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Listen "Perseverance and Passion: Josh Yaro’s Journey to Professional Soccer"
Episode Synopsis
On this episode of Circuit of Success, host Brett Gilliland interviews professional Saint Louis City soccer player Josh Yaro. Josh talks about his journey from Ghana to the US, the importance of finding the right position, and taking criticism. He also emphasizes the need to care for one's body and the importance of analytics and data in sports.
Josh Yaro
Speaker Brett Gilliland: Welcome to the Circuit of Success. I am your host, Brett Gilliland, and I've got the privilege to interview Josh Yaro. Josh, how you doing, man? Speaker Josh Yaro: I'm good. How you doing? Speaker Brett Gilliland: I'm great. You Yaro. We've interviewed cardinal players. We've interviewed, you know, Blues people. We've interviewed all sorts of athletes and business leaders, but you're the first professional Saint Louis City soccer player that I've got to interview. So It's a big deal. It's awesome. And you guys are having a great year. Speaker Josh Yaro: Wow. Yeah. Thank you. Well, that's an almost out of hands for having me on the show. Yeah, it's been a good year. It's been a good year. I think, you know, started the season all through the world and we can maintain that, with excited to see how the nuances in, you know, goes for us and, you know, make the playoffs and and make a run for, you know, for a title title. Speaker Brett Gilliland: That's right. That'd be awesome, man. So maybe for our listeners that don't know who you are. If you could, give us a little background. What's made you the man you are today? I know you grew up in Ghana. Came here to college and then went to Georgetown and and had a great college career and and, but if you could give us a little background on who you are today. Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I grew up in Ghana. I actually went to and I don't think a lot of people know I actually went to high school in six states. So working Ghana came, to the States, when I was fifteen. So came to high school as private boarding school in in Santa Barbara, California. So, came as a sophomore, did that for three Yaro, ended up for Georgetown, played a job down for three seasons. So I was I was I was there for two and a half years. And then in twenty sixteen, I got drafted, to Philadelphia Union. So And I've been playing since then. So that's, like, the the shortage, you know, who I am and my and, you know, my time Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. So what was it like growing up in Ghana? And and when did you, get introduced to the game of soccer? Know that that's what you were gonna do for a living, hopefully. Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I mean, it was it was awesome. It was great. Obviously, growing up around family, in a place that I'm really familiar with. Life was good. Life was great. Right? And, I mean, everyone that goes up and gone every kid plays the same sport, which is awkward. It, for me, it was really strange when I came to the US, you know, in high school, when kids were playing three different sports a year. That's something I wasn't used to. It's because I put your group on Gana. You play only once for year round and that sucks. That's what there is. I started cleaning up when I was about four years. Yes. And then later on, I joined an organized team. And then, run around when I was eleven, I joined an academy team, called the registry academy, and that's that's where, after doing that kind of because to be able to get into that kind of it's really difficult. I mean, you have to try out as thousands of kids and and on the as well as possible. So at that point, you know, that I had what it took to become a professional. I, you know, I just worked my way out. But then again, it's it's difficult. You know, because every kid in Granite, Speaker 3: I think, I was fortunate to be fortunate actually. Speaker Josh Yaro: And so the competition is high, but Speaker 3: I think I was fortunate that I found myself involved in, Speaker Josh Yaro: you know, with my academy and the teammates around me and the development that Speaker 3: I'd, you know, contribute contributor. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. What what we were just talking about this today at lunch. Some guys, we went to a group of us went to lunch and We're talking about what what point does somebody say, yeah, I'm a defensive player. I'm an offensive player. Right? What do you remember that time frame where he said, okay. You're gonna be a center back and, you're gonna play defense. You're not gonna go to school goals and do all those things? Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I do because the first position I have picked is what I play now and I played in the whole life. So, a lot of kids usually, I mean, when you're growing up, a lot of kids usually just play wherever I didn't kind of fear that I was, like, I picked one of the stuff with it. So, so, let it stay in position my whole life, which which is crazy. But yeah, I've enjoyed it. And I think I know a lot of plans there. You know, used to be sent on me. It's on my announcement box, so it used to be strike us, and I'm not paying a centimeter or extend this, and it's they're all over the place. But, you know, from day one, I just purchased this is the position I want, and I stuck with it, and I stuck with Speaker 3: my whole lot. Hold on. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. So happy you did. And would you recommend that for players now? Or do you think it's good to bound bounce around? Because in before I Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I I think it's good to bounce around because Speaker Brett Gilliland: -- Speaker 3: Okay. Speaker Brett Gilliland: -- Speaker Josh Yaro: and it's you get experience in different positions. You Gilliland different positions. It's every position is unique and has a different skill set. So, yeah, just trying different things because they also help, you know, figure out, okay, which 1AM I looking at? What are my strengths and Speaker 3: what is the best position. Speaker Josh Yaro: So, yeah, definitely, I definitely have been college kids that I've grown up to try different positions. I did I actually did the try, you know, a few out of positions and I was growing up. Play that a few times. I I think, geez, that's amazing. Yeah. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Well, that center back's a big job, man because, you know, you're the last line. You're the last line of defense here before you leave the goalie on his own, don't you? Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. No. I mean, again, a lot of people look at it, like, you don't run as much as maybe, you know, you have midfielders Speaker 3: or the guys in front of Speaker Josh Yaro: you, but it's it's tough because I the example I always give is that If you are a striker and you lose the ball, you have your midfielders, you have your defenders, and you have your keeper to make play, you know, so that that doesn't resolve me. So if you're a midfielder, you have your defender, you have your goal to make a play. If you are a center back, and make a mistake. Well, your only hope is the goalie, you know. Yeah. Like, the the further back you go, it becomes a lot more risky. I sent him some goalies. Go, we make some mistake. I think nobody, you know, nobody gets covered. It's a tough position in that sense. Mentally, you just you know, when you make a mistake, you have to move on. And it's, it's a really tough position. But at the same time, I think I was never joked out, some of the smartest players, you know, I don't I don't know. I don't think so. Speaker 3: That's really what I think because we basically talked to such as you just can't see. Yeah. Yeah. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. So, you you were saying about telling kids. And what advice would you have for those kids? You know, I think about I've got four boys and they all play soccer and soccer season's going on right now. And so What advice would you have for kids now to one get, you know, continue to get better, but also to challenge themselves and some daily habits they need to be focusing on? Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I think a lot of it, it's just, developing at your own pace, because it's just like it's in life, you know, you look at people that you start with, might be on the same team. You might be the same age group, and everyone's development is different. You know, some people, it's an upward development, and it should just keep going up. Addresses, you know, taking two steps, and then they want to get back and back. And that's okay. Just don't look at other people's development and get discouraged by that. As long as you show up every day, you listen to your coaches, you take criticism Gilliland you put in the work, because I think Sometimes people think it's easy, you know, just walk walk on the field and things are gonna happen. It it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication. And as long as you, you know, you have the work ethic because everything else, you know, will come. If if you are educated enough, if you have the work ethic, Yeah. You might not be good at something, but if you work at it diligently, you're, you're, you're going to become better at it, and just being honest with yourself as well. You know, because you have to at some point, realize, well, let's go set up what, what you're looking at, not saying is limit yourself. So but working forward with your strengths, and things that are weakness, or it's seen as a weakness, work on that to help it become a strength. It might not be your strength at least. You know, you you work on it to make it better for yourself. And the important thing especially for kids is just enjoy it. Because I don't really want to enjoy and join. And even at this level, I know it's it's it's it's my job, you know, to go on the end of end, you know, game to do all that, but If you're not enjoying it, I mean, it's miserable. It's -- Yes. Speaker Brett Gilliland: -- Speaker Josh Yaro: and it becomes really, okay, I I have to go straightening off. Yes, I'm not again. But if you can work up every day and enjoy it,
Josh Yaro
Speaker Brett Gilliland: Welcome to the Circuit of Success. I am your host, Brett Gilliland, and I've got the privilege to interview Josh Yaro. Josh, how you doing, man? Speaker Josh Yaro: I'm good. How you doing? Speaker Brett Gilliland: I'm great. You Yaro. We've interviewed cardinal players. We've interviewed, you know, Blues people. We've interviewed all sorts of athletes and business leaders, but you're the first professional Saint Louis City soccer player that I've got to interview. So It's a big deal. It's awesome. And you guys are having a great year. Speaker Josh Yaro: Wow. Yeah. Thank you. Well, that's an almost out of hands for having me on the show. Yeah, it's been a good year. It's been a good year. I think, you know, started the season all through the world and we can maintain that, with excited to see how the nuances in, you know, goes for us and, you know, make the playoffs and and make a run for, you know, for a title title. Speaker Brett Gilliland: That's right. That'd be awesome, man. So maybe for our listeners that don't know who you are. If you could, give us a little background. What's made you the man you are today? I know you grew up in Ghana. Came here to college and then went to Georgetown and and had a great college career and and, but if you could give us a little background on who you are today. Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I grew up in Ghana. I actually went to and I don't think a lot of people know I actually went to high school in six states. So working Ghana came, to the States, when I was fifteen. So came to high school as private boarding school in in Santa Barbara, California. So, came as a sophomore, did that for three Yaro, ended up for Georgetown, played a job down for three seasons. So I was I was I was there for two and a half years. And then in twenty sixteen, I got drafted, to Philadelphia Union. So And I've been playing since then. So that's, like, the the shortage, you know, who I am and my and, you know, my time Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. So what was it like growing up in Ghana? And and when did you, get introduced to the game of soccer? Know that that's what you were gonna do for a living, hopefully. Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I mean, it was it was awesome. It was great. Obviously, growing up around family, in a place that I'm really familiar with. Life was good. Life was great. Right? And, I mean, everyone that goes up and gone every kid plays the same sport, which is awkward. It, for me, it was really strange when I came to the US, you know, in high school, when kids were playing three different sports a year. That's something I wasn't used to. It's because I put your group on Gana. You play only once for year round and that sucks. That's what there is. I started cleaning up when I was about four years. Yes. And then later on, I joined an organized team. And then, run around when I was eleven, I joined an academy team, called the registry academy, and that's that's where, after doing that kind of because to be able to get into that kind of it's really difficult. I mean, you have to try out as thousands of kids and and on the as well as possible. So at that point, you know, that I had what it took to become a professional. I, you know, I just worked my way out. But then again, it's it's difficult. You know, because every kid in Granite, Speaker 3: I think, I was fortunate to be fortunate actually. Speaker Josh Yaro: And so the competition is high, but Speaker 3: I think I was fortunate that I found myself involved in, Speaker Josh Yaro: you know, with my academy and the teammates around me and the development that Speaker 3: I'd, you know, contribute contributor. