S1 E10 - What's the Deal With Soccer?

Mr. Bridges readily admits he is not the biggest soccer fan, so John Blake and Jude Walker are here to educate him on some of the players and positions, as well as why it might be a good idea to try soccer if you are looking for a challenge. Tune in to hear the teacher become the student!

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Hello everyone, and welcome back tothe podcast that has the nerve, the
audacity, and yes, the unmitigatedgall to just come right out and ask,
hey, what's your deal. Myname is Michael Bridges, and I
am the GT n AP coordinator forthe Alma School District and we are recording

(00:29):
live here in Alma, Arkansas inthe wonderful GT classroom where I teach our
GT students. Just want to welcomeyou all back. It has been a
while, and yes that's my fault, but hey, I wear a lot
of hats. I got a lotof things going on and here. Recently,
the biggest hat I've had has beenthe AP administrator's hat because we have

(00:52):
been doing our AP testing for thepast two weeks. I'm happy to say
that that has now come to anend except for makeup tests. So now
I am just focused on our thirdgrade placements for the end of the year
so we can decide who we're goingto have as fourth grade GT students.
So there's been been a lot ofstuff going on. Upcoming events that we've
got for our GT students kind offinish out the years. We have a

(01:15):
rubiks Cube competition that we're going tobe going to on Monday, and then
a north Northwest Arkansas Naturals game thatwe're going to go to on Tuesday.
For those of you who may belistening from somewhere else, the Northwest Arkansas
Naturals are a minor league baseball teamthat is a farm system for the Kansas
City Royals, and they play aboutIt's about forty five minutes to an hour

(01:38):
from us, so we're gonna goenjoy a ball game to end the year.
So we've got that to look forwardto, which will bring us to
summer, and my summer plans arehopefully to do more podcasts and get more
podcasts recorded. There are students thatI didn't get done this year that I'm
hoping I can contact and they cancome in and you know, we can
do the podcast here. I'm hereall year. I've got an all year

(02:01):
contract, so I'm working all yearso i can do podcast. I'm also
hoping to maybe do a little bitof traveling through on Arkansas and talk to
some people. And again I'm justgonna say, if you've got something that
you think could be of interest onthis podcast, something that you want to
spotlight or talk about. If you'reinvolved in some kind of business that you

(02:21):
think kind of lends itself to thegifted and the talented and the advanced students.
I would be more than happy tocome speak to you. My email
address is m Bridges at Alma sddot net. So send me an email
and we'll see if we can maybeset up a time where we could get
together and talk. Love to meetyou if you think you've got something that
is worthy of podcast material. Andspeaking of worthy of podcast material, today

(02:47):
I have two gentlemen that I wouldlike for you to meet who've been very
patient and waiting quite a while.I think we crossed wires a couple of
times. I think I canceled onthem the first time, and then I
think they canceled on me the nexttwo times. You know, they're very
they're very busy. They've got alot to do within their fifth grade lives.
But I would like to introduce youto John Blake and Jude Walker.

(03:09):
And today they're gonna be telling usabout their deal, which is soccer.
Enjoy everyone, all right, Sowe are here right now with John Blake
and Jude Walker, and they arehere. I'm really excited about this.
They are here to tell us aboutthe greatest sport of all time, the

(03:32):
best sport known to man. Theyare going to be talking about baseball.
No, never, no, no, We're talking about soccer. Wait did
you I thought you guys? Ithought you guys said you want to talk
about baseball soccer soccer? Yes?Yes, Oh well, okay, I'm

(03:58):
okay, guys, I gotta Igotta be honest with you. I gotta
be honest when we talk about soccer. Here, I'm gonna tell you I
know absolutely nothing about it. Soif we talk about soccer, you guys
are going to have to educate meand educate our audience. Are you ready?
Okay? All right, So herewe go. We're going to talk
about soccer, all right, gentlemen. So soccer most popular sport in the

(04:27):
world, right, which is crazy. I would think it would be baseball
or something like that. But then, of course, I'm an American and
we think that everything that's important tous is you are ready important to everybody.
So, um, it's soccer.So why why did you guys want
to come onto a podcast and talkabout soccer? First of all, we
both played soccer and we really like, oh like, we're just here to

(04:50):
tell you about it and like howmuch we love it. Okay, all
right, so you're gonna tell meabout soccer. Um, what position shins
do you guys play? We bothplay like middle striker, right striker,
or left striker. Okay, allright, so play a middle middle or
late in the middle middle, leftmiddle, middle, middle, right middle?

