Friday Free Kick: Beyond Goals Mentoring's Michael Parkhurst on SDH AM

Four net for this. Okay. Yes, proper hydration. We have to be properly hydrated getting ready for this segment. And I think

Dell is going snaggle push here exit stage right with what happened in the midweek. And we bring in our buddy Michael

Parker's to knows exactly what I'm talking about. Good morning, John, and a special good morning to Mr. Dell as well.

Yeah, he was concerned. He was wondering if you were coming in this morning considering what happened in the midweek with the

three-nil result. And he was like, uh, yeah, I might have to might have to exit stage right even, you know, and head out.

Did you get a chance to watch that match? I sure did. So what are some of your takeaways, sir, about weekend midweek and getting a

large result that you need right now in USL championship? Yeah, it was really it was really good to get that result. We we did need it badly.

And the score line is a little deceiving. It was not a 4-0 game. It was it was actually a lot tighter than that. Oh, come on. It was a blowout. And you and you know it was.

But for once, we just we finished our chances a lot of them. So that was really nice. And, you know, we played on the counter attack. It seems like

often times when we have less than 40% of the ball, we win games. So, um, yeah, data, I guess, doesn't lie in the end.

Uh, so Charleston dominated the ball, but so we we counter attacked really well. We we took advantage of some opportunities and Charleston had some

opportunities, but we just either made saves or made blocks or they missed the, missed the goal. So it was an entertaining game for sure, but it was a big win. We needed that one. And it's always nice to score goals in front of your

home fans. Mm hmm. So, uh, when you get a when you get a result like this and you're you're dealing with a positive result coming off of and most times going into play in a

compressed schedule, it's it's a challenge to fight through and get the result that you're looking for it at the same time. You can't really dwell on it. It's like, yeah, it's cool and everything, but it's been processed and we've got to sit there and focus on the next thing.

There's no real chance to enjoy it and understand its place because you got to move on to the next. Literally, it's like, all right, what's done. We got to put it over here and focus on the next.

There's no time to sit there and go, man, we did something cool and we needed to do that. Now you've got to build on it and you don't have time to think about building

Yeah, I mean, you think about it that night and that evening and you enjoy yourself and you sleep well, not having a stress about that performance.

Uh, so I think everybody coaching staff players probably slept really well on Wednesday nights, uh, which is helpful.

Uh, so, but yeah, of course, we've got another game this weekend. We think we've got a cup game.

USL Cup. So, uh, we play the rival Hartford, uh, this weekend, but yeah, with to Del's point, uh, I was looking forward to watching, uh, QC A2 play.

Obviously, having spent time with him in Atlanta, I was looking to see, uh, how he was doing there for Charleston, but he was injured early, unfortunately.

Hmm.

Sorry, I was getting hydrated and caffeinated while you were talking. Um, you know, when you, you came down this past weekend,

first of all, it was very, very selfishly. It was good to see you and then actually, uh, be within, you know, like touching range.

It's like, oh, there's Michael Parkhurst. It's like to see you in person. It was very cool. What was it like for you to be back with the clinic and everything?

Yeah, it's always good to be back. I hadn't been to a, um, AU home game in a while actually. Uh, so it was good to be back in the building, see a game, um, see a lot of faces that's

I hadn't seen in a while, uh, which is always nice, uh, to reconnect with some people that, uh, had some good years with. So, uh, productive and enjoyable weekend, uh, result aside.

Right. And obviously we'll get into that in a bit, but I want to, I want to get into the productive part, the, the off the field stuff.

So you, you go wandering out, you have the, you have the audience there. And I imagine it was probably what about eight or nine different trumpeters on each side with your, with your guard of honor as you're walking out onto the field and you're getting ready for everything there.

So it was a chance for you, obviously, to, to give back, but what was it, you know, for you to be in those kinds of situations, what was it like to be able to have that kind of an audience?

As you continue to grow things with, uh, with Greg it beyond gold.

Yeah, it's always, uh, amazing to be back in front of fans and in the building. And I'm always, um, heart-warmed by the reception I receive and the recognition and, you know, people just, um, saying hello and everything. So, you know, that happened a couple times in the stadium that night. And it's always really nice. And so, uh, always, always so good to be back.

