Today we’d like to introduce you to Mathieu Deplagne.
Hi Mathieu, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a former professional soccer player from France. To give you a quick version of my soccer story, I started at 9, joined the professional academy of Montpellier HSC, and went through all the steps to become a professional player at age 18. During my rookie season as a defender of Montpellier HSC, we became champions of France Ligue 1. During my second season, I had the chance to play Champions League, the highest competition for clubs in Europe. I played 7 seasons with them. Montpellier, before joining another club in France, ESTAC Troyes, for 2 seasons. During this time, I had the opportunity to discover a new challenge in the United States with MLS. I joined FC Cincinnati and played 2 seasons. During this time, I received my green card, which opened the doors to new possibilities in the soccer world.
It sounds cliche, but I have dedicated my entire life to soccer. After the pandemic, I had the opportunity to play one more season with San Antonio FC before retiring. The transition afterward, post-retirement, is never an easy step for a professional athlete, but it’s a point that all athletes come to and need to decide what comes next. With my girlfriend’s help and support, we decided to return to San Antonio and launch the 210 Soccer Project, which consists of individual and small-group private soccer training for young San Antonio and Texas players. My goal through the 210 Soccer Project is to help develop the players at the highest standards that I experienced myself. With the growth of soccer in America on the rise, especially here in San Antonio, I discovered a huge need for player development. Coming from a country with one of the strongest federations to develop soccer players, I want to bring these standards to train players on the details that matter in developing their game most efficiently.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It became my identity after dedicating my entire life to soccer as a professional athlete at the highest level. I didn’t know a life where I wasn’t training every day and thinking about how I would perform on the weekend. And suddenly, everything stopped, and the adrenaline of the weekend games and the pressure was gone. It’s not an easy step for an athlete, but it’s important to bounce back and find something that motivates and drives you. With the 210 Soccer Project, I found something valuable to the players I train and myself. It allows me to do what I love and share this passion with the next generation of soccer players. Another challenge has been seeing the impact of social media on player development. I want to guide players to train most efficiently based on how I experienced it, having the background to be credible in the training I put together. We live in a time where anybody can promote themselves with false titles and claims and lack the credibility to guide young players on social media and in the community. This damages the work ethic of young players because there is no structure behind the training. In this era of social media, it’s too easy for young players to be influenced by people promoting false claims and ineffective training habits. And even more, youth soccer leagues have different standards and regulations than other leading sports in the US, and this leads to players from a very young age never building a strong foundation and comprehension of the game.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Pursuing your passion is essential instead of merely talking about work. Soccer has been the focal point of my life, shaping my education and lifestyle. I strongly believe in player development, and my philosophy and values have evolved through my experiences and interactions with diverse cultures in soccer locker rooms. I always express greater pride in the dedication, effort, and challenges faced while becoming a professional rather than the professional career itself. Striving to make sports a way of life requires numerous sacrifices, but the rewards are immeasurable when they pay off.
Regarding sports, we often become fixated on the weekend results, whether parents or young players. Still, it’s important to remember that training constitutes 85% of the time allotted for playing. Therefore, focusing on fundamentals and understanding the game is crucial as it yields more significant long-term results, with success naturally following suit. What sets me apart is my extensive on-field experience and 20 years in the professional realm, both at the academy and adult levels, and my credentials and background supported by one of the top soccer federations for player development, the French Football Federation. The significance of details is often overlooked when experience or standards are lacking, but because I’ve been through it all, I know all the little details to look out for that separate a good player from a great one.
What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the future, I want to be in the community landscape as a trusted figure known for the quality and useful training that I bring to young talents. I also want to help the soccer community, supporting clubs, coaches, and players to help achieve the highest standards. When people share the same values and dedication, it will help the young players have great future opportunities. I would love to have my facility in the future in San Antonio as a structure dedicated to soccer and the player performance side of things. One of my long-term aspirations is to establish my soccer facility in San Antonio dedicated to enhancing player performance and overall development. Although I am currently beginning this journey, I am confident that I will have the opportunity to bring elevated standards to the community through my connections and contacts. San Antonio deserves such a facility, and the sense of belonging I feel here motivates me to realize this vision.
Contact Info:
- Website: 210soccerproject.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/210soccerproject/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/210soccerproject
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieu-deplagne-a91261145/
