Description
Joe De Sena sits down with Hugh Roberts, a professional soccer player who spent 11 years in the pro ranks, held the all-time minutes record in the USL Championship, and was once told he was the best defender in the entire Philadelphia Union organization, only to watch 17-year-olds play over him anyway.
On this episode of The Hard Way, Hugh breaks down the three moments he nearly walked away from the sport, why his Jamaican-born father's car-ride conversations kept him in the game, and the self-training habit that defined his career: showing up 90 minutes before practice every morning for the last six years, alone, with cones and a wall. No trainer. No fancy equipment. Just repetition and determination.
Things You Will Learn:
1. Why training alone every day builds more capacity than any paid trainer.
2. The mental checklist a professional athlete used before every game for over a decade.
3. What sticking through the hardest season of your career does to your identity long after the career ends.
Tools & Frameworks Covered:
1. Daily Self-Training Protocol: Wake early, train alone before team practice, use film to critique yourself, and repeat. No dependence on external coaches or equipment.
2. Pre-Game Mental Checklist: A notes section in your phone with reminders, cues, scripture, and purpose statements reviewed before every performance.
3. Game-Day Routine Lock: Same meal, same nap, same walk, same playlist. The brain performs better when the day is predictable, and the body is calm before pressure.
If this episode moved you, do not just listen. Do something about it. Sign up. Show up. Do the work. Spartan.com. No more excuses.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro: Hugh Roberts, all-time minutes leader in the USL Championship
00:30 Rec soccer in Maryland and the hunger that came from starting at the bottom
02:18 Why adversity in childhood builds tools that talent alone cannot
03:12 Determination over comfort: choosing soccer and basketball at the same time
03:59 The role Hugh's Jamaican-born father played in keeping him in the game
06:45 Three moments Hugh wanted to quit, and why he did not
09:24 Best defender in the organization, benched for seventeen-year-olds
10:15 Why quitting when it gets hard leaves a gap you carry forward
13:09 Brain surgery research: finishing hard things changes your biology
13:49 Retiring after eleven years: what pro athletes actually give up
17:10 Train by yourself every day
19:55 Why the rest of the world is ahead of the US in soccer development
22:06 The mental framework Hugh used before every game for a decade
Hugh Roberts is a professional soccer player who has spent more than a decade building a career through consistency, perseverance, and leadership across multiple clubs in the USL system. From fighting for roster spots to becoming a team captain and helping launch an expansion franchise, his journey reflects the power of resilience, leadership, and long-term commitment to growth. Hugh’s story highlights mental toughness, leadership under pressure, and the discipline required to sustain success in professional sports.
Connect to Hugh:
🌐 Website: https://www.instagram.com/backyardentertainmentt/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superhughman/
✖️ Twitter/X: https://x.com/hughrob13
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🎧 Listen & Subscribe:
👉 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-way-with-joe-de-sena/id952870930
👉 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1pYBkk1T684YQg7CmoaAZt
📲 Short, Impactful Content
👉 Instagram: @spartanuppodcast
👉 From me directly: @realjoedesena
The Hard Way Podcast With Joe De Sena, Hosted by Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, this podcast delves into the principles of resilience, discipline, and the Spartan mindset. De Sena's journey from building a multimillion-dollar pool cleaning business in his teens to establishing a successful Wall Street trading firm showcases his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2001, he transitioned from finance to operate an organic farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, where his passion for endurance events like ultramarathons and adventure races flourished. This led to the creation of Spartan, aiming to inspire individuals to embrace challenges and push their limits.