Side Story Sports Podcast

Data Science often feels cold. We think of algorithms, spreadsheets, and “Moneyball” tactics that strip the soul out of sports.But Skye Reymond isn’t just a number cruncher. She is a former college soccer player who grew up with the game in her DNA. Now, as the Senior Director of Data Science at U.S. Soccer, she uses analytics not to replace the human element, but to understand it.On this week’s episode, we sat down with Skye to explore how her team turns raw data into the strategy that will define the 2026 World Cup.Here is the side story of how math is growing the game, one insight at a time.The “Sky Smith” Problem: Mapping the Fan JourneyOne of the hardest problems in sports business isn’t selling a ticket; it’s understanding who bought it.Skye shared a personal example that highlights the complexity of her job. Years ago, she was “Sky Smith,” a youth player registered under her parents’ email address. Today, she is Skye Reymond, a Director of Coaching and a Federation employee.“My name used to be Sky Smith... and the email associated with my registration was my parents’. Being able to string together that this person is likely the same person that registered 10 years ago is important.”Her team built a custom “Unification” model to solve this. By connecting these dots, U.S. Soccer can see the full lifecycle of a fan—from a 10-year-old taking their first touch to an adult buying tickets for the National Team. It’s not just data; it’s a biography of a soccer life.The Ghana Match: 3,000 Tickets in 48 HoursData is often abstract, but Skye gave us a concrete example of how her “Propensity Models” (likelihood to purchase) drive real-world action.A few years ago, the Men’s National Team was playing Ghana in Nashville. The team needed a push for ticket sales. Instead of blasting every fan in the database, Skye’s team identified the specific people most likely to attend based on their history.They tailored the “48-Hour Before Kickoff” email specifically for that group.“We ended up selling 3,000 tickets in the last 48 hours... which is a pretty significant lift.”This is the power of modern data science. It isn’t about spamming fans; it’s about finding the people who want to be there and giving them the nudge they need.The 2026 Vision: Do We Have Enough Referees?With the World Cup coming to the U.S. in 2026, Skye is looking beyond ticket sales. She is modeling the infrastructure of the sport itself.She knows the tournament will cause a massive spike in youth participation. But enthusiasm isn’t enough—you need logistics.“If there’s a place that might see an increase in participation, do we have the refs available in that place? And if not, can we support them with additional referee courses?”This is the “Side Story” that goes unnoticed. While the world focuses on the stadiums, Skye’s team is analyzing zip codes to ensure that when a million new kids sign up to play soccer in 2027, there is actually a referee there to blow the whistle.The Takeaway: Skye Reymond proves that you don’t need to be a striker to score goals for U.S. Soccer. By blending her competitive history with cutting-edge science, she is building the digital infrastructure that will support the sport’s massive growth.Listen to the full conversation with Skye to hear how she balances her high-pressure role with her “side hustle” as a youth club coach on the latest episode of Side Story Sports. You’ll hear about her unexpected path from the pitch to programming, how synthetic data can simulate fan behavior, and why mapping a person’s soccer identity might be one of the sport’s most powerful new tools. This is the side story of how numbers are not just informing the game — but growing it — one insight at a time. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sidestorysports.substack.com

If you look at Joe LaBue’s resume, it reads like a highlight reel of the mid-Atlantic sports world: The Washington Commanders, The Capitals, The Panthers, and finally, the launch of Charlotte FC.But titles don’t tell you what it feels like to sit in an empty stadium after a decision goes wrong. They don’t tell you what it’s like to leave a “dream job” in the MLS to navigate the chaos of the NCAA’s new NIL era.On this week’s episode, we sat down with Joe LaBue, now the Deputy Athletic Director and Chief Revenue Officer at the University of Maryland, to talk about the reality of running a sports franchise.Here is the side story of how a ticket salesman became a president, and why the “unsexy” decisions are usually the most important ones.The 100-Million Dollar MisconceptionIn the sports industry, everyone wants to work in sponsorships. It has the cachet; you’re dealing with big brands, TV deals, and flashy activations.But early in his career, LaBue made a move that confused his peers: He left a high-level corporate partnership role to go back into ticket sales. Why? Because he understood the math.