#021 - Ryan Botha's Journey of Perseverance and Growth

Ryan Botha, a retired footballer who played for many teams all over the world such as SuperSport United, Myllykosken Pallo -47 (formerly known as MyPa) and Denizlispor, is now the owner of a gym and a football coach. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on the changes in modern football, his career, and his experiences training non-athletes in the gym.

According to Ryan, modern football has undergone significant changes since his retirement. The game has become faster, more technical, and all outfield players are expected to put in a big shift. With the introduction of technology and data tracking, players can no longer hide what they are doing on the pitch, and cameras can pick up most, if not all, off-the-ball action. As a result, it's become increasingly difficult to compare players across generations because sports science and technology have advanced so much over the years.

Ryan's football career began at an early age, and he even had the opportunity to go on trial at Manchester United at just 17 years old. However, he was unable to obtain a work permit in England and subsequently signed with SuperSport United at 18. Unfortunately, his career was marred by a major knee injury while playing in Turkey, which almost forced him into early retirement at the young age of 23. This experience taught him the importance of having a plan for life after sport, and he has since transitioned to coaching both men's and women's football.

In his coaching, Ryan emphasizes the importance of hard work and discipline to young players. He believes that the South African soccer system doesn't support young players who can't cut it at the highest level and that this is a problem that needs to be addressed internally. He also believes that coaching non-athletes in the gym requires resetting expectations and emphasizing the importance of buying into his approach in order to achieve their desired results.

Overall, Ryan's experiences as a footballer, gym owner, and coach have taught him the importance of hard work, discipline, and having a plan for the future. As modern football continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how coaches and players adapt to new technologies and expectations.

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