Winning Doesn’t Matter: Inside the Red Bulls Academy with Sean McCafferty

Winning at 12 or 13 doesn’t matter.
At least, not the way most parents think.

In this episode of Chasing the Game, we sit down with Sean McCafferty, Academy Director of the New York Red Bulls, to break down how professional academies actually think about development.

This is a rare, inside look at:
• Why MLS academies prioritize development over results
• What an academy director actually does day to day
• How players are really scouted and evaluated
• Why playing time is a tool, not a reward
• The truth about tournaments, travel, and exposure
• Growth spurts, late bloomers, and patience
• The pressure families feel in a pay-to-play system
• What actually separates players long before they turn pro

If you’re a soccer parent navigating MLS NEXT, ECNL, or high-level youth soccer, this episode challenges a lot of common assumptions.

This conversation isn’t about hype.
It’s about reality.

Listen or watch the full episode.
Subscribe for weekly conversations on youth soccer in America.

00:00 Welcome. Why this episode is for parents
00:39 Sean McCafferty. England to New York. Coaching lens
02:44 What an academy director actually does
05:28 Scouting and selection. What gets a kid noticed
09:00 Training culture, standards, daily environment
15:00 Development vs winning. Teaching the game
27:00 Minutes, roles, playing up, roster reality
32:42 Red Bull global network. Salzburg, Leipzig, Brazil
33:00 Tournaments and travel culture
45:08 Growth spurts, late bloomers, patience
55:12 Cost, pay-to-play pressure on families
01:01:00 What actually makes a player. Scanning and decisions
01:11:30 Closing thoughts and advice for families