Episode 77: Jordan Heuglin (Trinity Boys Soccer Head Coach)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Jordan Heuglin, head soccer coach at his alma mater, Trinity High School in Louisville, KY, to talk about winning at a high level without losing perspective. Jordan reflects on his unconventional soccer journey, the pressure parents and players feel in today’s youth sports landscape, and why culture—not trophies—has become the true measure of success.
🔹 From Rec Soccer to the Top of Kentucky Soccer
Jordan shares his rare path to high-level soccer, playing mostly recreationally until freshman year at Trinity, when he realized club soccer was necessary just to keep up.
🔹 The Burnout Blessing
Coming to club soccer later helped Jordan avoid burnout, a perspective that now shapes how he thinks about long-term player development.
🔹 Why Parents Feel the FOMO
Jordan points out that every player on Trinity’s roster last season had club experience, helping explain the pressure families feel to start early.
🔹 Pressure vs. Expectations
Jordan reframes expectations as a positive..proof that people care…and explains why perspective determines whether pressure becomes productive or destructive.
🔹 Rethinking What “Success” Really Means
Only one team wins the final game each season, so measuring success solely by championships guarantees failure for everyone else.
🔹 Culture Over Everything
Coming off of back-to-back 18+ win seasons, Jordan says this past year was one of the most memorable of his career because of the team’s culture.
🔹 Building Leaders Within the Team
Jordan breaks down how a leadership team and bi-weekly meetings help him take the pulse of the program and address issues early.
🔹 The Stages of Becoming a Team
From forming to storming to performing, Jordan explains why teams that move quickly through early stages often have an edge.
🔹 Talent Gets You There. Character Keeps You There.
Following a successful first year, Jordan revamped his tryout process to prioritize coachability, work ethic, competitiveness, and body language.
🔹 College Coaches Are Asking a New Question
Beyond talent, Jordan reveals the lingering question college coaches now ask: “How are the parents?”—and why that matters more than ever.
🔹 When Culture Is on the Line
Jordan is clear: no amount of talent is worth culture degradation, and he shares why putting expectations and values in writing is essential.
🔹 The Bigger Picture
Jordan also weighs in on the public vs. private state championship debate and the importance of supportive athletic directors who align with a program’s vision.