(05:13):
Do you play a middle under sidewaysbackward striker? Does that even exist?
Okay? It should because that soundslike a really cool name. Okay,
So guys, I don't even know. So I would imagine like a
striker is going to be somebody thatattacks the goal. Is that correct?
At the beginning of the game,the striker is gonna be like the front
low row of players. Like whenthe kickoff happens, you're probably gonna go

(05:35):
and try and pressure whoever has theball at the beginning and trying to get
it and go to the goal.Okay, John, you got anything to
say about that else? Yeah,So you're trying to dribble the ball,
get the ball and um use apower. Now. Now when you say
dribble, like, we don't meanlike, yeah, yeah, not with

(05:55):
your hands. So dribbling is ifyou would even consider it dribbling even though
it's with your feet. Yes,okay, okay, so keep going.
So you're gonna dribble it and whatJohn um, so you're gonna draw like
Duke pass the other players. Theother players are trying to steal the ball
from you. And what you're tryingto do is go to the goal and
use a powerhouse kick and score apowerhouse kick and score. Okay, okay,

(06:15):
one thing out. Don't think socceris all about like here a ball
on a one person sport. Evenif you strike you you're trying to look
for the open pass and create lanesfor right, because I would imagine,
and you guys can correct me hereif I'm wrong, because again I know
nothing about soccer. Well I knowa little bit, but not enough.
But like I would imagine, ifyou've got the ball, most of the
defenders are going to attack the ball, right, They're gonna try and get

(06:36):
it back from you, try andmake sure you don't. It's not like
there's gonna be a certain amount ofpeople going to you, but they want
that back line there so you can'tloft pass over it and just get easy.
And so what you're trying to whatthey're trying to do when you have
the ball is they're trying to keepyou out of their side, and if
you come into their side, they'regonna pressure you and try and get you
into like a quarter okay, andtry and take the ball. Okay,

(06:59):
John. One thing to add onthat is that sometimes even the middle players
like middle middle, middle right,at middle left, they get to play
like fort and defense at the sametime, Okay, to do a lot
of running. So y'all have likedefenders on your dead middle on you,
so you want to see a passthat will intersect with them and then they
can score. Okay. So thatis one thing that we will talk about

(07:20):
here a second. Like, theone thing I've noticed about soccer is it's
for the people that like to move. Like my favorite sport, baseball,
they call the national pastime because guyskind of staying there most of the time
until the balls hit at them.They're pretty much standing there. They're running
the basis. But soccer, you'removing all the time, right. I
feel like soccer is probably one ofthe most active sports other maybe basketball.

(07:43):
All your basketball bath basketball Okay,so you're but soccer is like a much
big it's like football size, ifnot bigger than a football field, right,
and you're always back and forth,back and forth. So the guys
who are playing soccer and there's notime out. But the guys who are
playing with soccer are normally like reallywell conditioned and athletic. True, Okay,

(08:05):
fast, you need to be fast, that's true. Um So,
we and we've talked about this alittle bit. So what is your favorite
player? Who's your favorite player?John, who would you say your favorite
player? Leonel Messi? Okay,wait to Leonel. It's Lionel, Lionel,
Lionel Messi. Okay, so tellme a little bit about Lionel Messi,

(08:26):
John, um So, he isa player who has played on many
teams. Um, he has playedon the teams PSSG Barcelona. Okay he
actually, Um, We're won theWorld Cup this year on the team of
Argentina. Okay, they played Francein the final. Year. Is it
is it safe to say that Messiis probably the most popular player in the

(08:48):
world because I have heard of him. I've heard that name. Uh does
him need to debate? It's ahuge debate worldwide about who's better Messi Ronado
And after the Little Cup day supposedlycrowned Messy the best, right, but
the debates still going on. Theydon't really care what so I think his
best. So I don't think untilone of them dies or something. Wow.

