Joy of the People founder and longtime coach Ted Kroeten joins Chat By The Pitch to break down what truly develops creative, intelligent players — and why most of the U.S. youth soccer system gets it upside down. Ted’s “soccer as a language” philosophy reframes how kids learn, why free play must come before instruction, and how mixed-age, low-pressure environments cultivate game intelligence no coach can teach.

From the failures of super clubs and the youth sports industrial complex to Joy of the People’s bold commitment to no tryouts, no cuts, and no overcoaching, Ted delivers one of the clearest visions of what American development could be if we trusted kids to play again.

If you care about player development, coaching, or burnout in youth sports — this episode will challenge everything you think you know.

Key Talking Points

• Ted’s journey from late-start player to coaching leader and founder of Joy of the People

• Why he walked away from the elite club model and the youth sports industrial complex

• “Soccer as a language” — acquisition vs learning, Chomsky, Krashen, and immersion

• What kids learn in free play that coaches cannot teach

• Why Joy of the People operates with no tryouts, no cuts, no pressure

• How mixed-age play, different surfaces, and alternate balls accelerate creativity

• Overload vs underload: reading effort, joy, and false intensity in players

• Why early free-play kids lag at first—but surpass others by U16–U19

• The danger of over-rewarding performance and creating kids who only love winning

• Building a true community model where every kid matters and development lasts

Quotes from Ted Kroeten

• "When I saw kids in play learning things I could not teach them, I knew there was something in play."

• "Unstructured play, street play, free play has developed the top players in the world."

• "We’ve been teaching soccer only with rules and techniques, not allowing acquisition to occur."

• "The best way to learn a complex language is not a teacher — it's immersion."

• "Kids who fall in love with explicit training programs are in danger of burning out."

• "We don’t have tryouts. We have a mix of everyone — and they bloom on their own timeline."

Episode Chapters

00:00 — Ted Kroeten’s Late Start and Multi-Sport Roots

03:10 — Coaching at the Highest Levels and Seeing the Cracks

06:00 — Walking Away from the Youth Soccer Industrial Complex

08:30 — Founding Joy of the People and the Decision to Prioritize Play

11:45 — Watching Kids Learn What Coaches Can’t Teach

14:30 — Poverty of the Stimulus and Why Play Accelerates Learning

18:00 — Soccer as a Language: Acquisition vs Instruction

22:45 — Chomsky, Krashen, and Immersion on the Field

27:30 — The Panenka Penalty and Non-Verbal Soccer Communication

31:30 — Why Cone Work Fails Under Real Pressure

35:00 — What Parents Miss When They Watch Training

38:30 — Early Attempts at Free Play — and Why They Failed

42:45 — Building a Community Hub with the City of St. Paul

46:30 — Kids “Not Knowing How to Play” and What That Revealed

50:45 — Removing Tryouts, Cuts, and External Pressure

55:30 — What Joy of the People Looks Like Day to Day

59:30 — Losing Games Early to Win Long Term

1:03:30 — Why Joy and Belonging Come Before Results

Connect with Ted / Joy of the People

🌐 Website: https://www.joyofthepeople.org/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_o_t_p/

✖️ X: https://x.com/JOYofthePEOPLE

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyofthepeople/

Follow Chat By The Pitch

✖️ X: @ChatByThePitch

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In Part 2, Kassandra Ruelas takes us deeper into her journey — from rediscovering her love for the game under Coach Temas, to the fate-driven path that led her to Vial/Villarreal, to leaving home for Spain as a teenager. She shares what life, training, and tempo looked like overseas, how Spanish clubs develop players through structure and intelligence, and what it felt like to finally find her rhythm abroad.

This episode also uncovers the hardest chapter of her career: tearing her ACL overseas, navigating the injury alone during a national blackout, and learning her younger sister tore her ACL the same week. Kassandra opens up about her recovery, her mindset, and what she hopes players and parents take away from her story.

Key Talking Points

• Finding joy again at Sting and the season that rebuilt her confidence.

• Earning the first-ever North Texas Player Training Week invite in Spain.

• How fate connected her to Vial after a controversial point error.

• The Spanish development model: daily structure, zones, rondos, and tempo.

• What life looked like: gym, training, Spanish class, film, late-night sessions.

• Being “the foreigner” and the pressure of integrating into a new culture.

• Highest levels she reached in Spain and how licensing works for minors.

• The game where her ACL tore on a routine change of direction.

• No trainer onsite, calling Christian at 4 a.m. Texas time for support.

• The national blackout that blocked access to her MRI results.

• Learning her sister tore her ACL days later.

• Returning home for surgery and beginning the long recovery.

• Rebuilding mentally while rediscovering who she is beyond soccer.