“While partnerships has the cachet... Ticketing is the engine. Ticketing drives dollars, ticketing drives engagement, ticketing is the foundational piece of everything... If [the fans] are not there, you don’t have a building.”He broke down the reality: In the NFL, after the massive TV money, ticketing is often a $100M+ revenue stream, dwarfing sponsorships. His advice to young professionals? Don’t chase the glamour. Chase the engine.The “Good” Failure: The Afternoon MatchLeadership is often framed as a series of brilliant victories. LaBue offers a different perspective: Leadership is about taking calculated risks, even when they flop.He recounted a specific experiment during Charlotte FC’s second season. The club lobbied the league to move a match against the New England Revolution to the afternoon, aiming to attract young families who couldn’t make the standard 7:30 PM kickoffs.The result? It fell flat. Ticket sales were low, and to add insult to injury, it was 85 degrees and humid.But LaBue’s takeaway wasn’t regret.“I would do it over again because we felt like it was the right thing to do... We were thinking about the five and six-year-olds that weren’t going to those Saturday night games. Now we’ve got a data point moving forward.”It’s a masterclass in decision-making: You make the call based on your values (growing the fanbase), you accept the result, and you learn.The “Wild West” of College SportsNow at his alma mater, Maryland, LaBue is facing a new frontier: The NCAA in the era of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and revenue sharing.He compares the current landscape to a startup environment. It’s no longer just about “tradition” and “school spirit”; it’s about being commercially minded in a space that used to view money as taboo.“It’s a bit of the Wild West... but the ones that figure it out, you’re going to see it translate on the field.”He is applying the same “Art and Science” approach he used in the pros—balancing the cold hard data of revenue sharing with the emotional connection alumni feel for their school.The Takeaway: Joe LaBue proves that the “business of sports” isn’t just about the bottom line. It’s about handwritten notes (a ritual he swears by), understanding the people in the stands, and having the courage to try things that might fail.Listen to the full conversation to hear Joe’s thoughts on the future of college athletics and his memories of Charlotte FC’s historic opening night on the latest episode of Side Story Sports. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sidestorysports.substack.com

If you follow soccer in America, you have likely seen Favian Renkel’s name. He has bylines in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, and OneFootball. He is everywhere.But the byline doesn’t tell you how he got there. It doesn’t tell you that for years, “covering the team” meant waking up at 3:00 AM in Japan to translate post-game press conferences for the San Jose Earthquakes, only to finish just in time for his infant son to wake up so he could start his day as a dad and an English teacher.On this week’s episode, we sat down with the founder of Futwrk to talk about the unglamorous reality of breaking into sports media.Here is the side story of a journalist who realized that in 2024, writing the story isn’t enough—you have to sell it, too.The Japan Chapter: Grinding in the DarkFavian’s big break didn’t happen in a press box in Los Angeles. It happened in a quiet room across the Pacific.Living in Japan with his pregnant wife during COVID, Favian spotted an opportunity. The San Jose Earthquakes had an Argentine coach, Matias Almeyda, and the local press corps needed someone who understood the nuances of South American Spanish.So, Favian lived a double life.“It was 3:00 AM press conferences... doing my journalistic work, and the conference would end at 5:00 AM. And then your son wakes up and it’s time to be a dad.”This wasn’t just about translation; it was about sheer will. That period taught him to report “on the fly” and handle the delirium of deadline pressure—skills that would later define his career when he returned to the States to cover MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup.The “Dirty Word” of Journalism: MarketingThere is an old-school belief that if you write a great story, the audience will find it. Favian disagrees.Coming from a background in sales (selling high-end plumbing fixtures, of all things), he treats content differently than most purists. He argues that modern journalists must surrender to the algorithm to survive.“You can be the best writer in the world, but you need to have people to read it... If you’re being naive on purpose [to get engagement], they’re going to interact. And that’s how you build your following.”It’s a controversial take, but an honest one. Favian admits that “rage baiting” or playing the engagement game is the price of admission in the attention economy. You can’t change the culture of soccer if no one sees your tweets.The Futwrk Aesthetic: Making Soccer “Cool”Favian’s latest venture, Futwrk, is an attempt to recapture a feeling he had as a kid. He grew up reading SLAM Magazine, looking at photos of Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant and thinking they were the coolest people on earth.He felt American soccer media was too stiff. It lacked that “magazine” swagger.