98. Pat McStay - ECNL Heritage Project

Hi I’m Scot Cooper and this is the Tales From the Trail podcast by MatchPlay.  In this episode, Justin Chezem, head coach of Christopher Newport University men’s soccer and I welcome Pat McStay of the ECNL’s Heritage Project and the Richmond Strikers.  Along with his duties at the Strikers, Pat has taken on the role of developing the Heritage Project which connects youth soccer players in the U.S. with the countries of their heritage to potentially play for those countries’ national teams. Pat describes it as: With the overwhelming success of the 2023 Women's World Cup, featuring dozens of ECNL alumni, the ECNL has decided to launch The Heritage Project. The project's underlying motive is to provide additional pathways and opportunities for players currently playing in the ECNL (and alum) who may have ties to other countries based on parents and/or grandparents' place of birth or other factors (heritage players). The project's overall goal is to help connect high level players with Federations they may not have access to otherwise. It will be an extensive, time consuming journey, but both the ECNL and partnering Federations feel that this could be a very important part of their scouting future.

Summary

Pat McStay discusses the Heritage Project, a program in partnership with the ECNL that aims to connect youth soccer players in the United States with their heritage countries' national teams. The project seeks to provide an alternative pathway for players who may not be selected for the US youth national teams but have eligibility for other countries. Pat explains the process of identifying eligible players, reaching out to federations, and facilitating connections between clubs and national teams. He emphasizes the importance of spreading awareness about the project and encourages support from the soccer community.

Takeaways

The Heritage Project aims to connect youth soccer players in the US with their heritage countries' national teams.

The project provides an alternative pathway for players who may not be selected for the US youth national teams.

The process involves identifying eligible players, reaching out to federations, and facilitating connections between clubs and national teams.

Spreading awareness about the project is crucial for its success and support from the soccer community is encouraged.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Background

03:10 The Heritage Project

08:28 Connecting Clubs and Federations

13:40 Eligibility and Evaluation Process

18:29 Success Stories and Closing the Gap

21:14 Reaching Out and Getting Involved

25:26 Focus on Women's Soccer

27:31 Expanding Beyond ECNL

30:54 How to Support the Project

32:43 Closing Remarks