The Beautiful Game: fun, competition, and high stakes in Nashville's soccer eco-system

Soccer was already on the ascent in the U.S. Then came the North American World Cup.It’s not just you who tuned in for more soccer than ever before. The U.S. match against Belgium was the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history. And then of course you’ve got the return of the Apple TV series Ted Lasso. Plus Nashville Soccer Club’s season kicking into high gear. And Vanderbilt women’s soccer team ranked in the top 5 nationally. Today we talk about the beautiful game –– the high stakes at the youth level, bad parental behavior at games, and the best way to develop as a player.You can chime in during this episode at 615-760-2000 or chat on our YouTube stream.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Christakis Agisilaou (Coach Taki), coach, boys and girls soccer, Father Ryan High School Grace Freeman, defender/midfielder, Vanderbilt University Soccer Chris Godsick, youth soccer referee

There was a time not so long ago that neighborhoods were fighting against greenways – the tucked-away alleys that connect our communities through the woods and along our waterways.Now, developers treat greenways like beachfront property. Nashville now has more than 100 miles of them. Murfreesboro has laid 17 miles. Franklin, Brentwood, Mt Juliet, Hendersonville? Going nowhere but up. But we’re still at the point where we’re talking about our greenways — plural. Not “THE greenway,” a potential reality where all the walkways are linked into one outdoor nexus. We'll hear more about the controversial history, the current state of our greenways, and leave you with a challenge if you dare accept it. This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests: Meg Morgan, Greenways for Nashville Executive Director Francois de Kock, Metro Parks Director of Greenways and Open Space Division Bill Purcell, Former Mayor of Nashville Kristine LaLonde, nonprofit consultant Ginnea Harley, East Nashville Resident and storyteller

The headliner: WPLN’s senior criminal justice reporter Paige Pfleger on her latest investigation with ProPublica about abuse in Tennessee’s privately-run juvenile prisons.The newsmaker: Jayla Thomas, GOP candidate for state House District 55, one of the few contested seats in Nashville on the November ballot.The tastemaker: Melanie Sutton, managing artistic director of the Tennessee Theater Fellowship, producing a play about Fred Rogers, and an unlikely friendship, called “I’m Proud of You.” It’s opening at Studio 615 Thursday night, August 20.

When the Catholic Biblical Association reached out this year to see if Amy-Jill Levine would be interested in serving as its president, she wrote someone else on the nominating committee to ask: is this a joke? Because Levine is not Catholic. She’s Jewish.While not a Christian, the Vanderbilt professor emerita is one of the world's premier Jesus scholars who has been preaching and teaching in Christian churches in Nashville and around the globe for most of her career – all in a lifelong effort to rewire the parts of Christianity that can lead to antisemitism."It's so common for people to make Judaism look toxic to make Jesus look good," Levine says. "The work that I do is not only to try to stop Christians from engaging in forms of Jew hatred, it's also trying to help Jews stop engaging in forms of Christian hatred. Nobody is intending to be hateful, but the words are coming out nonetheless. And the correction here is education."What started on the school bus as an attempt to prove another student wrong (she had accused Levine of killing Jesus) has blossomed into decades of scholarship intended for people who sit in church pews on Sundays. Levine has written an exhaustive list of books with names like "The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus." Even in her retirement, she remains as busy as ever writing, reviewing manuscripts and speaking to Christian gatherings large and small.And yes, she accepted the nomination to serve as president of the Catholic Biblical Association. It became official July 20.Blake Farmer produced this episode.

We’ve done enough tap dancing around touchy words in this important conversation about intimacy and romance in the second half of life. It’s your turn.What have you learned about your body or being with another that could help the rest of us? We’ll have a sex therapist, a reformed pastor and an open-minded geriatrician in the studio. Call ahead of the show with your intimacy insights or romance recommendations at 615-760-2000.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Raven O’Rourke, Geriatric Sex Therapist James Powers, VUMC Gerontologist Jim Palmer, former Megachurch Pastor

It's fair season and we're digging in to give you a taste of what's coming up.Fairs celebrate the local community with exhibits, show animals, fried food and, of course, thrilling rides and tricky games. Today we look at the tradition through the eyes of its people and performers. We meet folks who've been around the circuit for a while as well as a few first-timers. Plus, we track down a vendor dreaming up this year's must-try bite.The Williamson County fair is going on now but wrapping up Saturday. The Wilson County - Tennessee State Fair kicks off tomorrow. And the rest will start up in September. You can keep in the know at the Tennessee Association of Fairs.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Sarah Fast, Faster Pastures Maddi Minnear, American Highland Cattle Association Junior Lance Alleman, William Morris Endeavor Amy Pilkinton Ashby, Pageant Director, Dickson County Fairest of the Fair Tashonnie Brooks, Queen of the Dickson County Fair 2025 Lisa LaGrange, D n L Concessions

The headlines: A remembrance of Martha Ingram with Alan Valentine and Mac Pirkle and a live interview with Charlie Hatcher, the Republican who upset Congressman Andy Ogles.The newsmaker: General Sessions Court Judge Ana Escobar discusses Athena’s Court, a decade-old program designed to identify human trafficking survivors in the court system and connect them with support and services.The tastemaker: Writer and Author Joe Pagetta tells us about The Indefatigable Life and Ministry of Father Aloysius Orengo, the Italian priest who faced war, hardship and dangerous anti-Catholic vitriol as a missionary in Tennessee.

You could count Zack Slingsby as one of Nashville's Covid-era transplants. He moved his family – now with five kids – from New Jersey to Franklin. After years of building a company that makes videos for big brands, he’s branched out to producing comedy and running a production space called Bungalow Studios. Now he’s up against all the dumb videos that make their way to being viewed millions of times, trying to see if scripted comedy can compete in our social media algorithms. We talk to him about King Jester and his debut novel.

It's back to school time for millions of kids in America. We want to highlight local issues on parents' minds now — and hear from you. We're talking education-related issues including vouchers, safety, bus driver shortages and AI. Something specific on your mind? Give us a call and we will include you on the show. That number is 615-760-2000. You can also watch live and chime in on YouTube.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests: Camellia Burris, WPLN Education Reporter Maryam Abolfazli, Rise and Shine TN Walter Blanks Jr., founder, The Legacy Society

The storied history and cultural significance of the Cheekwood estate is beyond dispute. But as the home, gardens and galleries continue to attract more and more visitors, it has created a feud with neighbors that the nonprofit says is threatening its future.It’s been said that to fully understand the history of Cheekwood, you have to begin with Leslie Cheek and Mabel Wood. After marrying in 1896 and securing a fortune from the sale of Maxwell House Coffee Company, they built the house as a family estate. Donated in 1960 to the newly established non-profit, Tennessee Botanical Gardens and Fine Arts Center (now known as Cheekwood Estate & Gardens) by the Cheek’s daughter, Hulda, and her husband, Walter Sharp, the attraction has since grown in size and popularity. Today we explore Cheekwood’s history, the genealogy of the Cheek family as well as their latest chapter – a dispute with Belle Meade neighbors who argue, among other things, that traffic to the property already exceeds recommended volumes for neighborhood streets.Guests: Joe Altman, Resident, Belle Meade Highlands Charles Birnbaum, President, The Cultural Landscape Foundation Austin Hornbostel, Metro Reporter, Tennessean Jane O. MacLeod, President & CEO, Cheekwood Correction: Cheekwood's MOU with Metro requires visitor parking to move off parks land by December 2027, not 2026.