“If I was a kid... would I think, ‘Man, I want to be just like him?’”Futwrk blends journalism with high-end graphic design and photography to frame MLS players not just as athletes, but as icons. It’s a project born from his time as a graphic designer, proving that in the modern media landscape, you can’t just wear one hat. You have to be the writer, the editor, the designer, and the hype man.The Burnout TrapThe danger of the “Side Story” hustle is that it never stops. Favian shared a pivotal conversation he had with veteran writer Charlie Boehm about the sustainability of the grind.“You have to train your work ethic like a muscle. If you go from zero to 100 right at the start... you’re going to burn yourself out.”Favian is still learning this balance. But he offers a reminder to every aspiring creator: The goal isn’t to cover everything. It’s to find your niche (like being the bilingual reporter who can joke with Jordi Alba) and own it completely.The Takeaway:Favian Renkel represents the new prototype of the sports media personality. He isn’t waiting for a newspaper to hire him. He is building his own platform, designing his own graphics, and sleeping when the work is done.Listen to the full conversation to hear Favian’s advice on navigating the “Wild West” of soccer media on the latest episode of Side Story Sports. Whether you’re a sports fan, a media watcher, or someone trying to tell stories in a world where every channel demands its own version, this episode digs into the practical reality and the philosophical trade-offs of modern sports journalism.Links & resources:* Favian Renkel on Urban Pitch / Leagues Cup* Favian on X / Instagram: @FavianRenkel / @iamfavianrenkel* Subscribe to Futwrk and follow his side projects This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sidestorysports.substack.com

If you browse the library of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, you will see thousands of hours of content. Live matches, yes. But also deep-dive documentaries, player profiles, and “Breakaway” features.While the live broadcast team is frantic to capture the goal in real-time, there is another team working on a different timeline. They are the ones telling you who the player is after the whistle blows.This week, we sat down with Galina Plutova, the Manager of Feature Production for Major League Soccer. She is one of the fascinating people “around the industry” whose vision shapes how we connect with the athletes.Here is the side story of how she brings soccer’s biggest moments to life—not from the live truck, but from the edit bay.The Choreography of Pre-ProductionIn live sports, the action dictates the coverage. But in Feature Production, you have to create the environment before the camera even rolls. Galina argues that the real magic happens in these quiet moments.She calls it “Pre-Production,” but you can hear the dancer in her voice when she describes it. It’s choreography.Take her recent shoot with Charlotte FC’s Wilfried Zaha. Zaha is a Premier League legend, but for this feature, Galina didn’t want a standard post-game interview. She wanted a human connection.“We wanted to recreate a lounge-like or coffee shop-like environment... making sure the logistics are in a comfortable spot so both [interviewees] could feel at ease.”She and her team didn’t just set up cameras; they built a stage. By meticulously planning the environment, she allowed two athletes to stop performing and start talking. That is the difference between covering a sport and producing a feature.The Messi Moment: Capturing the Feeling, Not Just the PlayThere is no bigger “action” in recent sports history than Lionel Messi’s arrival in MLS. The media circus was suffocating.When Galina was on the field for his regular-season debut, she wasn’t responsible for the live game feed. Her job was arguably harder: Capture the emotion of the moment for the league’s social and digital channels.While the world watched the game clock, she went into a flow state to capture the history.“I just remember myself on autopilot... I know what my job is, I know what I’m doing at this moment.”It wasn’t until she got home that the adrenaline faded and the reality set in. It’s a reminder that while the live broadcast captures the stat, feature producers like Galina capture the soul of the event.Reframing the “Failures”What happens when the story goes off-script? When a hurricane cancels the planned outdoor lifestyle shoot?In live TV, you have three seconds to react. In Feature Production, you have a moment to breathe—but the problem is just as complex. Galina views these logistical nightmares not as disasters, but as puzzles.“I don’t think there are any failures in production... You just have to reframe them. If you can’t do the outdoor setting, you exercise a creative muscle to figure out how to problem solve.”This is the mindset that separates the people who watch the industry from the people who create it. It’s the ability to take a broken plan and improvise new steps—a skill she likely perfected years ago, dancing under the bright lights.The Takeaway:Galina Plutova may not call the plays in the broadcast booth. She does something arguably more lasting: she crafts the story that remains after the score is settled. She is the choreographer behind the curtain, ensuring that the players are seen as people, not just “deities.”Listen to the full conversation with Galina to hear more about her journey from the dance floor to the edit bay on the latest episode of Side Story Sports. This is the side story of how soccer’s most memorable moments are captured, and the woman whose vision helps bring them to the world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sidestorysports.substack.com