Yeah. Sure. And then when you, when you get to, now, when you're in the building, and I mean, this is outside of doing clinics and things like that, when you come back to Atlanta, do you get the fan questions?

Do you actually get soccer questions about, you know, from, from dads and moms and kids and things like that or is it just specifically soccer?

Would you like to answer soccer questions about their, their youngsters and things like that and helping them grow the game? Would you like to have a de facto beyond gold's clinic as you're walking into?

It's like, yes, I'm open to answering questions about, you know, about your child and mentoring. I'm open to that too. How, how does that work?

Uh, help us to Lanny and I did questions or do they, they actually ask me entering question?

Hmm.

More Lanny United and just life. I'm always happy to talk. Yeah. Mentoring stuff, but, um, more, more other stuff, honestly.

Uh, so I mean, I did get to a couple at Lanny United Academy games, which was nice. And, uh, uh, see next generation play a little bit.

They look good. Uh, I'm always shocked by all the talent that's out there. So, you know, that's great. Uh, it's still there and it's, uh, more reinforcements for, for future years down the line.

Uh-huh.

When, when you are, when you get to go and visit at Lanny United, do you get, do you take information? I mean, is it strictly just for you between the ears?

Is it one of those things where I'm going to enjoy myself here and then I look at the U18s and the U16s and I'm going, man, I'm, you know, got this coming along. Or do you take, do you take action that you're looking at on the field, file it away and does that help you with beyond goals when it comes to your mentoring?

Do you take examples? Do you take screenshots in your head about things that you see on the field and in practice and things and file that away for later?

Um, are you, are you just enjoy yourself?

I'm, I'm the purpose of it was just to go and enjoy see what the level was like, um, be around.

So that was what I was focused on. If there was ever something where I'm watching a game and I see something, of course, then I'll kind of put a note in the back of my head or write it down on my phone or something to talk about with mentees, but nothing occurred like that.

Like on the games that I watched, it's really just for me to see what the levels like, um, because, you know, I'm a, I see some mentees games here and there, but it's always tough to judge things and you know that Atlanta United's going to be one of the top level teams in the area at any given age group.

So now you, now I know, okay, this is the baseline here of how you can compare everybody.

Okay. Uh, and when you're writing things on your phone, do you actually take the pen and sit there and do it like this? Do you take the, do you take the pen and sit there and write it on your phone because I know I do.

I mean, that's what, you know, that's very fancy. I didn't even know I could have a pen on my phone.

Look, I had, look, I had a stylist on one of my old blackberries and it drove me crazy because it would never take the writing that it's like, I'm trying to write something and then the stylist would not write what I was trying to write.

And I'd have to write it like over and over again and then you'd have to go back, back, back, back, back because it would be a mess and you don't understand what you're writing.

So I was just, I was curious. Um, when, when you, it's, it's playoff time here and in the, in the state of Georgia and I have all of my brackets.

This is, this is the time of year where literally it is like brackets and fill them out and write and pen and it's like who's doing what and going all over the place.

When it comes to, do you ever get like emergency mentoring sessions that's like, do people sit there like in a crunch situation?

Do you get emergency calls about things like, you know, whatever pops into a mentees mind, hey, I need to, to step in outside of my normal, you know, pattern of catching up with you because of something that might be going on in a postseason situation.

Here and there. So I had a call on, was it Tuesday night, because he had a playoff game on Wednesday, I think.

Yeah, that sounds right. The playoff game on Wednesday, a big game, really nervous about it. So we connected on Tuesday night and spoke about it and, um, so yeah, it definitely happens.

And we had a great session and, um, he texted me the next day and they, they lost the game, but they were playing a team that was very highly ranked in the state.

And so it was not a surprise that they, they lost, but they only lost one zero. He was a defender and he said he played really well. So I was thrilled for him and, uh, yeah, it was.

It was, uh, you. Available to help out in the last minute crunch, if I can.

Yeah. And so is it when they call in these crunch situations? Is it just double checking and reaffirmation of previous things or do new things pop up? Is it new concerns or what?

What, what is in these nine, in these 911 calls that you get. In the beyond goals 9, 1, 1, 1, and you pick up the phone. Is it new stuff? Is it, or is it reaffirmation?

