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In this episode, 99, Sid Bensalah talks with Alex Lubyansky, Founder of Detroit Metro FC and former European Sporting Director, to reveal a tough truth about U.S. soccer.

The system is built more for participation than actual performance.

Alex discusses how the pay-to-play model prioritizes players by income over talent, explains how incentives shape behavior at both youth and professional levels, and describes how the U.S. differs from global soccer systems. From Europe’s merit-based promotion and relegation system to South America’s culture of access and street football, this conversation challenges how we view development, competition, and success.

This offers a clear, honest perspective on governance, money, and the structural forces shaping the game.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why U.S. Soccer Fails
00:01 Participation Over Performance
01:59 Meet Alex Lubyansky
02:54 From Ukraine to Pro Football
05:36 Building a Free Club Model
07:10 Europe Rewards Winning
08:36 U.S. Soccer Business Model
09:40 Why Transfers Don’t Matter
12:46 MLS: Entertainment vs Sport
13:44 Culture and Attention
24:35 Grassroots Costs
34:08 Detroit Metro FC
37:24 Promotion and Relegation
39:38 U.S. League Structure
41:16 Why Promotion Matters
42:27 Europe’s Club Culture
44:13 Pressure and Performance
47:05 Can the U.S. Change
48:36 Super League Risk
51:55 Pay-to-Play by Design
56:23 College Soccer
58:08 Money vs Culture
01:04:30 Brazil and Argentina
01:09:19 World Cup Impact
01:14:53 Lightning Round

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In Episode 98, Sid Bensalah sits down with Scott Martin, an award-winning soccer coach, educator, and author of Play From Your Heart.

After a life-threatening infection led to septic shock, a month-long coma, and the loss of both hands and parts of his feet, Scott was forced to rebuild his life from the ground up. What followed is a powerful journey of resilience, leadership, and rediscovering purpose through sport.

Scott shares how coaching is not about control, but about putting players in a position to learn. He reflects on identity, confidence, parenting, and what it means to lead with empathy and accountability. From raising five adopted children to returning to the sidelines with prosthetics, his story is raw, honest, and deeply human.

This episode explores leadership beyond the game, adaptive sports, and why playing from the heart changes everything.

Timestamps

00:00 Play From Your Heart
01:04 Coaching as Learning
02:48 Parenting and Leadership
07:20 Life Changed Overnight
10:29 Driven Before Illness
14:25 Coaching Philosophy
19:46 Mentors and Culture
31:31 Illness Warning Signs
35:10 Coma and Wake Up
38:36 Identity and Grief
50:01 Adoption Journey
59:38 Return to Coaching
01:14:03 Writing the Book
01:18:53 Disability Advocacy
01:20:46 Paralympics and Media
01:30:05 Building a Winning Team
01:35:36 Empathy and Accountability
01:40:00 Lightning Round

Learn more about Scott here.

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Join host Sid Bensalah and the Pre-Zero Sports Talk community for real conversations at the intersection of sports, leadership, faith, community, and clean progress. Follow, watch, and share your voice—because it matters.

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What if dyslexia is not a disability, but a different method of processing information that schools still do not understand?

In this detailed episode, Sid Bensalah interviews Russell Van Brocklen, a dyslexia researcher funded by the New York State Senate, whose personal struggles with reading and writing drove him to pursue a 20-year mission to reevaluate dyslexia and learning. After being assessed at roughly a first-grade reading and writing level in college, Russell developed a system that challenges traditional ways schools teach dyslexic students and shows how parents, teachers, and coaches can better support them.

Russell explains why many schools use the wrong cognitive approach, how his front-brain learning model functions, and why word analysis followed by articulation can quickly improve writing. He also shares case studies from state-funded programs, success stories led by parents, and his views on sports, motivation, neurodiverse thinking, and institutional resistance.

This is a raw, honest, high-energy discussion on dyslexia research, education reform, learning systems, coaching dyslexic athletes, and practical steps for families and educators.

Timestamps

00:00 The Dyslexic Advantage
00:58 The F That Sparked A Mission
08:49 Why Schools Miss Dyslexia
13:48 First Grade Level Evaluation
21:45 Law School Trial By Fire
30:22 Front Brain Strategy Explained
45:02 Building A Learning System
49:02 Kimberly And Reed Breakthrough
01:06:52 Schools vs Neurodiverse Brains
01:21:00 Sports as Strength Builder
01:27:01 Institutional Resistance
01:39:51 AI as Research Assistant
01:49:09 Final Advice and Closing

Learn more about Russell → https://DyslexiaClasses.com

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☞ Stay Connected with Pre-Zero Sports Talk!

Join host Sid Bensalah and the Pre-Zero Sports Talk community for real conversations at the intersection of sports, leadership, faith, community, and clean progress. Follow, watch, and share your voice—because it matters.

Follow & Engage

🔹 Spotify (Video) → Watch Full Episodes
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🔹 Twitter/X → @PreZeroST
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🔹 LinkedIn → Connect with the Community
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🔹 Substack → Get Exclusive Updates

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