Prematch: The Elevator PitchWhen Chris Rivett meets a stranger and tells them he is the Director of Communications for PRO Referees, he knows what’s coming. The eye roll. The joke about a missed call. The skepticism.So, he has developed a survival mechanism. An opening line.“Just hang in there for me,” he tells them. “Hear me out. I might just change your mind.”Chris isn’t just a spokesman. He is a crisis manager, a storyteller, and a bridge between the laws of the game and the raw emotion of the fans. But to understand how he handles the pressure of MLS officiating, you have to understand where he learned to handle pressure in the first place.It wasn’t on a soccer pitch. It was in a shoe factory.First Half: The BootsChris grew up in Northampton, England—a working-class town about an hour north of London. He didn’t have a grand plan to work in sports. He just wanted a job.His first “real” gig was as a management trainee for Dr. Martens, the iconic boot manufacturer.“I was earning money while my friends were spending it,” Chris recalls.He spent four years there, rotating through departments. He tested software in IT. He worked in marketing. He learned how a global brand protects its reputation. It was a corporate education that most people in soccer never get.When he finally moved into football—first as a website editor for his hometown club, Northampton Town, and later at Luton Town—he brought that corporate discipline with him. He treated the club like a business, not just a passion project.Second Half: The “First Team”In 2005, long before “social media manager” was a real job title, Chris started his own communications agency. He worked with the English Football League, the Welsh Rugby Union, and huge sponsors like Samsung.But the move to PRO Referees was the biggest gamble of his life. It meant uprooting his wife and two teenage daughters and moving across the ocean to the United States.Why do it? Because he saw a problem he wanted to fix.“I once saw someone refer to referees as the ‘Third Team’,” Chris says. “And the referees were grateful just to be acknowledged! I was like, ‘Why are we the Third Team? We are the First Team.’”Think about it: The players change. The coaches get fired. But the referees? They are the only ones who step onto the field for every single game.Post Match: The Blank CanvasAt PRO, Chris is trying to build a culture where referees are treated like professional athletes. They have performance coaches. They have video analysts. They have an internal “Academy” (PRO2) where they develop talent just like a club.He admits the challenge is massive. In England, you are fighting 100 years of “baggage”—the way things have always been done. In America, the sport is still growing. It’s a startup culture.During our “Stoppage Time” segment, I asked Chris if he prefers interior or exterior design.“Interior,” he said immediately. “It’s a blank canvas. There is only so much you can do with the outside.”That is exactly how he views his job at PRO. He can’t change the laws of the game (the exterior). But he can change how we talk about them, how we understand them, and how we treat the people who enforce them.Extra Time: The Anti-EnglishmanFor a man who grew up in Northampton and spent his career in English football, Chris Rivett has one dark secret.“I absolutely despise tea,” he laughs. “I am very anti-English in that stance.”He prefers coffee. He eats chicken tenders. He is, by all accounts, adapting to American life perfectly. Now, if he can just convince American fans to give his referees a break, his job will be complete.To hear Chris discuss the “Dr. Martens” days, his startup journey, and why he believes the US is the best place in the world for the future of soccer, listen to the latest episode of Side Story Sports.Our conversation dives deep into the world of refereeing, covering:🔹 The Structure of PRO Referees – How the organization operates, from different referee tiers to the support staff, including coaches, analysts, and sports performance specialists.🔹 Referee Training & Development – The rigorous training camps, ongoing coaching, and the emphasis on teamwork among officials.🔹 Public & Media Relations – The challenges of communicating about refereeing, addressing misconceptions, and educating fans on the complexities of the job.🔹 Diversity & Inclusion – The rise of women referees and the broader efforts to promote diversity in the profession.🔹 The Future of Refereeing – The role of technology, the evolution of the game, and what’s next for officiating in North America.Chris also shares his personal journey, including his career path and his experience moving from England to the U.S.This episode offers a fascinating inside look at the world of professional referees—highlighting the dedication, expertise, and behind-the-scenes efforts that keep the game fair and flowing.🎧 Tune in now to gain a new appreciation for the officials who help make soccer possible! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sidestorysports.substack.com

