Recap: 2023 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philadelphia

Every year we do a recap after the United Soccer Coaches Convention, the event that kicks off the new year for the soccer community and provides a much-needed place to celebrate achievements, dive deeper into education, and network. Even though this is a bit later than usual, we had to keep our streak alive and do a write-up!

If you heard through the grapevine that the convention was back in its pre-pandemic glory, you heard right! The convention was brimming with coaches, players, educators, and soccer enthusiasts gathering at the Philadelphia Convention Center over four days from January 10-14.

This was my fifth convention, which is almost hard to believe. My first was also in Philly, which was kind of a full circle moment since that’s the year we launched Girls Soccer Network. For those who don’t know, it travels yearly between a handful of cities, and because of that, each convention has a different flavor and vibe.

Philly’s convention center is a massive four blocks long and located in Center City. It’s definitely a more bustling, urban location than, say, Kansas City, where it was held last year. We didn’t get a real chance to explore the city other than the immediate area, which has plenty of street life and restaurants easily accessible. We did take advantage of the close proximity to Chinatown and ate at an incredible noodle house, but other than that, the adventures stayed within the walls of the convention center.

Now that I am a “seasoned” convention goer, it’s surprising to me that many people I meet who work in soccer have no clue about the United Soccer Coaches Convention. Or if they do, they think, I’m not a coach, so this convention has nothing to offer me. Wrong. If you work in soccer, or even if you just love to study the game and its culture, the United Soccer Coaches Convention is to soccer enthusiasts what a Star Trek convention is for Trekkies, minus the Vulcans.

But make no mistake, while there is a lot of fun to be had at the event, the heartbeat of the convention is education, which is why I believe the experience is so powerful and meaningful each year. It’s not just about networking and making deals. It’s about providing a place for coaches and students to get better at what they do and make the game better in the process. Shout out to the staff for making this all happen so seemingly effortlessly. Brandon Milburn and Absalom Solorio were critical to making our time the success it was. Thank you!

Here’s a rundown of Girls Soccer Network’s convention this year.

Podcast Row

While last year’s event in Kansas City was a step towards getting the event back to normal after the pandemic, this year, it felt like it just got bigger in every way. Podcast Row had a record number of podcasts filling two full areas across a giant convention hallway from each other. For us, this is our home base. It gives us the opportunity to get a lot of content–especially for Give N’ Go, our popular women’s soccer podcast.

This year, with the advantage of finally bringing our actual podcaster, the one and only Rohtas Wadera, we were able to get 15 interviews, with notables like the College Cup-winning debutant herself, UCLA coach Margueitte Aozaaa and Julianne Sitch, who coached the University of Chicago’s men’s NCAA team to their Division III title.

We also spoke with Sarah Brady, the USL’s academy director, and coach Nicole Lukic, who led the USL’s Minnesota Aurora to victory this summer and created an incredible social community during their extraordinary season. It was insanely productive and fun!

Before we move on from Podcast Row, I need to take a minute to thank our sponsors, SkratchLabs and Parkside Collectibles. I mean, what’s better than trading cards and snacks? Apparently nothing.

Our popularity was amplified, no doubt, by conversation and curiosity around the two brands that were featured at our booth. Skratch was super generous with their product, and we were able to give coaches from across the country samples and keep them hydrated.

As for Parkside, we had so much fun going around the exhibition hall and quizzing people on their knowledge of NWSL and giving them packs of trading cards.

The NWSL Draft

This year, the NWSL Draft was back! Finally, after a couple of years of no audience and fanfare, the Draft could finally flex its female muscle with a full-on ceremony. I missed this in Kansas City last year. Scheduled right in the middle of the four-day convention, the Draft adds an extra layer of excitement, possibility, and glamour to the event.

And this year, GSN was right at the center of it. Unlike other years, where we interviewed players after they had been drafted and only got to ask one question, we got a place on the Red Carpet, and our very own Samantha Cary chatted with the NWSL hopefuls on their way into the event.

This allowed us to do more in-depth interviews and learn a little more about each player, which was super fun. Sam, being a college player herself for the University of Iowa, was able to chat with the players and really pass on the deep gratitude and excitement each one of them felt right to our Instagram community–who was showing more interest in the Draft than in years past.

Leading up to the Draft, there was already a sense of anticipation in the air with the heavy rumor that the first pick would go to high school phenom Alyssa Thompson, which we now know it did. The Harvard Westlake student is the very first high school player ever to be drafted, and she went number one to Angel City FC. Definitely, a night of dreams and wish fulfillment for many of these incredible female athletes!

The Power of Media to Link Soccer’s Generations and Elevate the Girls’ Game

Finally, I’ll end with probably the biggest thrill for me, personally, and I think one that speaks volumes about the work we’re doing here at Girls Soccer Network. At this convention, I took the stage with the irrepressible Sam Cary, and we did a presentation called: The Power of Media to Link Soccer’s Generations and Elevate the Girls’ Game. Sam and I like to joke about how that is the loftiest title for a presentation ever at the USCC! And while that may be true, over the last month, it gave me the opportunity to reflect on how the women’s game has evolved over the years and how media, especially social media, has played a role in that.

The other theme we spoke about was just how the women’s game took hold in this country. Women have created the culture of soccer in this country without the historical imprint of the sport being dictated by the men’s game. For women and girls, it’s all about connection.

I recalled a story I once heard Julie Foudy tell about how the 99ers when no one knew who they were, would stop when they’d see a girls’ team practicing, get out of their car and go and introduce themselves. While that may seem like an exhausting, grass-roots approach to growing a sport, it’s how the game took shape in this country, and in some cosmic way, I think it’s why the women’s game is so successful.

Those acts of trans-generational unity have created this nurturing, empowering core that has only strengthened over the years. And like the United Soccer Coaches Convention, there is no sign of slowing down.

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