He committed to a D1 school. Then didn’t go.
At 19 he opened a soccer training facility with zero experience, zero revenue, and kept getting kicked out of parks. Almost lost everything.
Now Jaydon Rodriguez runs Modern Elite Training in South Florida, working with players from MLS Next all the way to La Liga.
And he’ll tell you something most trainers won’t say out loud: most players are nowhere near as ready as they think they are. And they don’t work nearly as hard as they believe they do.
EP. 101 he breaks down exactly what separates players at every level — and what you actually need to do to get there.
What we get into:
The biggest problem in US youth soccer right now
How to actually know what level you’re at
Why the nonchalant trend is killing players’ chances
The real difference between a youth, D1 & pro player
Why your identity should never be only soccer
Comment “Podcast” and we’ll send you the full episode.
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05/28/2026
Roster for our Budapest Showcase in partnership with
05/26/2026
Your ability gets you on the pitch. Your email gets you in front of the coach.
Most players treat recruiting emails like a cover letter. Long, emotional, and easy to ignore. Coaches are not reading essays. They are scanning for data and if they cannot find it in a few seconds, they are moving on.
Four things determine whether your email gets opened or deleted. Most players are getting them wrong.
Save this and get ahead of the players who haven’t figured it out yet.
05/23/2026
The world’s best players will be preparing for
the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the same campuses where the next generation of American players are being developed.
Mbappé. Salah. Kudus. These are just some of the names that will be training on US college facilities this summer.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s a statement about where US soccer infrastructure is right now.
Swipe to see five more nations basing themselves at NCAA universities this summer.
05/22/2026
The dream is real. So is the work.
College soccer players aren’t built in training sessions alone. They’re built in early mornings, late study nights, film rooms, and weight rooms. They’re built through discipline that most people never see.
Every hour of this schedule is an hour invested in the player you’re becoming.
The question isn’t whether you’re talented enough. It’s whether you’re committed enough.
05/22/2026
EP. 100 is here.
Matteo Gasperoni (FIU) has traveled to more than 8 countries watching players this year. He sat down with us to tell you exactly what he’s looking for and what most players are getting wrong.
If you’re serious about D1, this one is required listening.
Comment “PODCAST” for the link.
Follow for more real recruiting advice.
A high school player competing against MLS Next kids, international players and transfer students asking how do I get noticed
It is a question Kam hears all the time
And the honest answer is that the D1 pathway is getting harder to reach
The transfer portal and the rise of international recruitment means the competition at the top level has never been higher
But that does not mean your pathway does not exist
Connections matter and so does being open minded about where you start
Some players see a D3 offer and let their ego get in the way
But Kam has seen players take that route and go on to be incredibly successful
Others take a gap year and earn their D1 shot later
There is no one path
But there is always a path if you are willing to sacrifice a little and trust the process
What we spoke about in this clip:
Why the D1 pathway is becoming more competitive than ever
How being open to different levels can actually accelerate your development
Why sacrificing ego for opportunity is a decision that pays off
If you are a high school player trying to figure out your next step this clip will help you see the bigger picture
Speaking with Owen from Flow Soccer he had a message for every young player
If you want more feedback from your coach you have to be specific about what you are asking for
Do not just walk up and say what can I do better
That question gets you a general answer
But if you come to your coach and say I have been struggling to turn out of pressure as a midfielder, what can I do differently
Now you have their full attention
That level of self awareness tells a coach everything about how serious you are
And it makes it impossible not to invest time in you
The players who grow the fastest are not always the most talented
They are the ones who know exactly what they need to work on and are not afraid to ask for help
What we spoke about in this clip:
Why being specific when asking for feedback changes the response you get
How showing self awareness makes coaches want to invest more time in you
What the difference is between a player who grows and one who stays still
If you are not getting the feedback you need from your coach this clip will change how you approach that conversation
The World Cup is on home soil.
Every eye on the planet is pointed at this country. And for the first time, the world gets to see exactly how far this sport has come.
Because it has come far. MLS is legitimately competitive.
Homegrown talent is breaking into top European clubs. College soccer has produced some of the most technically developed players this country has ever seen, and it continues to attract international talent who see the NCAA pathway as a genuine route to the professional game. The standard is rising every single year.
A generation of players has grown up with proper coaching, better facilities, and a real belief that American soccer belongs at the top table. The quality is real. The ambition is real.
This is the moment the sport has been building toward.
But there are still gaps that need closing.
Pay-to-play models continue to price out talented kids who simply don’t have the financial backing. And some academies still put profit ahead of player development, which holds the system back from reaching its ceiling.
The infrastructure has had decades to get this right. Most of it did.
The world is about to find out just how much.
Drop your honest take below. 👇
You do not need to be a global brand to succeed in football business
The advice is simple
Find your niche and become the best in the world at it
That is exactly what this guest did
For 15 years they focused on one specific area of the market
Not everything, not everyone, just one thing done better than anyone else
And now they lead the world in that niche
Most people try to do too much too soon
The ones who build something real go deep before they go wide
What we spoke about in this clip:
Why finding a niche is the most important decision when starting a football business
How focusing on one area gives you a real competitive advantage
What 15 years of niche focus can build in the football industry
If you have ambitions to build something in football this is where you start
Kam breaks down one of the biggest decisions young players are making right now
A lot of players are switching to MLS Next because they think it will fast track their college recruiting
And there is truth to that
MLS Next has better tournaments where coaches can come and watch multiple players in one place
But do not think just playing there means a scholarship is coming your way
A coach is not going to walk up and hand you an offer
There is still a growth process
What actually matters is your level of play
If you are performing at a high level you can get recruited regardless of what platform you are on
It just comes down to the school and how open you are to where that opportunity takes you
What we spoke about in this clip:
Why MLS Next gives players a better chance of being seen by college coaches
Why switching leagues alone is not enough to get recruited
How your level of play matters more than the platform you are on
If you are making decisions about your pathway based on recruiting this clip will help you think it through
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