Heart of the Game, Ep. 2: Radojica Ristić, HTX West

SciSports is proud to share the second episode of its podcast series, Heart of the Game, a show dedicated to the people who shape football from the inside out. In this episode, we sit down with Radojica Ristić, Director at HTX West, to explore his journey from growing up and playing professionally in Serbia and Hungary to stepping into coaching and ultimately leading a youth club in the United States.

Radojica reflects on how his experiences as a player and coach across different countries shaped his views on development: the value of strong technical foundations, the importance of environments that encourage curiosity and creativity, and the need to balance short term results with long term growth. His move to the U.S. and role at HTX West gave him a platform to put those ideas into practice, helping shape club culture, training methodology, and the overall player pathway.

A central theme of the conversation is what truly drives youth development. According to Radojica Ristić, youth development is all about challenging oneself. On this note, he said: “If the best players are not playing against the best players and not competing in the best environment, you’re not going to have development.”

Radojica also shares practical ways to align club culture, coach education, and player pathways, and offers his perspective on the current landscape of youth soccer in the United States. Coaches, parents, and players will find actionable ideas on training design, talent identification, and building resilient young athletes who genuinely love the game.

As with every episode of Heart of the Game, we also keep things light with our recurring trivia segment, paying homage to Dutch football and SciSports’ heritage.

Where to Watch & Listen

We’re embedding both the video and audio versions directly in this article for your convenience.

• Watch the full episode on YouTube here
• Prefer audio? Listen right here in the article plus find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts

What’s Next?

We look forward to bringing you future episodes of the Heart of the Game podcast. Stay tuned for more conversations with leaders across the football world—each designed to inspire, educate, and entertain.