Uh, it's probably more reaffirmations, but you could just talking through things, right? Like, hey, you know, why, why, why are you nervous? Like, what's the worst that can happen?

Right. What about, so you're, you're, you're thinking about all these negative things. What could happen? But what, what about the positive? Right. What, what if you guys go out there and win?

Right. What, what if you go into the locker room, zero, zero at halftime? Who's under more pressure?

Um, you know, and just letting them know like even the top teams feel the pressure, right? The pressure is on them to win actually.

I talk about my time at Wake Forest. We were number one going into the NCAA tournament every year. I was there and, you know, we, we never made it to an elite eight.

And, uh, so upsets happen and top teams are nervous too. So, you know, don't think that just because you're an underdog, you guys are the only nervous ones know.

Um, so we just, we talked through some of that stuff and normalize it and, you know, try and give them some confidence.

Well, and does it, are the phone calls or the, the sessions or the 911 sessions, or they usually short with reaffirmations, or do you have to kind of remind your mentee over time?

It's like you have to try and draw it out of them. Is it, is the quick reaffirmation most of the time?

Or do you have to kind of sit there and, and walk them through, hey, it's okay to be nervous because nervous, if it's channeled correctly, nervous can be a good thing for you.

Totally. And usually it's players that I've worked with before. So it's a little shorter. And, you know, just talking about this specific situation and not.

Like confidence in general and in the long run, right? I'm just trying to help them in a very quick situation, be at their best for tomorrow.

Um, before we could talk about big picture stuff. So, or, or revisit big picture stuff. So it's really just kind of a couple small things of, you know, what to do with nerves, how to approach tomorrow?

Like, what are you going to eat? And what are you going to think about on the way to the game and those types of little things?

So when I, let me ask you this, it's two step thing. You open the door here.

When you, are you, do you still get nervous, even though you're not playing anymore, whether it's through it, through a mentoring session, whether it's, you know, public appearances, those kinds of things, do you still get that same kind of nervous energy, even though it's not on the field anymore, it's now doing this next stage.

Or are you the most confident person on the planet? You're just kind of like, yeah, man, I got, I've got all this.

No, I mean, even confident people get nervous, but, um, I think I'll, I get a little bit nervous when I'm doing.

Not so much team talks anymore because we've Greg and I have done enough where it's, we're in a good system and everything, but.

If I were to do like a company talk or something, I'd probably be a little nervous before that or speaking in front of a big engagement.

I'm pretty comfortable, but I'd still be a little nervous before something like that.

And I tell people that.

Rhode Island FC has brought into me a feeling that I haven't had in the long time, which is a real feeling of care.

And I think with that comes a little nervousness of watching their games, because, you know, when I watch Atlanta, I want them to win, of course, but I don't get nervous about it.

For, for Rhode Island, I do a little bit, I think just obviously being more than just connected.

So I do for those games, you're, well, you're invested. And I mean, that literally and figuratively, because of all of the effort that you put into this.

I will, I will admit that I still get nervous when I go on the air for anything, because if you're not nervous, then the importance of the moment is lost on you.

And every moment like that, it is important to someone somewhere about something that you're doing.

And so that's why for me, I still get the nervous moments in my stomach. I still have to take a walk a little bit, you know, to kind of back time my life and everything.

It's like, okay, if I've got to be here by this, then I've got to be ready here, but I'm sure I still get nervous about doing these kinds of things, because you don't want to let yourself down because of all the prep that you've made.

You don't want to let everyone else sort down around you that is a part of that team that's there, and you don't want to let the audience down because of their time that they've invested in you to be a part of what you they're doing.

So it's almost three separate things that you've got to juggle when it comes to this nervousness and the expectation of the moment.

Oh, absolutely. And yeah, Tiger Woods used to say if he wasn't, if he didn't feel a little bit nervous before a Sunday, he wasn't going to play as well or be as locked in.

And he, he welcomed it and wanted it. And so, yeah, there's absolutely something to feeling a little bit nervous that gets us on top of our A game or can get us on top of our A game.

When was, so alright, so then let me ask you, when was the last time that you were nervous?

Um, I don't know, 20th minute against Charleston on Wednesday night.

