In Episode 84 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Dan Rutstein, President of Business Operations at Orange County SC of the USL Championship. In 2023, he was formally appointed President of Orange County SC after serving as interim club president, during which time the club set new records in ticket sales, sponsorship, and merchandise, and expanded charitable programming.

In this episode, Dan shares his fascinating journey - from sports journalist to diplomat to football club president, from the UK to Bermuda to Germany to California. He talks about key business principles of successfully running a professional soccer club in the second tier of American soccer, with a foundational focus on building community.

You will learn about why OCSC is so important - serving as the sole professional sports team for a county of 3 million people - and the values that Dan and his team act out in order to move the club forward. We compare and contrast a game day experience in the US vs the UK, why the club views their sponsors as reciprocal partners benefitting the community together, and how soccer, in particular, is a valuable tool for diplomacy and relationship building across cultures.

He also shares stories of schoolboy days playing soccer with a tennis ball, ghostwriting a newspaper column for one of the Caribbean’s best ever goalscorers, and why he is looking forward to speaking at SoccerEx Miami.

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/danrutstein/

https://x.com/orangecountysc

https://www.instagram.com/orangecountysoccer/

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In Episode 83 of the Because Football Podcast, we welcome Catalina Dunn, Marketing Manager at Soccer in the Streets. At Soccer in the Streets, Catalina plays a vital role in spreading awareness of the organization's mission to use soccer as a catalyst for positive change in underserved communities in the Atlanta region.

Catalina shares what she has learned in her more than six years of experience across diverse industries—including sports, technology, local government, and entertainment— and how her current role combines her passion for community impact with her expertise in digital marketing.

Perhaps most importantly, our conversation touches on the necessity of quality, engaging storytelling in order to sustain the organization. Despite all the amazing work SITS does, if there was no one to tell the story, they simply would not be able to grow to the level of impact they currently have.

We talk about the incredible example Soccer in the Streets sets for non-profit social organizations using soccer as a vehicle for social change, including their Station Soccer project that places mini soccer fields at public transit stations around the city, increasing access to both programming and transportation.

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In Episode 82 of the Because Football Podcast, we welcome Nicholas De-Long, Head of Academy for North Somerset Sports Foundation, a full-time 16-19 football education programme, in addition to his role as Head of Football for North Somerset Regional Talent Centre, which serves - 1100 boys and girls from ages 7-16. Nicholas has had an adventurous career, spending decades as a physical education instructor and coach in the UK Royal Air Force, to working on National Team staffs in Rwanda and India, to coaching in the academy at Southampton FC and Bristol Rovers.

He has led a life that would be at home on a cinema screen or in a lively novel, serving in Afghanistan with the British Armed Forces, to coaching India in front of 40,000 fans at the AFC Asian Cup. During our chat, Nicholas shares what he has learned along the way, his passion and enthusiasm shining with each sentence.

We talk about the keys to leadership, how to connect with teams in multi-cultural environments, and why his current role, steering aspiring footballers towards education, is so valuable to him. Nicholas also walks us through the realities of “trying to make it” as a young footballer in the UK, the ups and the downs which he has experienced as a player and coach.

This is one of the liveliest conversations we’ve had on the Because Football Podcast - and Nicholas names arguably our grittiest, fiercest ever All-Time 5-a-Side Team!

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-de-long-msc-5b671731/

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https://www.nsfootball.co.uk/

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In Episode 81 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Jonathan Todd, Director of Social Impact for Philadelphia World Cup 2026, the organization leading local efforts in the host city. Throughout his career, Jonathan has directed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments in multiple industries, in addition to time spent in non-profit and city government.

In this episode, Jonathan shares the Philadelphia World Cup 2026’s vision for short-term and long-term impact in the local soccer community. He also talks about the way that the Club World Cup served as an introduction to the game for thousands of Philadelphians and set a tone for all that the World Cup can be.

From watch parties with local community organizations, to implementation of soccer fields and capacity building through coach development, the organization is engaged in a variety of roles to ensure that the World Cup will be felt by all Philadelphians.

We hope this conversation educates listeners on the role that Philadelphia World Cup 2026 plays in the FIFA World Cup timeline, as well showcases as the possibilities for impacting the next generation of ballers in North America!

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-todd-74094335/

https://www.phillyfwc26.com/

https://www.instagram.com/fwc26philly/

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Is it possible to start a semi-professional soccer club part-time?

In Episode 80 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Joey Lipoff and Charles Salazar, co-founders of Sunflower State FC, a USL 2 and WPSL club serving the Kansas City area. After meeting and playing together at Rockhurst University, Joey and Charles saw a need in the soccer community for affordable, high level team to give local standouts a platform to test their talents.

So, with just a small budget but huge desire to change up the local soccer scene, Joey and Charles were part of a small team that brought Sunflower State FC to life. Since starting a few years ago, the club has placed dozens of players into professional contracts and/or trials in the US and internationally.

