Soccer Podcast: Red River Football Club & FB Sports Partnership

In this episode, we dive into the fast-growing world of soccer development in the Shreveport-Bossier region as Brad welcomes Ryan Wheeler and Adam Williams—two leaders shaping the future of the sport through Red River Football Club and FB Sports.The conversation opens with a look at FB Sports, a ministry of First Bossier, committed to building community through sports for over a decade. Ryan shares the vision behind founding Red River Football Club, a pre-professional soccer organization created to fill a 200-mile competitive gap and provide a true “path to pro” for local and national players. Listeners will hear how the club competes in the nationwide SL2 league and how its summer developmental model prepares athletes for the next level.Adam Williams brings an international perspective with roots in Liverpool, England and professional experience abroad. He discusses his mid-season move into coaching, his global recruiting efforts, and the upcoming 2028 promotion/relegation system that is redefining U.S. soccer. Ryan highlights how Adam’s European expertise fills a crucial coaching need in a sport that demands specialized knowledge.The episode also introduces the Red River Raiders Academy, a youth development program for ages 2–8 that blends early soccer skills with character-building lessons like patience and confidence. Adam shares some light-hearted stories from coaching toddlers—“feeling like a clown sometimes”—all while building young players from the ground up.A major highlight is the official announcement of the partnership between FB Sports and Red River Raiders Academy, launching an 8-week recreational league in Spring 2026. The collaboration brings together soccer excellence and a Christ-centered environment, complete with Wednesday skill sessions, coordination with local church services, and cross-promotion with Bossier Parks and Recreation to create a full pathway from recreational play to competitive soccer.The conversation wraps with a friendly penalty-kick challenge between the host and Adam—including the host’s playful claim that “Pele trained me back in the fifties.”This episode is full of insight, humor, and vision for the region’s soccer future.