MLS NEXT Academy: How Far Should Parents Go? | Justin Phelps

How far should a family go for elite youth soccer?In this episode of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia talk with Justin Phelps about the real cost of pursuing an MLS NEXT academy opportunity and how that decision can affect family life.They discuss relocation, long commutes, emotional strain, routines, pressure, academy environment, and the difference between a strong badge and a truly developmental setting.This episode is for soccer parents navigating MLS NEXT, ECNL, academy decisions, relocation questions, and the difficult line between supporting a child’s ambition and protecting the family around it. https://chasingthegame.us(00:00) - Cold open. The 13 year old roommate (00:45) - MLS NEXT and environment. Why families relocate (01:38) - Who is Justin. Soccer HQ, outsider dad learning the game (03:03) - The Orlando City Academy call (05:00) - The U13 jump. physicality, speed, confidence (10:00) - The family math. travel, money, emotional cost (15:00) - Apartment life. routines, pressure, staying positive (24:08) - My roommate is my 13 year old son (24:42) - The omelet moment (33:20) - How to evaluate an academy. signals that matter (44:37) - Advice to the Zillow parent. before you move (48:40) - What we learned. next steps Click here to view the episode transcript.