I know you think this is treason. I know you think that all
soccer moms are Democrats… thank you Rush and yes, you too,
Glenn for the huge piece of misinformation. Baloney! Or at least
roast beef. Soccer is “apolitical”
Unfortunately, you have all been brainwashed by the NFL, the
NBA and Major League Baseball into believing that soccer is a
second-class sport. You really believe the hype that says the
Pittsburgh Steelers are the world champions because they won the
Super Bowl. Wrong! How many other teams from around the world
competed in the Super Bowl? The answer is zero! Did England,
Germany, Ghana or Togo have teams vying for the super Bowl
title? Nope! Then how can you call any football or baseball or
even basketball team “World Champions”? You can’t.
Soccer is the only sport in the world where teams from around
the world compete head to head to win a chance at being World
Cup Champions. The television audience for the Super Bowl is
estimated at 130-million people. The TV audience for the World
Cup is 3-billion! Hello! The final three weeks of the World Cup
are like Super Bowls taking place for 12 days in a half dozen
cities in the hosting country. More soccer jerseys are bought
and sold in the world in one year than all the football jerseys
sold by the NFL in the past ten years.
Granted, the sport in America is fifth or sixth on the
popularity scale not counting college sports. It doesn’t have
enough offense, not enough goals scored to attract the attention
of armchair quarterbacks. The 23-Major League Soccer teams are
barely making any money.
But here’s the real soccer in America story from a guy whose
four kids have all played the game, and are still playing. I
also coached soccer for 16 years dealing with boys and girls
teams from nearly all age groups. More kids are playing soccer
now than any other sport. That’s right. Baseball is a close
second. Football is a distant third. There are more soccer
leagues in America today than ever before. Even small towns in
Iowa, not exactly known as the soccer capitol of the world, have
soccer programs. Unlike football and baseball the number of boys
and girls playing is nearly equal. And here’s the stat that I
think is most significant. After the age of 12… the drop out
rate of those playing organized baseball is estimated at 60 to
70 percent. The drop out rate of those playing soccer is less
than 40 percent. In short, more kids are playing soccer and
sticking with the sport longer than any other organized
activity… period.
Why, you ask? Simple. Soccer has 11 players on the field and
anywhere from 6 to 10 other players that, in many leagues, are
required to play at least 50 percent of the game. More people
actually participate in a typical game then any other sport.
None of this standing around in the outfield waiting for that
ball that may come to you once or twice in any given game. Being
taller or muscular or faster or more aggressive doesn’t
necessarily translate into a better playing experience with
soccer. You have more opportunities for success in soccer than
any other sport. Kids who play soccer say they enjoy the team
experience as much as they do scoring goals. There is also less
standing around, less physical contact than football (well, most
of the time) and more time spent on just plain running around
having fun.
Add another twist! The game of soccer gradually changes from
each age group to age group adding more players and increasing
the size of field as the years pass. Plus, with more 3 verses 3,
6 verses 6, and adult leagues growing in popularity, the sport
is growing in the most critical area… people who actually take
part in the games rather than just watching them in the stands
or on the tube.
So please, when the World Cup ends and American announcers
predict gloom and doom because the US team didn’t make it out of
first-round play, don’t waist a single second worrying about the
future of soccer. The sport is doing just fine, thank you. If
you doubt my word just visit some of the local soccer fields in
your area this summer. Or better yet go to one of the hundreds
of holiday tournaments in the US that attract hundreds of
thousands of soccer players from Maine, to Florida, to Oregon,
to Texas to Minnesota. Soccer is alive and well in the most
important place… in the hearts of the kids who just love to
hear, “Nicely done. Well done.”
