The Soldiers To Sidelines (STS) Soccer Coaching Certification Seminar, held in June 2025, brought together a powerful cohort of 139 veterans and service members for four days of deep learning, reflection, and community building. With the generous support of Vehicles for Veterans and Wells Fargo, this seminar not only delivered elite-level coaching education but also catalyzed personal transformation and professional development.
Hosted virtually, the seminar was led by Ben Freakley, Soldiers To Sidelines Soccer Director and a seasoned performance psychology expert, alongside STS founder Harrison Bernstein. Their leadership framed a week of high-impact sessions featuring distinguished guest presenters from the professional soccer world, including Gregg Berhalter, Matt Lowry, Dax McCarty, Rachel Jankowski, Josh Wolff, Vince Gansberg, and Brad Guzan.
Setting the Tone: Coaching with Purpose
Opening night kicked off with Harrison welcoming the attendees, many of whom were transitioning from military service to careers in coaching. Harrison emphasized the value of coaching not just as a career, but as a calling to serve and lead. He introduced the week’s goals and highlighted the importance of community, continuous learning, and human-centered coaching. Ben Freakley followed by sharing his personal journey through soccer and coaching, reflecting on his childhood in Germany and his eventual focus on sport and performance psychology.
Gregg Berhalter: Culture, Character, and Coaching Clarity
Former U.S. Men’s National Team head coach and current head coach of Chicago Fire Gregg Berhalter delivered one of the seminar’s most anticipated presentations. Drawing from his professional and international coaching career, Gregg shared a story of team-building with Navy SEALs to highlight the importance of grit, cohesion, and accountability. He emphasized how great teams rely on shared values, and how leadership must evolve as relationships deepen.
Berhalter offered key insights into youth coaching, particularly around encouraging unstructured play and allowing children to develop love and creativity within the game. He underlined the importance of coaching with integrity, explaining that character must come before talent when building winning teams.
Building Foundations: High Human Skills and Coaching Hierarchy
Harrison led interactive sessions where coaches examined the essence of coaching. Through engaging activities like live word clouds and Q&A discussions, participants unpacked the distinctions and overlap between coaching, leadership, and management. He introduced the five-point hierarchy of coaching success—inspiration, motivation, fitness, technique, and strategy—and challenged coaches to lead with heart while promoting fun and safety.
Atlanta United’s Matt Lowry: Creating Development Pathways
Matt Lowry, assistant coach for Atlanta United, offered a professional lens on youth development. Tracing his coaching journey from grassroots to the MLS, Matt emphasized the value of player autonomy, multi-sport participation, and creating challenging, game-like environments. He illustrated his points with three player case studies—each with unique paths to professional soccer—and spoke candidly about overcoming adversity, injuries, and learning challenges.
Matt advocated for a “human first” approach, emphasizing that coaching begins with understanding the player beyond the pitch. He advised coaches to focus less on immediate wins and more on long-term development and character-building.
Dax McCarty: A Player’s Perspective on Coaching Impact
Dax McCarty, a 19-year MLS veteran, and U.S. national team player, joined the seminar for a lively and insightful Q&A. Sharing lessons from 488 professional matches, Dax spoke about the profound impact coaches have on players—both positive and negative. He recalled being cut from the national team without explanation and how that lack of communication became a turning point in his career.
Dax emphasized the importance of authenticity, fun, and player-led development in youth coaching. He also encouraged coaches to hold players accountable while offering genuine care and support, noting that the best coaches knew how to reach players as individuals.
Player Well-Being with Rachel Jankowski
Rachel Jankowski, Director of Player Care and Well-Being for Chicago Fire, brought a vital mental health perspective to the seminar. She shared strategies for creating psychologically informed environments and emphasized a holistic approach to player development that includes emotional and social wellness.
Rachel walked participants through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and encouraged coaches to view themselves as allies in their players’ personal growth. Her session was a powerful reminder that player performance is directly tied to a sense of safety, belonging, and self-worth.
Josh Wolff: From the Sidelines to the Spotlight
Josh Wolff, assistant coach for Houston Dynamo and former MLS standout, framed coaching as an extension of teaching. Sharing lessons from his time with the U.S. national team and his head coaching experience at Austin FC, Josh spoke about building a unified game model and maintaining a balance between defense and attack.
He discussed the value of player buy-in, trust, and clear role definition, while also touching on modern challenges like social media distractions. Josh underscored the importance of developing a team culture based on respect, understanding, and shared goals.
Vince Gansberg: Coaching the Person, Not Just the Player
Coach educator Vince Gansberg energized the group with over two decades of experience in youth development. He emphasized authenticity, communication, and engagement as the cornerstones of effective coaching. Through frameworks like “Say Yes to the S’s” (Safety, Skills, Sweat) and the “Sandwich Technique” for feedback, Vince encouraged coaches to stay positive and player-focused.
He reminded the audience that coaching includes every athlete—even those on the bench—and challenged attendees to think about what kind of letters their players might write about them in the future.
Brad Guzan: Goalkeeping, Leadership, and Longevity
Veteran goalkeeper Brad Guzan, with experience in the English Premier League and MLS, wrapped up the seminar with lessons on leadership and longevity. Now with Atlanta United, Brad reflected on his journey from being an overlooked outfield player to becoming a standout goalkeeper.
Brad shared strategies for building young goalkeeper confidence, encouraged multi-position development at early ages, and discussed the evolving role of keepers as team leaders. He fielded questions from attendees, offered advice on technique, and emphasized the importance of short-term memory and mental resilience in high-pressure roles.
From Ego to Mastery: The Coaching Environment
Ben Freakley returned to discuss the difference between ego and mastery environments. He illustrated how a mastery approach—which rewards effort, embraces mistakes, and fosters collaboration—can enhance player development and retention. Ben noted that around age 13, many kids quit sports due to burnout and pressure. He urged coaches to build inclusive, joyful, and flexible environments that prioritize learning over performance.
Final Reflections and Certification
Harrison and Alyssa Allen closed out the seminar by reviewing the certification process and outlining next steps, including the post-seminar survey and upcoming in-person workshops. They encouraged coaches to continue their journey, lean into their coaching philosophies, and use their voices to uplift others in the community.
Through every session, this year’s Soccer Coaching Certification Seminar exemplified Soldiers To Sidelines’ mission: to empower veterans to serve again as athletic coaches and mentors. Thanks to Vehicles for Veterans and Wells Fargo, this seminar did more than educate—it inspired a new generation of leaders to carry their service from the battlefield to the sideline.
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