Yes, it’s hard to believe. But college coaches are sentient beings too. And they, like other people, have interests and hobbies and enjoy good laughs and good conversation. Why this topic? A comprehensive CaptainU recruiting study has shown that one of players’ greatest fears in the recruiting process is talking with college coaches. So we figured, let’s go out and talk to a few coaches and show how approachable and enthusiastic they are to talk about stuff.

How can young players use this? Put together a list of talking points, call a college coach, and have a conversation.

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Don’t just listen here! Subscribe for free to our podcast feed using iTunes. Just click the button at the top right that says “Subscribe with iTunes.” iTunes will automatically grab all future episodes and serve them up on a platter.

Watch this.

In the latest episode of Radio CaptainU, we look near and far at how soccer is being used to solve the world’s problems. We start in our own backyard with Urban Initiatives and then take a trip through the magical inter-tubes to southern Africa with Grassroot Soccer. Nate joins the podcast juggernaut and stumps me with obscure, forgettable, annoying trivia about the English 5th division. We dig into our mailbag to answer a pressing recruiting question and also meet the Neil Armstrong of CaptainU.

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Download: Radio CaptainU – Episode 5

After a hiatus of a few months, Radio CaptainU, our podcast is back in effect. In this episode, Avi talks with Kelly Shulman, one of the players on CaptainU and we hear from our EPL and European soccer critic in residence Brian Raffaele.

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Download: Radio CaptainU – Episode 5

Imagine losing every conference game for six years. That was the plight of Case Western Reserve University’s mens soccer team. Yet in the last four years, Head Coach Dan Palmer and his players have turned the program around. Their hard work has paid off with regular conference wins in the highly competitive University Athletic Association, a strong run in the 2006 NCAA tournament, and a #2 national ranking.

In this go around of Radio CaptainU, I spoke with Dan Palmer about Case Western’s impressive turnaround, what the program is all about, recruiting, and what he anticipates during the fast-approaching conference season.

So check out Episode 3(!!!!), by clicking below, or subscribing to our podcast feed through iTunes. BTW – Keep the good feedback coming about the podcast. We’re constantly trying to improve it.

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Here are some highlights, in case you’ve only got a few minutes to listen:

2:45 – How a high ranking changes things

4:00 – The breakthrough 2006 season

6:15 – The make-up of the 2007 squad

8:15 – Recruiting during the rough years…and now

11:00 – How college soccer has become much more competitive

12:30 – The crazy rigor of the UAA conference

Okay, so Vegas has a lot to offer. The Mirage, the New York New York roller coaster, Hoover Dam — not to mention a litany of vices that shouldn’t be mentioned here. I mean, what could possibly be better than daily Celine Dion concerts?!

People often forget that beyond the wildlife of the Strip is an actual city with actual people who don’t wear circus costumes on a regular basis. UNLV is one such outpost. It’s a good school with an up and coming women’s soccer team that has won the Mountain West Conference title for three years in a row.

In the latest episode of Radio CaptainU, we speak with Brittany Oliveira, the assistant women’s coach at UNLV. She shares her perspectives on the upcoming season, UNLV, her own recruiting and college experiences, and suggestions for players who want to play in college.

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The first, the inaugural podcast! Our foray into quasi-radio broadcasting begins. Each week or so we’ll bring you new stories from people throughout the soccer world. The emphasis will, of course, be on college soccer. But if we can get an interview with Cristiano Ronaldo, I think we’ll take.

This week we talk with Peter Glidden and Jared Ashe, two standouts over the last few years at Wesleyan University. They opine on the goodness of college soccer, reminisce about team bus trips, and make some recommendations for young players.

So check it out. And make sure you don’t miss an episode by subscribing to our feed through iTunes. New to podcasting? It’s powerful, fun stuff. Check out what Wikipedia has to say.

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Download: Radio CaptainU – Episode 1