On the Field Podcast

What does it actually take to maximise your potential as a young footballer? Ben Sippola has thought about this question for most of his adult life.A former Division I player at Butler University, MLS draft pick, and professional footballer in Sweden, Ben is now head coach of Auckland United's men's first team and one of the most experienced voices in New Zealand on the U.S. college recruitment pathway. In this episode he shares the three Cs framework every coach uses, the Kyle Adams story that proves character beats competency every time, and honest advice for families thinking about using a recruitment agency.Ben Sippola Head Coach, Auckland United FC | Butler University Hall of Fame | Former MLS & Professional FootballerBen grew up in Minnesota, earned first team All-American honours at Butler University, and was drafted by the Columbus Crew in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft before playing professionally in Sweden. Back in New Zealand, he led Ole Football Academy for several years, helping hundreds of young athletes navigate the U.S. college pathway. He now serves as head coach of Auckland United's men's first team.If you’re a student-athlete (or a parent of one) and want to explore similar opportunities through the U.S. college system, let’s talk - ⁠https://hubs.li/Q03gK

Logan Wild was a teenager at Massey High School in Auckland when he came across a clip of American college rugby on Instagram. He had no idea what the pathway involved, no frame of reference for what he was walking into, and no guarantee it would work out. Three years later, he graduated from Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland with a degree and a clear answer: he would do it all again.In this episode, Logan talks through what college rugby actually looks like from the inside. The coaching environment, the facilities, the 4am calls with coaches, the moment his parents drove away from campus and it all became real. And what he thinks young New Zealand rugby players should know before they decide the professional pathway only runs through four teams at home.Guest Bio:Logan Wild grew up in Auckland and played First Five for Massey High School before taking one of the less conventional routes available to young New Zealand rugby players. After coming across American college rugby online, he pursued the U.S. college pathway and spent three years at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland, a Division I programme based 40 minutes from Washington DC.During his time there, Logan trained under coaches with Super Rugby and MLR backgrounds, competed in one of the stronger college rugby conferences on the East Coast, and graduated with a degree in business marketing and sports management. He returned to Auckland in 2026 with a clearer picture of what the professional pathway could look like, and what it takes to develop as both a player and a person when you leave everything familiar behind.If you want guidance on your U.S. or UK college pathway, book a free consultation with our team:https://www.platformsportsmanagement.com/consultation

The Coach on the Other Side of the Desk: What Franklin Pierce's Diego Thielen Looks for in International RecruitsMost content about the U.S. college recruitment process is written from the outside. This one is not.Diego Thielen is the head coach of Franklin Pierce University's men's soccer programme in Rindge, New Hampshire, a Division II programme that has won back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023. He receives around 180 emails in a single week during peak recruitment periods. He has never once offered a scholarship after a single call. And he can tell within the first few interactions whether it is the athlete or the parents running the process.In our latest podcast episode, Diego breaks down exactly what goes through a coach's mind during recruitment. Why character comes before ability in how he evaluates every single recruit. What a red flag actually looks like from his side of the conversation. Why the best programmes are not looking for the most talented player available, they are looking for the right one. And what a genuine in-season week at a national championship programme demands from a student-athlete, academically and athletically.If you are a footballer considering the U.S. college pathway, or a parent trying to understand what coaches are actually looking for, this is the conversation that gives you the view from the other side of the desk. If you want guidance on your U.S. or UK college pathway, book a free consultation with our team:https://www.platformsportsmanagement.com/consultation

What happens when a seventeen-year-old from Auckland ends up at one of the largest universities in the United States, competing in a tough Division I conference, without ever having planned for it?Jo Dawkins, the man behind Auckland United's player development programme and a former Division I college footballer at FIU, joins Amrit to talk through his journey, the reality of balancing academics and elite sport, the professional pathway that followed, and the advice he gives every family that asks him where to start. https://www.platformsportsmanagement.com/

Jay grew up in New Plymouth, New Zealand, where he was a three-time high school champion. His first coach was Amrit Rai’s father, so the idea of U.S. college tennis was not a distant rumour. It was on court with him from the beginning.Today, Jay is part of the team at Platform Sports. He spends his time helping other athletes do what he did: leave home, back themselves, and turn a New Zealand or Australian junior career into a U.S. college opportunity.This conversation is not a highlight reel. It is about the reality behind the photos. The pressure, the doubt, the networks that keep you standing, and why Jay still tells shy, home-loving athletes to go.