The New Jersey Youth Soccer CEO on fragmentation, pay-to-play, club marketing, MLS, college pathways, and what families should actually expect from youth soccer.
Families can spend thousands of dollars on club soccer, travel, training, showcases, and recruiting while trying to determine which path gives their child the best opportunity. That raises a basic question: what are they actually buying?
Eric Kasimov talks with Evan Dabby, CEO of New Jersey Youth Soccer, about the structure of American youth soccer and why families still face so much confusion around clubs, competitive levels, and development pathways.
Evan sees fragmentation as one of the sport’s biggest problems. Labels such as “elite” and “premier” can become part of the marketing even when families have no reliable way to understand what one club or level really offers compared with another.
Eric and Evan discuss pay-to-play, the pressure surrounding college recruiting, the role MLS can play in local soccer communities, international players on U.S. college rosters, and the influence parents and coaches have on the youth sports experience.
For Evan, some of the most useful questions for parents are also the simplest: Is your child having fun? Are they playing? Are they being challenged? Especially with younger players, chasing the next club or perceived level can pull families away from an environment that may already be working.
Evan saw that firsthand with his own son, who stepped away from travel soccer, rediscovered his enjoyment of the game through recreational soccer, and eventually returned to higher-level competition. His experience shows how development can take different forms, and a player’s best path may change along the way.
What You’ll Hear
- Why fragmentation remains a problem in American youth soccer
- What families are actually paying for when they choose a club
- How “elite” and “premier” can become marketing terms
- Why affordability and access matter to player development
- Where MLS fits into the broader youth soccer system
- The pressure surrounding college soccer and recruiting
- Why parents and coaches can make youth sports harder than they need to be
- What Evan tells families of talented young players
- Why recreational soccer can still be part of a serious player’s development
- How New Jersey Youth Soccer is trying to get more kids onto the field
Chapters
00:00 — If we rebuilt American youth soccer, what would change?
02:19 — What are families actually buying from a soccer club?
04:35 — “Elite,” “premier,” and the marketing of youth soccer
07:03 — U.S. pay-to-play vs. the English academy system
08:00 — Affordability and keeping kids in the game
10:39 — Where MLS fits into youth soccer
12:53 — MLS clubs as part of local soccer culture
14:38 — Fragmentation and clearer player pathways
16:12 — Development, community and access
19:20 — Failure, mistakes and putting fun back in the game
22:30 — Why adults can become the bigger problem
25:16 — College soccer and international players
26:21 — What Evan tells families of talented young players
28:50 — Expanding grassroots access
31:30 — How rec soccer helped Evan’s son rediscover the game
33:26 — What families remember beyond wins and losses
34:57 — Just Ball: sometimes kids simply need to play
About Evan Dabby
Evan Dabby is CEO of New Jersey Youth Soccer, a state association affiliated with U.S. Youth Soccer and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Before joining NJYS, Evan spent 16 years at Major League Soccer’s league office, working across league and stadium operations, team travel, security, supporter relations, sports medicine, and player-safety initiatives.
He played four years of soccer at Tufts University, served as team captain and earned All-New England honors. He later earned a graduate degree in sports management from New York University.
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Eric Kasimov is the founder of SportsEpreneur, part of the KazSource media network. Since launching the platform in 2015, he has hosted over 500 podcast episodes, written and published more than 1,500 articles, and advised business leaders, founders, and creators on building authority through media strategy.
Through his brands — KazSource, KazCM, SportsEpreneur, and QuietLoud Studios — Eric leads teams that produce podcasts, develop brand platforms, and help companies grow through modern content ecosystems. He also scaled KazSource Insurance into a seven-figure boutique agency, providing the foundation for the broader media network he operates today.
His work has been featured in Forbes, Axios, and Front Office Sports, and his podcasts have included conversations with top founders, investors, and athletes turned entrepreneurs.