Well, and that's when, when you have that different kind of nervous now, when you wrote Island nervous, is it literally a different kind of nervous than it was when you were, whether, whether you're watching Atlanta United, being a part of it as a player, how different a nervous is it?

Oh, it's a, it's a different nervous nervous because you have no control over it.

Being as, being a fan or being on the sideline, it's way more nerve wracking. Honestly, it's one, I don't know if I could do coaching just because of that.

What's your mentoring and mentoring is coaching?

Yes, but there's, this is lessons and there's no immediate result going on.

And, and I can control, I can control some of it a little bit.

I can control the messaging and, and what they're receiving out there on the field.

I mean, coaches, they do the work beforehand, but, and they can make some adjustments, but it's on the players.

And so, yeah, I used to, it used to be the worst when I was as a pro if I was either on the bench or if I was at home watching,

having a travel or injured or something.

That was rough. That's super nerve wracking.

So, this is sort of like that. I'm not that, that nervous, but I definitely get my heart rate up.

I definitely yell at the TV here and there.

So, so you're saying we need to have an ISO camera on you in the house someplace when there's a Rhode Island game on and you're in your office and you're pacing back and forth nervously and screaming at the television.

There's no pacing. That's for sure, but I'm in the couch with some animated words of choice.

A telephone metaphor, sir.

Are they color from metaphors?

Similes thrown in there. Yeah. Some high coups.

Let's see. Now, now an angry, a parking angry high coup.

That would be something. That would be something for the was 434, whatever it is, I think I, you know, whenever you come up with an angry parking high coup for beyond goals.

I think that would be epic when that and have that as part of the beyond goals, mentoring handbook.

It's like, okay, you have to come up with an angry high coup for your, for your, for your mentees. That is tell this roles.

Michael Park was hanging out with us here for the Friday free kick as he has probably sprinted in from a workout and going, oh my god Nelson sent me an email this morning.

What am I going to do?

And getting early workout in this morning, but no, I was actually catching up on midweek MLS action.

I'll mention highlights and clip and stuff.

So that's what I was doing this morning.

All right. So what was the one thing that you found that you were, was there one thing that you were clipping the most and sitting there and saying, okay, commonality here, commonality here or was it moment, moment, moment, moment, moment, moment, moment because it affects different mentees.

So many things that stuck stood out that I clipped today was one in the New York City Cincinnati game.

I think his name's oh, hey, the winger for New York City.

He had a big chance for, and just beginning, beginning a second half on an acute angle and Selentano stuck a foot out and he saved it.

That almost the exact same angle and opportunity, like 15 minutes later, and he raised the ball a little bit and it went over Selentano's leg and into the back of the net.

And so it's a good example of, hey, you need to pick up information, you need to learn from things that happen in a game and adjust and he did it and scored.

So that was one. And then the second one, and I've seen a couple clips now, is center back positioning on crosses and not getting pulled out and leaving space and behind you.

It's, I saw a few different ones where it's like, of course, center back stuff gets me.

I'm like debating in my head, LA, I don't know how much MLS action you watch, but LA, it's entirely too much, but sure.

LA Galaxy will not win more games than not if Yoshida continues to play center back further.

Okay.

I so many clips, I see of him just mind boggling and I think that he's probably he's pretty good on the ball and I see he's a very good leader, I would assume.

And he's good in the air, but goodness me.

When it comes to set piece positioning and things like that, obviously it's the learn behavior with tape and everything and.

When you're trying to defend against that guy, capital T capital G, and you know that he's going to be working down a wing and there's going to be a pass that you're going to have to defend or there's going to be a corner or a set piece that that guy is going to be front and center on.

When it comes to study during the week, whether it's, I mean, and out on the field is one thing because you're looking at learn behaviors and things like that, how much film study would you get into as a player when you know that the opposition had that guy capital T capital G that you're going to have to close down first and foremost so you could be successful, how much film study did you do on the stars of the game knowing that they were going to be trying to do what they do in a given week.

Yeah.

Was it more on the field for you and knowing behaviors and tendencies or did you do or was it film study against the stars of the game that you knew were coming into your barn that you had to prep for.

I mean, no matter who, no matter who it was, I was watching film for sure.

And honestly, players that I had played against more often, I watched less film on because I knew already it's in my memory bank of tendencies they like to do.