• Leaving the door open for Spain but embracing uncertainty.

• Message to parents: support but let players own conversations.

• Message to players: attitude and curiosity separate you.

Quotes from Kassandra

• “Coach Temas brought the love back for the game.”

• “Being the first North Texas player selected — I knew I had to go back.”

• “I was jumping the entire night when they announced I was going to Spain.”

• “In Spain, the ball does the work. The tempo is smarter, not just faster.”

• “I spoke Spanish, but I was still the foreigner. That pressure stays with you.”

• “I knew the moment it happened — something was wrong with my knee.”

• “I was alone in the locker room with no trainer. I just wanted my mom.”

• “The blackout hit the day my MRI came in. I couldn’t talk to anyone.”

• “Two days later, my sister tore her ACL too. It didn’t feel real.”

• “Right now I’m learning who I am outside of soccer.”

• “Curiosity and attitude — those two things take you farther than talent.”

Connect with Kassandra

📸 Instagram: Kass_1123

Follow Chat By The Pitch

🐦 X: @ChatByThePitch

📷 Instagram: @ChatByThePitch

📘 Facebook: Chat By The Pitch

#ChatByThePitch #NorthTexasSoccer #DFWSoccer #GirlsSoccer #ACLRecovery #PlayerJourney #WomensSoccer #YouthSoccerStories #SoccerMentality #PlayerDevelopment #TexasSoccer #SoccerCommunity

Mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode of Chat By The Pitch, Ian sits down with North Texas player and administrator Kassandra Ruelas to unpack what it really looks like to grow up inside one of the most competitive girls’ soccer markets in the country. From yelling “goal” as her first word to playing with the boys and eventually earning a chance to play in Spain, Kassandra’s story is a masterclass in soccer IQ, resilience, and family support.

Kassandra talks about the pressure of DFW girls’ soccer, the unspoken politics of youth sports, and what it feels like to be overlooked and benched after being named captain—and why she refused to let that season define her. She shares how her mom’s sacrifices, her cousins’ professional careers (including stints in Mexico and with the Dallas Sidekicks), and training with the boys gave her the tools to navigate setbacks without losing her love for the game.

For players, this conversation shows how to use the field as your therapy, build your game around intelligence instead of just being bigger, faster, stronger, and survive the hard seasons. For parents, it’s a real look at travel, pressure, and why the right coach matters more than any alphabet-soup league. For coaches, Kassandra offers a player’s-eye view on communication, favoritism, and how one honest conversation can change a career.

Key Talking Points

• How soccer has always been part of Kassandra’s life — her first word was “goal,” and the living room was a mini-pitch growing up.

• The moment in middle school when soccer shifted from “fun with friends” to serious training, four-year plans, and future dreams on the pitch.

• Growing up in a North Texas soccer family — cousins who played pro in Mexico and indoors with the Dallas Sidekicks — and the self-imposed pressure to honor their investment in her.

• The Texas girls’ soccer environment: extremely competitive, with teammates and opponents now playing in the NWSL—and how that can mess with your head if you compare timelines.

• How her mom’s support and sacrifices (driving 1.5 hours in traffic, always backing her choices) helped balance the pressure.

• Soccer as therapy and creative outlet: using the game to disconnect from stress, reset emotionally, and express herself without overthinking.

• Learning to separate “family” from “coach” with her three cousins: flipping the switch from joking in the car to professionalism on the field.

• Kassandra’s club journey: Odyssey → Liverpool → Solar → FC Dallas → Texans → Sting → Al Nord Texas boys → heading to Spain to play with Villarreal.

• Why DFW competition at U13+ felt tougher than most out-of-state tournaments (except maybe California) and how playing the same high-level players for years sharpened her game.

• The hardest season: being told she’d be captain, then getting five minutes of game time, feeling overlooked, and wanting to quit—but choosing to control her work rate and attitude instead.

• Esteban’s advice on politics and the rollercoaster of soccer—you can’t want the highs without accepting the lows.

• How the DFW soccer community is a small world—one name can spark a 30-person chain of connections, from FC Dallas games to Starbucks encounters.

• The difference between Texas-style “athlete building” and Spanish tactical football, and why playing with boys forced her to lean on IQ instead of brute force.

• Why she turned down a DA opportunity because the coaching style didn’t fit her, even though the letters looked good.

• A player’s perspective on alphabet-soup leagues, constant travel, and chasing logos vs. staying local, dominating your backyard, and finding the right environment.

Quotes from Kassandra

• “My first word was ‘goal’ during a game. Soccer has literally always been there—I can’t remember life without it.”

• “If I’m not playing on the field, I’m not happy. It’s when I miss the game that I...