He was not always the best player in the group, he didn’t play soccer year-round, and he didn’t have access to see the game being played by the best. He did work harder than anyone else and always kept the mindset there was room to be better. Because he chose work ethic as his guide, Brian Ching succeeded in soccer. Hear his story.   Getting in Touch: Email: bkching@houstondynamo.com Twitter: @BrianChing   About You can add Brian Ching to the growing list of players that have risen to USMNT caliber by playing in Major League Soccer.  The first Hawaiian to ever play for the USMNT, Ching earned his caps from coach Bruce Arena by rising from relative anonymity to a spot in the San Jose Earthquakes' starting lineup in only two years. It culminated in the spring of 2006 when the Houston Dynamo striker was rewarded for his strong start to the MLS season by being named to Arena's 23-man roster for the 2006 World Cup. While he did not see action in Germany, Ching's high work-rate and powerful shot continued to impress. He was a member of the US team that beat Mexico 2-1 to win the 2007 Gold Cup. On the club side, Ching was crucial to the Houston Dynamo the MLS Cup title in 2006 over the New England Revolution.  Moments earlier, Ching had scored the game-tying goal late in overtime to force the shootout. The following year he missed the final through a calf injury as Houston repeated its success. Ching retired as a member of the Dynamo following the 2013 season, spending the season as a player/assistant coach. He is now the managing director of the Houston Dash.   Show Notes 10:15 Brian’s start in soccer 18:15 Brian explains how he played a little soccer and a lot of other sports 31:15 Does effort matter more than talent 43:45 When you are young there are no plays off 56:45 The importance of age-appropriate coaching   CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE COURSES: Warriors, Not Winners - Want to create gritty, resilient athletes who succeed beyond the game? Purchase Warriors, Not Winners now! Transformational Coaching - Take your Coaching to the Next Level with Transformational Coaching. Become a Transformational Coach Today – If you are enjoying our podcast, please help us out and leave a review on iTunes. How to leave an iTunes rating or review for a podcast from your iPhone or iPad Launch Apple’s Podcast app. Tap the Search tab. Enter the name Way of Champions. Tap the blue Search key at the bottom right. Tap the album art for the Way of Champions podcast. Tap the Reviews tab. Tap Write a Review at the bottom. Thanks so much, every review helps us to spread this message! Hosted by John O'Sullivan. Produced by Coach Reed Maltbie