The Next Level Training Soccer Podcast with host Aaron Byrd and Jeff Suffolk
May 10, 2026 · 1 hr 37 min · 33 segments
In Episode 60, Jeff and Aaron bring on US Soccer Educator and USSF A License Coach, Jason Smith, from one of the largest grassroot programs in the Midwest United States, in Traverse City Michigan.
Or does it not matter 'cause they won? I thought, does it not matter 'cause they won, or does the quality of play matter more? 'Cause I'm not really sure which one we're giving, giving wins and losses for.
I'm telling you what, that quality of play ranking's funny, 'cause now that I've been sitting in it for four seasons, I've seen...
And if you don't know what that is, uh, from ages U13 to U14 on the boys side, MLS Next obviously is just the boys side.
In order to get into certain tournaments, your quality-of-play ranking matters more than your win-loss.
And so you can swing the ball 95 times in the backfield if a team's playing a low block press, and your quality-of-play ranking will go through the roof.
It's just an attempt to fix the system, which we're gonna talk about today, you know, 'cause there's...
You can always get the biggest, strongest, fastest kid at 14 and just kick the ball up to him, and your quality-of-play ranking's gonna be really low.
Or does it not matter 'cause they won? I thought, does it not matter 'cause they won, or does the quality of play matter more? 'Cause I'm not really sure which one we're giving, giving wins and losses for.
I'm telling you what, that quality of play ranking's funny, 'cause now that I've been sitting in it for four seasons, I've seen...
And if you don't know what that is, uh, from ages U13 to U14 on the boys side, MLS Next obviously is just the boys side.
In order to get into certain tournaments, your quality-of-play ranking matters more than your win-loss.
And so you can swing the ball 95 times in the backfield if a team's playing a low block press, and your quality-of-play ranking will go through the roof.
It's just an attempt to fix the system, which we're gonna talk about today, you know, 'cause there's...
You can always get the biggest, strongest, fastest kid at 14 and just kick the ball up to him, and your quality-of-play ranking's gonna be really low.
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