From First Touch to First Team

A podcast about the journey to professional football.

Real stories. Real setbacks. Real breakthroughs.

From players, coaches, and the people who built careers in the game.

  • Every Mondaya new episode
  • 20episodes
  • 18guests
  • Audio + videoon Spotify, Apple and YouTube

New here? Start with one of these

First listenWhat 10 pro footballers want every young player to knowOpen episode 18 Pick a storyMeet the 18 players, coaches and football peopleSee all guests In a minuteRead the lines guests want every young player to hearJump to the quotes Have your saySend a question for a future guestAsk the next guest

There is no single path to the pro game.

Some make it young.

Some make it late.

Some take the long way around.

Recent episodes

  1. Cover art for episode 19 Daniel Cappellaro From Perth to the Futsal Champions League and FIFA Street (Part 1) 52 min
  2. Cover art for episode 18 What 10 Pro Footballers want every Young Player to know Player Development 21 min
  3. Cover art for episode 17 Brody Sams From Brisbane to the NWSL: A Goalkeeper Coach who never Played Pro 71 min
  4. Cover art for episode 16 Daniel Solsky Never in an A-League Academy, almost Quit Football, and now at Perth Glory! 73 min
  5. Cover art for episode 15 Sammy Iredale From Leipzig to Wolfsburg, Champions League and the Western Sydney Wanderers 70 min
  6. Cover art for episode 14 UBF Grassroots, NPL, the A-League, and Where Australian Football is Heading 64 min

All 20 episodes

Told by the people who lived it.

Professional players, coaches and football people, in conversation with Jan Schmidt.

Meet all 18 guests

Young players

See how many different routes lead into professional football, and how the people who made it handled the setbacks.

Parents

Understand the pathway, ask better questions at training, and know what kind of support actually helps.

Coaches

Hear how players and coaches describe development, selection and the years between a first touch and a first team.

In their words

One line from each guest worth taking to training. Tap a card to watch the full episode.

Meet the host

Jan Schmidt grew up in Frankfurt, studied at the German Sport University Cologne and has coached since he was 17. In Sydney he runs Eleade Fussball, a player development business for young players.

About Eleade Fussball

How the show started

What First Touch to First Team is about:

Launch post: Real stories. Real setbacks. Real breakthroughs. From players, coaches, and the people who built careers in the game.
Launch post: There is no single path to the pro game. Some make it young. Some make it late. Some take the long way around.
Launch post: A podcast about the journey to professional football. Told by the people who lived it.

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Questions, guest suggestions or partnerships?

[email protected]