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. What what we were just talking about this today at lunch. Some guys, we went to a group of us went to lunch and We're talking about what what point does somebody say, yeah, I'm a defensive player. I'm an offensive player. Right? What do you remember that time frame where he said, okay. You're gonna be a center back and, you're gonna play defense. You're not gonna go to school goals and do all those things? Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I do because the first position I have picked is what I play now and I played in the whole life. So, a lot of kids usually, I mean, when you're growing up, a lot of kids usually just play wherever I didn't kind of fear that I was, like, I picked one of the stuff with it. So, so, let it stay in position my whole life, which which is crazy. But yeah, I've enjoyed it. And I think I know a lot of plans there. You know, used to be sent on me. It's on my announcement box, so it used to be strike us, and I'm not paying a centimeter or extend this, and it's they're all over the place. But, you know, from day one, I just purchased this is the position I want, and I stuck with it, and I stuck with Speaker 3: my whole lot. Hold on. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. So happy you did. And would you recommend that for players now? Or do you think it's good to bound bounce around? Because in before I Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I I think it's good to bounce around because Speaker Brett Gilliland: -- Speaker 3: Okay. Speaker Brett Gilliland: -- Speaker Josh Yaro: and it's you get experience in different positions. You Gilliland different positions. It's every position is unique and has a different skill set. So, yeah, just trying different things because they also help, you know, figure out, okay, which 1AM I looking at? What are my strengths and Speaker 3: what is the best position. Speaker Josh Yaro: So, yeah, definitely, I definitely have been college kids that I've grown up to try different positions. I did I actually did the try, you know, a few out of positions and I was growing up. Play that a few times. I I think, geez, that's amazing. Yeah. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Well, that center back's a big job, man because, you know, you're the last line. You're the last line of defense here before you leave the goalie on his own, don't you? Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. No. I mean, again, a lot of people look at it, like, you don't run as much as maybe, you know, you have midfielders Speaker 3: or the guys in front of Speaker Josh Yaro: you, but it's it's tough because I the example I always give is that If you are a striker and you lose the ball, you have your midfielders, you have your defenders, and you have your keeper to make play, you know, so that that doesn't resolve me. So if you're a midfielder, you have your defender, you have your goal to make a play. If you are a center back, and make a mistake. Well, your only hope is the goalie, you know. Yeah. Like, the the further back you go, it becomes a lot more risky. I sent him some goalies. Go, we make some mistake. I think nobody, you know, nobody gets covered. It's a tough position in that sense. Mentally, you just you know, when you make a mistake, you have to move on. And it's, it's a really tough position. But at the same time, I think I was never joked out, some of the smartest players, you know, I don't I don't know. I don't think so. Speaker 3: That's really what I think because we basically talked to such as you just can't see. Yeah. Yeah. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. So, you you were saying about telling kids. And what advice would you have for those kids? You know, I think about I've got four boys and they all play soccer and soccer season's going on right now. And so What advice would you have for kids now to one get, you know, continue to get better, but also to challenge themselves and some daily habits they need to be focusing on? Speaker Josh Yaro: Yeah. I think a lot of it, it's just, developing at your own pace, because it's just like it's in life, you know, you look at people that you start with, might be on the same team. You might be the same age group, and everyone's development is different. You know, some people, it's an upward development, and it should just keep going up. Addresses, you know, taking two steps, and then they want to get back and back. And that's okay. Just don't look at other people's development and get discouraged by that. As long as you show up every day, you listen to your coaches, you take criticism Gilliland you put in the work, because I think Sometimes people think it's easy, you know, just walk walk on the field and things are gonna happen. It it takes a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication. And as long as you, you know, you have the work ethic because everything else, you know, will come. If if you are educated enough, if you have the work ethic, Yeah. You might not be good at something, but if you work at it diligently, you're, you're, you're going to become better at it, and just being honest with yourself as well. You know, because you have to at some point, realize, well, let's go set up what, what you're looking at, not saying is limit yourself. So but working forward with your strengths, and things that are weakness, or it's seen as a weakness, work on that to help it become a strength. It might not be your strength at least. You know, you you work on it to make it better for yourself. And the important thing especially for kids is just enjoy it. Because I don't really want to enjoy and join. And even at this level, I know it's it's it's it's my job, you know, to go on the end of end, you know, game to do all that, but If you're not enjoying it, I mean, it's miserable. It's -- Yes. Speaker Brett Gilliland: -- Speaker Josh Yaro: and it becomes really, okay, I I have to go straightening off. Yes, I'm not again. But if you can work up every day and enjoy it,
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