{"id":104188,"date":"2025-04-01T09:33:34","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T09:33:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/?p=104188"},"modified":"2025-04-01T09:33:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T09:33:34","slug":"ep-5-navigating-college-soccer-beyond-with-coach-john-velasco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/?p=104188","title":{"rendered":"Ep 5: Navigating College Soccer &#038; Beyond with Coach John Velasco"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\"  width=\"580\" height=\"385\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AIqOywxLFfA?rel=0&#038;modestbranding=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\n<br \/>In this episode of The Soccer Ladder, we sit down with John Velasco, Assistant Men\u2019s Soccer Coach at Temple University, to explore the journey from youth soccer to college \u2014 and even the pro level. From growing up in Plainfield to coaching at every level of the game, John&#8217;s insight is invaluable for players and parents alike navigating the modern soccer landscape.<\/p>\n<p>We talk about: <\/p>\n<p>John\u2019s journey as a player and how an early injury changed his path<br \/>\nThe evolution of U.S. Soccer and the opportunities in today\u2019s academy system<br \/>\nHow the college recruiting process really works (and what coaches are looking for)<br \/>\nThe traits every D1 athlete needs: time management, coachability, and mental resilience<br \/>\nWhy development isn\u2019t linear \u2014 and how to thrive through setbacks<br \/>\nThe truth about highlight reels, TikTok, and getting noticed<br \/>\nWhy your GPA can be a game-changer when it comes to scholarships<br \/>\nThe role of mentorship, holistic development, and being more than just a player<br \/>\nWhether you\u2019re a parent trying to support your child\u2019s dream, or a young athlete chasing the next level, this episode is packed with the kind of advice you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfa7 The Soccer Ladder is available now on Apple, Spotify, and everywhere you listen to podcasts.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcf2 Follow us here: <\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd39 John Velasco: @johnsebastian__<br \/>\n\ud83d\udd39 Temple Men&#8217;s Soccer: https:\/\/owlsports.com\/sports\/mens-soccer\/roster\/coaches\/john-velasco\/5182<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd39 Megan linke : \u2060@liandmeinnyc\u2060<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udd39Liam: \u2060@Liamlinke93\u2060<\/p>\n<p>#TheSoccerLadder #YouthSoccer #CollegeRecruiting #SoccerPodcast #JohnVelasco #TempleUniversity #D1Soccer #SoccerParents #SoccerJourney #AthleteMindset<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AIqOywxLFfA\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this episode of The Soccer Ladder, we sit down with John Velasco, Assistant Men\u2019s Soccer Coach at Temple University, to explore the journey from youth soccer to college \u2014&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6110,"featured_media":104189,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[258],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer-how-to-practices"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=104188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/104189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=104188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=104188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playinsoccer.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=104188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}