(09:13):
Okay, Okay, So I gota quick question and this is totally
off off guard, and I'm gonnalike challenge you guys here to see your
soccer knowledge. Okay, So,like I said, I don't know much
about soccer, but I saw somethingprobably about two or three months ago about
some soccer player that threw a tempertantrum on the field and was like upset
and mad, and like his coachwas upset with him, and like because
he got down there and he andhe like he like stopped playing. Basically,

(09:37):
do you guys remember who that was? D Do you remember it was
a pretty big player. It waslike the captain of the team or something.
But he I don't think, Ohman, I don't remember. I
just remember it was on Sports Centerand I just happened to watch it and
I was like, it was reallyit was like a really bad display of

(09:58):
you. Like it was you guystalked about how that was a team sport.
Dude totally was not a team player. He was all about I'm out
here, I'm not having fun.Their team was getting beat and he was
trying to like flop, you know, like a guy would bump up against
him, and he was flopp intothe ground like he was injured and everything.
It was. It was crazy somethingabout that. I just can't remember
that. But that's not the kindof player that like Messi is, right,

(10:22):
he's a team pay he is reallygood. So sometimes he'll play like
so, if they're in desperate needof a goal and it's like maybe two
or three one, and they reallyneed a goal in the last forty five
minutes, which is the second half, they'll probably try and so they'll probably
have Messi in the very front strikeup position and they'll kick. He'll kick
him kick the ball back, ofcourse, and he'll try and get to

(10:45):
the goal and then they'll try andget it to a middle row back row
or to the goalie so they canloft kick it into the box or they
trying to attack from size and crossit in. Okay, so, so
John, and he's on Argentina rightnow, is it? Running? Artist
is where he was born? Andso okay the World Cup wherever you were
born? Okay, so who whois PSG Paris Saint Jermaine. Okay,

(11:11):
it's the team's in Paris, sohe's on he's on a team for France
basically, okay, all right,all right, so Messi's Messi's kind of
the guy. Okay. So John, we were talking earlier, you know,
and you guys said that you bothplayed. You're both strikers. So
what good memories do you have aboutplaying soccer? Um? So this happened
too long ago, but like,so I was playing a game and Um

(11:33):
actually scored six goals in the game, and like everyone was cheering me on.
I just felt like I was ontop of the world. It was
a great feeling. So were youlike like the energizer Bunny or something?
Because six goals, you know whenwe talked about how much running and everything
like that, that's crazy. Wow, that's awesome. So how long how
long was the game? Like,do you know how long the minutes were?

(11:54):
A game is usually forty five tofifty minutes, So in about forty
five minutes you scored six goals.That's pretty honest. It's for our age.
It's forty five minutes. But inthe like Begger pro leagues, it's
forty five minutes a quarter. Yeah, yeah, and you'll get extra time
depending on how many penalties are becauseit's a running clock the whole time,
right, like losses. So whata game's about? What? Two two

(12:16):
and a half hours? Yeah?A professional game? Okay, Okay,
have you guys ever been to aprofessional soccer game? No? But the
next World Cup is like assumingly goingto be in the USA, Canada or
something like that. Yeah, mydad was singing it taking me to one
of those games that. Well,I know we went to um we went

(12:37):
to uh dude perfect and we wentand saw where their warehouse was. I
think they're moving their warehouse now,but I think it's I could be wrong.
I think it's like in Frisco.I'm not positive about that. I
know it's in the DFW area.But they've got the Dallas soccer team.
Their facility is like right next tothem. So there's there's like a professional

(12:58):
soccer team in Dallas that you cango see. But John where you want
to say something about? Um,So, I haven't really been to a
professional soccer team. So I didgo to one of like the highs,
like the high school games. That'slike one hour in like thirty five minutes.
Yeah, yeah, because I knowthe high school here plays. I
know we were trying to coach startevents, trying to get people together.

(13:18):
You guys playing it on playing highschool when you get up to high school
depends because I also played basketball andbaseball and I've been playing them for a
longer amount of time, right,So it just depends on like at that
time, Like what I'm feeling ismy favorite? What do you think,
John, Well, I don't.I think there's only like a girl's um
high school soccer really not even boysright now. Should be a boys boys

(13:39):
but like, um, I thinkit's a college the college team, the
college tea's. Yeah, we've bothbeen to a college girls game and that's
like the closest we've gotten because it'sjust like you have a or are we
talking in upus? Okay? Okay? So, but the team is supposed
like us like World Cup, worldlike euro Cups and stuff, has been

(14:03):
winning them. They're up supposedly thebest country right now, but like they've
been getting a lot of like girlsfrom other countries to come play for like
teams around here. Arkansas team hasbeen number one ranked for a while now,
Yeah, it's impressive. Good allright? So Jude, um we

(14:24):
let John share. So what's what'sa memory that you've got from playing soccer?
I think my first goal it justgave me that really like feeling like
I just could do a lot.Yeah. I kind of feel like you
accomplished something, right, something youwork for. That's cool. Yeah.
So when was that? How youngwere you? Do you remember? I
think somewhere anywhere from five to seven. Okay, that's that's pretty young.