In this episode, they share the challenges (and rewards) of running a 4th tier soccer club in their spare time - before clocking into work in the morning, during lunch breaks, and after long days at the office. But they also share why it’s worth it, why they continue improving their technical staff, as well as the matchday experience for local fans. Joey and Charles also share how they strive to support similar initiatives in the local area, such as collaborating with Kansas City Astras of MASL 3 women’s indoor soccer.

It’s an insightful and inspiring conversation that proves to anyone in the American soccer community that, with the right mission and dedicated people, it’s possible to turn even a humble Sunday league team into a product with more structure, organization, and professional exposure.

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Connect with Sunflower State FC here:

Website: https://www.sunflowerstatefc.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunflowerStateFC/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflowerstatefc/?hl=en

X: https://x.com/SunflowerStFC

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In Episode 79 of the Because Football Podcast, we’re joined by Charlie Latshaw III, current Head Coach for Des Moines Menace of USL 2, and regularly one of the league’s top performing clubs.

The Menace made headlines in recent years with a US Open Cup run where they signed a handful of former pros like Sacha Kljestan (who had played for the club back in the PDL days), Bradley Wright-Phillips, and USMNT stalwart Benny Feilhaber.

We talk about how coaching has bettered him as a person, how the Menace have maintained success and relevance in their community for three decades, and what USL 2 clubs must do well on and off the pitch in the fourth tier of American soccer.

We appreciate Charlie’s openness in sharing his story, from his initial childhood memories playing 11v11 as a six year old in Chicago, to how he instills values of community, service, and dedication in his teams. And credit to him for putting together a sizzling All-Time 5-a-Side Team with some ballers that the streets won’t forget!

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Connect with Charlie Latshaw III

Instagram

LinkedIn

Des Moines Menace Instagram

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Competition makes soccer enthralling - but at its best, this game offers more than wins and losses.

In Episode 78 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Rachel Jolley, Program & Marketing Director for the Tampa Bay Sun Foundation. The foundation is the impact-driven arm of the Tampa Bay Sun, the Inaugural Champions of the Gainbridge Super League. A Tampa Bay area native, Rachel’s has balanced her desire for competition and impact over her career as a former Division 1 player, award-winning coach, and now program director.

In this episode, Rachel shares how her perspective on the game shifted once she became a coach. Disillusioned with some elements of the American soccer system like “pay to play” and overbearing parents, she shifted her focus from competition to opening access and serving kids that couldn’t afford to participate in that system.

In 2023, she founded Rise Up Soccer Club, a free-to-play program in Tampa for girls who might not have access to the game otherwise. That grassroots work led to her current role with the Tampa Bay Sun Foundation, where she leads community-driven soccer initiatives alongside Tampa Bay Sun Football Club, the area's first professional women's team.

Because Rachel has also worked as a freelance content creator and social media consultant, we talked about how crucial it is for grassroots community soccer programs to effectively shape and share their story in order to attract social, institutional, and financial support.

We hope this conversation will hope passionate people already working in the game, or will encourage you to get involved in your soccer community!

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheljolley/

https://www.tampabaysunfc.com/foundation/

https://www.instagram.com/tampabaysunfc

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Despite the booms and busts throughout history, American soccer has a lot to be proud of. From the bright lights of MLS and NWSL, to pre-professional teams in small town America, the game is alive and well.

In Episode 77 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Eleni Hitchcock, General Manager at Columbus United FC of USL 2 and VVP of Business Operations at Virtual Veep. Eleni tells us about her journey in the game, from getting wrapped up in the game day buzz as a child, to learning the ins and outs of club management during coffee dates with her father, Michael Hitchcock, a leader and builder in American soccer since early MLS days.

At the heart of Eleni’s passion and professional expertise lies a desire to share soccer with local communities, to give them an identity and a team to rally around.

Soccer business has always been family business and Eleni shares how she applies what she’s learned with Columbus United, a passionate soccer town on the Georgia-Alabama border. From meaningful partnerships with cool coffeeshops and hip breweries to youth soccer initiatives, affordable tickets and hardworking, authentic team staff, we discuss some of the foundations of successful soccer business that have worked in dozens of markets across the US.

Aside from the ins and outs of running a USL 2 club, she talks about Virtual Veep, a sports management services and consulting company that offers virtual assistance to lower division and minor league soccer teams across the country. Leveraging VP-level talent and experience across multiple organizations allows small town soccer teams to do what has often been so fundamentally difficult in American soccer - survive.

Leaders, fans, and coaches of community soccer clubs around the country will enjoy many takeaways from our discussion about the powerful simplicity that soccer can offer in the United States… and with the World Cup on our doorstep, that impact will only continue to grow!

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Connect with Eleni, Columbus United, and Virtual Veep here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleni-hitchcock/

⁠https://www.instagram.com/columbusunitedfootballclub/#

https://www.virtualveep.com/

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