A Podcast For DFW Club Soccer Parents
Regulation ends when the ref blows the whistle. The real conversation — recruiting, club politics, playing time, burnout — happens in the minutes after. That's where we live.
Listen NowScroll
A Podcast For DFW Club Soccer Parents
Regulation ends when the ref blows the whistle. The real conversation — recruiting, club politics, playing time, burnout — happens in the minutes after. That's where we live.
Listen NowThe Premise
Stoppage Time is a podcast for parents navigating the sprawling, confusing, expensive world of DFW youth club soccer — from first rec league touches to college recruiting.
Every episode, we get into what actually happens on the sidelines, in the group chats, and around the kitchen table: the decisions no club handbook prepares you for.
Episode 1
Two DFW soccer dads, five soccer playing kids between them, and zero professional soccer credentials. Colby and Cable introduce themselves, explain why they started this show, and walk through their own kids' soccer journeys — the good calls, the "what were we thinking" moments, and everything in between.
Episode 2
Colby and Cable sit down with guest Curtis Partain, who played for the Dallas Rockets — the first Texas team ever to reach a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Curtis shares what that run was like, and the conversation turns into a look at how the DFW club soccer scene has changed from those early days to what parents navigate now.
Episode 3
Colby and Cable dig into the rec-to-club transition — what it actually looks like and what parents should know before making the jump. There's a lot to unpack here! They also go over their "Top 10 Soccer Parent Pet Peeves," which they've all been guilty of — take note!
Episode 4
So many choices — MLS Next, ECNL, GA, ECRL, NPL, N1, PPIL, Pre-ECNL, and more. Colby and Cable break down what level is actually right for your kid, how to qualify, where and when games happen, and what it all costs. There's a lot to unpack here.
Episode 5
Your season's about to start, but your kid plays multiple sports — so now what? Colby and Cable get into the schedule overlap, the burnout conversation, and the tough calls nobody warns you about. Plus shoutouts to DFW players on the U.S. Youth National Team.
Episode 6
Your kid's coach can make or break their whole soccer experience — so how do you actually know if you picked the right one? Colby and Cable break down what to look for in your club coach — the red flags, the green flags, and the questions every soccer parent should be asking before tryouts roll around again.
Episode 7
What style of play does your kid's team or club actually identify with — and what's it really playing, versus what it claims to play? Colby and Cable dig into whether style of play even matters for your kid's development, with some takes you might not agree with. Plus: should your son or daughter have a soccer social media account? When's the right age, who should run it, and do college coaches actually look?
Episode 8
Every soccer parent has asked it. The kid next to yours has a trainer three days a week, your group chat is full of highlight clips from 1-on-1 sessions, and now you're wondering if you're already behind. Colby and Cable get into the questions nobody gives you a straight answer on: when private training should actually start, how much is too much, what you should expect to pay, and whether it actually helps development or is just FOMO. Joining them is Vedral Soccer, who runs an elite training company in the Dallas metroplex developing high-level players and confident leaders on and off the field.
Episode 9
Dues. Team fees. Uniforms. Hotels. Flights. And yes... the coach's travel too. Colby and Cable break down the true cost of playing club soccer in DFW — the stuff nobody puts on the registration page. Plus a few shoutouts and some classic scatter shooting.
Episode 10
We're past the midpoint of the fall season, so Colby and Cable check in on how it's going across DFW youth soccer — what's working, what's not, and what families should watch for down the stretch. Then it's futsal: what it is, why so many top players swear by it, and whether it's worth adding to your kid's winter. Plus a look at one of the most underappreciated jobs in club soccer — the team manager — and what to know before you raise your hand to volunteer.
Episode 11
Your kid wakes up sick and has to miss training. Will it cost them minutes this weekend? Colby and Cable get into how coaches and clubs actually handle missed sessions, how to let the coach know, and whether it’s ever worth pushing a sick kid to show up. Then it’s local quick hits, including a youth club coach who made contact with opposing 10-year-olds just trying to celebrate a goal. Plus: MLS Next with no high school and no guaranteed minutes, or ECNL/ECRL, high school, and all the game time? And why don’t the big clubs have a travel fund for families heading to league games in places like Denver? And more!
On The Show
Who's Talking
Co-Host
Colby Smith
Colby grew up in Fort Worth and played baseball and basketball at Keller High School, never once picturing himself as a soccer dad. A Texas Tech grad with a degree in Radio/TV, Colby has three sons — the oldest currently at the University of Oklahoma, and two younger sons (16 and 14) who've played club soccer in DFW since they were about seven for multiple leagues: Classic, ECNL, and MLS Next with FC Dallas Academy. What started as a sport he didn't grow up with has become a decade-plus deep dive into the club system, recruiting landscape, and everything in between.
Co-Host
Cable Smith
Cable Smith is a Dallas native and host of the popular Lone Star Outdoors Show. He grew up playing club soccer and suited up for Bishop Lynch High School before earning his Radio, TV and Film degree from the University of North Texas — even interning for the legend Norm Hitzges at The Ticket. Cable and his wife are raising three kids — two girls and a boy — all of whom play club soccer today, giving him a front-row seat to the DFW youth landscape from multiple angles at once.
Together, Cable and Colby bring the perspective of guys who've lived every stage of this — from first tryouts to college signing day — and turned it into the conversation DFW soccer parents didn't know they needed.
We're lacing up. Drop your email and we'll let you know the moment episode one drops.
Or reach us directly at hello@stoppagetimepod.com
15% OFF
STOPPAGE15
The Goalkeeper U
15% OFF small group season
STOPPAGETIME
Vedral Soccer
$5 OFF Sunday Pickup & Prizes
STOPPAGETIME