What does a sporting director do? What is the USL Championship all about? What skills do you need to be a successful professional soccer coach and leader?

Thanks to our guest Dan Visser, Sporting Director of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship, Episode 30 of the Because Football Podcast answers all these questions and more.

We talk about Dan's journey from a three-time NCAA National Champion at Messiah College to his various college coaching roles, to ultimately making the jump to the professional level as the assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for 7 years. Dan is currently serving as Sporting Director of the club, bringing together the vision of the first team and the academy, seeking to develop a club that not only competes (and wins) USL titles but also develops elite players from within the club academy.

In this episode, Dan often mentions the importance of leadership, the absolute necessity of people skills and soft skills in leadership roles, and how he was influenced by mentors like Dave Brandt (former Messiah and current Bucknell University coach) and Bob Lilley (current Riverhounds coach).

He explains the position of USL Championship within US and world soccer and how the league has become a "selling league" with players fetching 6 and 7 figure transfer fees. Dan also gives rare insight into the culture of his club, such as requiring players to give 20 minutes post-game to signing autographs and meeting with fans... no matter the result.

He also shares what his day-to-day role looks like as Sporting Director, and what some necessary experience and skills are for the role.

We hope you enjoy this episode! Please like, subscribe, and leave a rating for us!

To learn more about Dan Visser:

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