In Episode 12 of Soccer Geeks, we spoke with Jimmy Conrad, a former player for San Jose Earthquakes and the Kansas City Wizards. Conrad also was chosen for the 2006 World Cup team. Today, he hosts his own YouTube channel, Twitch channel, and recently started a podcast, “In Soccer We Trust.” We were very excited to get a chance to speak with him. Our conversation ran the gamut, from discussing the importance of seeing live games, to perseverance as a player, to promotion and relegation changes.
Conrad grew up watching games at UCLA and dreamed of playing under the legendary Sigi Schmid. According to Conrad, one of the main themes throughout his college soccer days was, “nobody really knows who you are; we don’t know how good you are. And best of luck.” Part of this was possibly due to the fact that he was playing up since he’d skipped a grade in school. But he didn’t let it deter him. The coaches at UCLA told Conrad that if he was accepted to UCLA, they’d let him try out, but they weren’t going to recruit him otherwise.
Conrad’s club coach got him an opportunity to connect with the San Diego State team, and he knew he needed to not get cut. His attitude was, “If I could prove that I deserve to be on the team just based on my attitude, and my desire and my work rate and my work ethic. And then I can also prove that I can play. I’m gonna make this team.” And that’s exactly what he did. He ran three miles in 17:10, and lapped all the other players.
After playing at SDS for two years, Conrad wanted to transfer to UCLA. So, he did what he had to: he cold-called Sigi and then drove to UCLA to introduce himself in person. Conrad waited ninety minutes; he wanted “him to see my size to meet me in person. Look me in the eyes, you know.” It was a risk. And in the long run, it paid off, although it wasn’t a sure bet at that moment.
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