On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," host Nick Webster discusses Bradley's soccer journey, and the four pillars of creating players that represent the

Brazilian-born midfielder Marcelo Sarvas has had a fantastical journey within “the Beautiful Game,” beginning in his hometown of Sao Paulo, playing for the legendary Corinthians. From there, stops on teams in Sweden, Poland, and Costa Rica eventually led him to the United States, where he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in David Beckham’s final year with the team.In his first o

Get on the Bus's mission is to make soccer accessible by giving as many kids as possible the opportunity to participate in GOTB so that they can use what they learn on and off the field to become positive contributors to their communities.Tim Ryerson is the creator and executive director of one of the truly great programs that enable kids to play "The Beautiful Game". In today's ep

Former USMNT player Maurice Edu is one of the most outstanding players of his generation. A product of Cal South and our Olympic Development Program, his journey to the professional ranks is truly inspirational.In this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Maurice talks about the steps, the adversity, and ultimately the triumph of realizing his dream of becoming an international an

Filmmaker, producer, director, and lover of "the Beautiful Game," George Valencia has been making a difference for decades providing opportunities for kids that didn't previously exist. As the founder of the Sound of Gol Foundation, George has created the animated character, La Golda, that has opened up conversations in areas that were once untouched.Now he embarks on his most ambi

Juan Guzman Jr. is one of the most respected referee educators in the country. His Referee Education program with Cal South is considered by many to be the best. In this episode, we talk about how and why to become a referee, and we also delve into the new Cal South program designed around RESPECT for officials as incidents of referee abuse continue to grow. (We can't forget VAR ei

"The Bear and the Ball" is back from its summer hiatus to begin Season 4 with more stories, features, and opinions on "the beautiful game" from Southern California to the world. In this episode, Michael Chin, the new Technical Director of Cal South, talks about his predecessor, the legendary Steve Hoffman, and how Hoffy helped develop Chin into the coach he is today. We also talk a

Our podcast, "The Bear & the Ball," is hitting the road this summer taking in the magic of the UEFA European Championships. Henry Winter is one of the most esteemed soccer writers in the world and his insights into the game are second-to-none. Our host Nick Webster sat down with Henry outside the media hub in Gelsenkirchen prior to England taking on Serbia.

Buford Mobley is your typical soccer dad. He didn't know too much about the game but he knew his son loved soccer and so he jumped in with both feet.The journey he and his son went on was fascinating and involved many lessons, good and bad, that he now shares on his monthly magazine, "The Soccer Parent Lifestyle".On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," learn from Buford as he

Imagine watching Ronaldinho versus Kaka and you're only a few feet away from these two legends of the game. This is the dream which is now a reality thanks to the visionary mind of Yuri Moreira.On this episode of "The Bear & the Ball," Yuri talks to host Nick Webster about the dramatic growth of the game and how the next decade may look.