In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Julie Rebh — an Athletes Untapped soccer coach and former Haverford College standout — for a thoughtful conversation every soccer parent and young athlete needs to hear.

At every level of youth soccer, it’s easy for the noise to take over. Rankings. Teams. College paths. Early specialization. From the outside, it can start to feel like there’s one “right” way to do things — and that if you fall behind early, you’re out.

Julie pushes back on that idea immediately.

One of the biggest themes of our conversation is ownership. Parents handle the carpools, sit through long weekends at the fields, and ride every emotional high and low. But Julie is clear: for an athlete to truly succeed long-term, the motivation has to come from them. If a kid doesn’t love the game, no amount of pressure, training, or opportunity will make it stick.

From there, we dive into why Division III soccer is such an underrated option. Julie shares her own experience playing at Haverford and explains why D3 can be an incredible environment for the right athlete — strong academics, high-level competition, great coaching, and the ability to play because you want to, not because you’re locked into a scholarship.

We also spend time talking about multi-sport athletes — something Julie strongly believes in. Playing multiple sports helps kids develop better athleticism, avoid burnout, and most importantly, keep sports fun. Soccer benefits from basketball footwork, lacrosse vision, and even track speed. Variety builds better athletes and healthier relationships with competition.

Throughout the episode, Julie shares practical insights she brings into her coaching today:

- Let the athlete lead the dream — parents support, not steer

- Development isn’t linear — growth looks different for every player

- Multi-sport backgrounds create more adaptable, resilient athletes

These ideas matter whether your child is just starting out or thinking about high school and college soccer. Julie emphasizes that long-term success comes from enjoyment, consistency, and environments that support growth — not pressure or shortcuts.

This episode is a must-listen for soccer parents trying to navigate the youth sports landscape, players figuring out their own path, and coaches who believe development should be athlete-first.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com/ - the nation’s leading platform for private sports coaching. We connect families with elite, vetted coaches to help athletes grow through great instruction, strong habits, and positive sports experiences.

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