Pre MatchThere is a specific kind of silence that exists in a corporate law firm. It’s the silence of distinct, billable hours, of focus, of isolation. For a few years, that was Alex Burakoff’s life. He was doing the “sensible” thing—drafting commercial real estate leases, knee-deep in documents, largely cut off from the outside world.But Alex had a different noise in his head. It was the roar of a stadium. It was the memory of growing up in New York, obsessively predicting NBA and MLB scores with his friends in a made-up game they called “Sand”.Today, Alex is the Director of Partnership Marketing at Major League Soccer (MLS). He sits at the headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, right at the center of a league that is currently experiencing a supernova moment of growth—from a $2.5 billion Apple TV deal to the arrival of Lionel Messi. But getting there wasn’t a straight line. It required a pivot that most people are too afraid to make: admitting that the “safe” path wasn’t the right path.First Half: The Practical Route vs. The PassionAlex Burakoff didn’t grow up in an entrepreneurial household. His father was a doctor, and the career menu at the dinner table was short: Doctor or Lawyer. Sports? That was a hobby, a point of connection for his family, but not a job.So, he chose law. He went to Boston University, became a summer associate, and landed the full-time gig. He had “made it.” But sitting in that office, looking at lease agreements for shopping centers, he realized he was serving a life sentence in a career he didn’t love. “Your job is really your life,” Alex says. “If I’m serving my time doing this, I might as well focus on something that really I love”.He tried to jump straight across—lawyer to sports lawyer—but the doors were locked. Those jobs are scarce. So he did something humbling. He took a step back to move forward. He enrolled in the Sports Management master’s program at UMass Amherst to learn the business side from scratch.It was a reset. He went from practicing law to interning and networking, eventually landing a brand-side role at MetLife before moving to the league side with Major League Baseball (MLB) for six years. He built a resume that was a hybrid: the analytical rigor of a lawyer mixed with the creative strategy of a marketer.Second Half: The Hub of the WheelIf the First Half was about getting into the stadium, the Second Half is about what Alex does now that he’s on the pitch.In November 2022, Alex joined MLS. The timing was impeccable. The ink was just drying on the Apple partnership—a 10-year deal that fundamentally changed how the league broadcasted its games.His role now is what he calls the “hub of the hub and spoke model”. The business development team brings in the partners—massive brands like RBC Wealth Management, IHG Hotels, and Target—and hands them to Alex’s team. His job is to marry the partner’s business objectives with the “juice” of the league’s assets.Sometimes that means contract management (where his legal background is a superpower), but often it means inventing value out of thin air.Take the IHG Hotels partnership. Alex’s team realized that MLS talent—on-air personalities like Taylor Twellman—were already staying at IHG properties while traveling for matches. Instead of forcing a script, they upgraded the talent to nice suites and let them post “organic” content about the amenities. It wasn’t a contractual obligation; it was just smart, human marketing.The culture at MLS allows for this. Unlike the 100-year-old institutions of baseball where ways of working are set in stone, MLS still operates with a “challenger startup mentality”. “If you have an idea,” Alex notes, “you can do it”.Stoppage TimeBefore the final whistle, we get a glimpse of the man behind the strategy.* The Soundtrack: Despite his corporate exterior, Alex’s walk-up music would be “New Noise” by the punk band Refused. He grew up in the 90s grunge era, and if that song doesn’t pump you up, nothing will.* The Ritual: He describes himself as a “domesticated dad.” His daily ritual isn’t a cold plunge or meditation—it’s the bedtime routine with his four-year-old and ten-month-old. It is the only way he truly disconnects from the Slack messages and emails.* The Player Comp: If he were on the field today, he wouldn’t be the winger he was in high school. He’d be Hugo Lloris—the goalkeeper. The field general. The one who sees the whole game in front of him and directs traffic.Post MatchLooking back on the transition from the law firm to the league office, Alex’s philosophy is deceptively simple. When asked for the secret to bridging that gap, he doesn’t talk about complex networking hacks or specialized degrees.“Show up every day,” he says. “Put your head down and be consistent... You’d be surprised. Show up every day. Do a good job. That will get you pretty far in life”.It turns out, the distance between the life you have and the life you want isn’t covered by one giant leap. It’s covered by showing up, over and over again, until you find yourself exactly where you’re supposed to be—in the middle of the action. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sidestorysports.substack.com