Runs they make to like they like to make in the box, you know, those are things that I'm looking at when I'm watching film is, you know, how how do they like to get to goal, how do they like to score their goals, what are they doing around the box.

What runs do they make like to make those types of things so I don't need to see, you know, somebody that's good in the air, I don't need to see them head the ball 10 times right but I do like to see.

Are they doing it more at the near post that they doing it more at the back post is their movement really good or is it just that they're they can jump really well right what's going to help me.

Give myself the best chance to help defend this guy and you know if you're planning in somebody like Kai Kamara, you know, you know, you know, he can jump through a roof so it's hey if you get into this situation.

There's limited things you can do right it's preventing that situation keeping a high line and trying to block crosses but that's dependent on teammates and.

Yeah otherwise yeah you just get into the body make him jump over you and make it as difficult as possible because I know that I'm not just going to jump up against Kai Kamara let's.

That's stupid you know it's not going to do anything but if I just run into him and I he has to then jump over me and fall and that type of thing maybe it throws off his head or a little bit that's one thing I talk with defenders a lot about is.

You're not going to be able to prevent everything and block every shot and do everything perfectly sometimes it's a matter of making it as difficult as possible knowing that they are still going to get their shot off still might score what make it as difficult as possible in that moment.

Man talks disruption when he's talking about the stars do you when you're talking about this kind of stuff with defenders and mentees do you give them tape to reference from mls do you have them look at you know their opponents how do you you sit there and say okay focus on that your high school tape or look at mls guys look at ABC look at this guy this guy this guy this guy in this guy to help you out when it comes to reference material where do you go.

Yeah I'll try and if they if they share video with me then I'll look at their own video and we'll talk through things together but otherwise if if not or even in addition to I'll show them stuff from mls or mw so because obviously it's at a higher level than they're currently out but it's the same it's the same type of things it's the same space and a lot of it is just reading space and knowing okay hey.

When this when a center back steps out and there's a huge gap fill in the gap a little bit don't be standing next to your guy he's going to run right past you type things and if I see it in mls I sure know it's happening to 16 year olds.

Yeah I feel like all of a sudden I just have this this Michael Parkhurst version of the baseball bunch that needs to be taped every single time out where you're like you know Fred McGriff or Johnny Bench or Tommy LaSorta or whoever it was back in the day when you're bringing your stars and everything and they're walking you through everything literally it's like the the beyond goals bunch turn it into its own video series.

Before you get out of here I have to ask Atlanta United had a one nil lead gives up two goals in five to one loss you go from position a strength to a position of fighting and then really having to fight up up a big hill you're getting the chances but you're you're getting into the 18 but you're not finishing chances getting shots what are you looking at when you're seeing Atlanta United these days.

Yeah it was tough on Saturday that's for sure I thought you know what Nashville was there for the taking the first half and so we didn't do enough to take advantage of that because you let a good team like that stick around and you just know it's coming so you know that I think that that was disappointing we didn't do enough to really push things and get in behind and really take it to him in the first half.

And that's what happens and and I saw the arguments that were happening at the very end of the game and I thought you know some of that is really good and some of that is like oof you know I'm not surprised but it'll be interesting to see how things go from here and to see them come out and have a good performance overall against New England was refreshing and good so it's possible in there still.

So I think that after that game right I think unfortunately you're in a time period where you have to take positives even from a loss and try and build off of that because it's really fragile right now really fragile and you know I think that the hopes of even making it to the playoffs right now are so low in my mind that now it's kind of like.

Gosh can you can you just not finish towards the bottom and can we kind of I don't know get back to some semblance of respect within the league so that game shows that it's there but we're still so far away from where we need to be.

You can say and of course you talk you open up another door for me and it's time for you to go and actually have a weekend and have plans and everything as you get ready for a cup and then you got Birmingham coming in after that for Rhode Island FC and yes I do wear the gear around here and everybody sits there and goes oh look at that that is the fun part as always my friend it's great to see you thanks for putting up with all of my my golden retriever brain questions when it comes to everything involving beyond goals it's great to see my friend glad you were glad you were down here it was great to see you.

Like last and all of that stuff and don't be a stranger come and crash anytime and all that stuff and just go have a go have a weekend we'll catch up soon thanks John you as well.