(14:48):
Yeah, okay, that's awesome.So why John, why do you think
other people should play soccer or beinterested in soccer? So? I feel
like soccer is a very social sport, Like you get to have more bonds
with others and you learn how tobe more of a team player. And
also it makes you like makes youlike get in like, it makes you

(15:09):
faster, it makes you you gottapractice for it. Yeah, it sounds
like it. That's kind of thiskind of stuff we work on in G
two, you know, being moresocial and working with others. So it
kind of sounds like that ties intoit. So Jude, why do you
think people should like be interested init or maybe try soccer? I'm gonna
say, like, if you aresupposedly really athletic and well conditioned, I

(15:30):
feel like this would be a goodgame for you. And if you had
like stronger legs like and if not, it could give you stronger legs if
you ken't practicing in playing. Yeah, I just feel anybody can do it.
I'm not saying nobody. Some peoplecan't, but like, um,
I would say, like if youwant to be better at it, like
off the bat, sure better chancesof being that without working watching are gonna

(15:54):
be like more athletic people who haveplayed other sports. Uh huh. But
I'm not saying nobody can do this, but like I have seen some kids
shorter than me who are really reallyskinny out their balling. Yeah. Yeah,
if y'all put in the word takesdifferent sizes, right, can you
it's just work Yeah okay, yenot like basketball and like football where like

(16:18):
to dune, you got to besuper taller to unless you're spud Web.
Remember I showed you that picture ofspud Web who's like shorter than me and
like could see in flat foot andDune. But yeah, there are certain
there are certain things, especially basketball. Immediately we think you know you kind
of have to be tall. It'sa kind of jockey, you kind of
got to be short. But soccerit kind of as long as you're kind
of fast, as long as youcan keep it. You don't have to

(16:41):
be necessarily fast, right but ifyou like keep a really good pace with
people, right it. Yeah,Okay, even for being fast, like
if you're playing defensive goaling, youdon't have to be fast. You just
like you just have to be goodat taking yeah, soccer balls to the
face. Yeah. They have tostay in their position and guard the goal.

(17:03):
The goalie. They so they're theonly player on the field who can
pick up the ball. They stayin their goal box and they pick up
the ball, drop get or justkicking on the ground to the offense or
the defense. Okay, all right, so all right, we'll come to
the end of the podcast here.So now we have to do a shout
out and you do you do?You both have separate shout outs here?

(17:25):
Yes? Okay, So, John, who would you like to give a
shout out to? And why soI would like to give a shout out
to UM coach Ryan and coach Bethand coach Phillips. Okay, who are
coach Ryan, coach Beth and coachcoach Phillips. So um, Coatron and
Coachbeth are um they were my competitivesoccer team. Awesome, I think.

(17:48):
And then coach Phillips is my soccerteam right now. And also I also
UM had another soccer team coach Castro. Okay, and then all those coaches.
We want to do a shout outto all those coaches. I got
an appropriate shout out for those coaches. Here we go. I wanted the
real long one. You know theyguy, Oh, this guy's going forever.

(18:11):
Those were great. Okay, allright, Jude, and now you
have a shout out. So whowould you like to give a shout out?
To give it to my buddy onset here, John with all the
work that he put in for thispodcast. Yeah, you guys have all
sorts of notes and paperwork and everythinglike that. So John, it's the
first time we've had somebody on thepodcast get a shout out on the podcast.
So congratulations on that. So John, this goal's for you. It

(18:36):
was it good. It was almostlike you smelled it right there. You
could you could smell the goal,you could smell the success. Well,
guys, hey, I appreciate youvery much coming on and being able to
tell us a little bit about soccer, because, like I said, I
didn't know anything about it, andI think you helped educate us and you
helped educate the audience. So thankyou both very much for showing up the Turning