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At a Glance
Guest: David Copeland‑Smith, founder of Beast Mode Soccer, one of the world’s leading individual technical training systems for footballers.
From: Plymouth, England to Los Angeles, building a player‑first brand out of his comfort zone in the US.
Claim to fame: Trusted by Alex Morgan, Rachel Daly, Kelly O’Hara, Ali Riley and over 100 NWSL pros, with 13 of 24 players on the 2019 USWNT World Cup squad having trained under his system.
Origin story: From Florida camps to Hollywood United, then transforming Robbie Williams’ 7v7 Mulholland pitch into the unofficial HQ of elite individual training.
Business build: Evolved from “Dave the soccer guy” to Beast Mode Soccer, with training packages, globally used programs, a best‑in‑class app and a Nike partnership.
Philosophy: Humans first, football second, with an obsession for technical detail, accountability and long‑term player relationships.
Friction line: Constant tension with federations and clubs who kept him “outside the badge,” even as players fought to keep working with him.
Sports Edge Take: A human story of a coach who became a brand and a business, and now sits at the intersection of football, technology and player‑driven development.
Watch Our Podcast
I was introduced to David Copeland Smith at a moment when we were deciding what this show actually is and the messages we wanted to get across. Which is not just another sports podcast, but centering every conversation around the individual to talk about the real business of sport, such as contracts, negotiations, representation, governance, long-term career strategy and how people think about value and identity beyond the game itself.
On paper David is the founder of Beast Mode Soccer and one of the most in demand one to one technical coaches in football, but specifically women’s football. In reality he is an Englishman who built a global brand from a seven a side pitch at Robbie Williams’ house, a handful of players who would not stop working and a refusal to compromise on standards.
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