("Martin Hotze" wrote)
snip
why do so many people here play soccer? because it is almost always on TV
and
almost everybody plays it (except me, I guess *g*). why do so few people
in the
US play soccer? why don't I understand the rules of baseball? probably
because
you have to be born into that. why do I find cricket boooooring?


Marty Marty Marty

The question that I can't answer is why DON'T more young people play soccer
in the USA after leaving Jr High, High School or College.

You'll see pickup games of basketball and softball (baseball with a bigger
ball, slow pitching and beer drinking) and even mud football, but I have yet
to see a group of neighborhood kids, big or little, out playing soccer up in
the park. I've seen more little kids hitting golf balls than I've seen kids
playing un-organized soccer.

I've seen kids playing hockey, rollerblade-hockey, Frisbee golf, tennis,
volleyball, swimming, biking and still no sight of any pickup games of
soccer.

This seems odd to me since (for over 20 years now) soccer has been pounded
down the throats of little boys and girls throughout this country. It's
their very first team sport for most of them - uniforms, playing card
photos, button photos, team photos, fridge magnet photos, not to mention the
hours and hours of VHS tape Mom and Dad have of their youth soccer games.

All USA children MUST play organized community youth soccer. ..."soccer
moms" term didn't come from nowhere. And yet, it doesn't seem like it's
taking root here, even with 20 years of solid, solid effort.

I'm 100% serious, I wonder why this is? Almost no kids over 14 play soccor
here, unless they're on an organized team.


Montblack
I played High Shcool soccer my sophomore year, in the fall of 1975. I was
the Goalie. Soccer was pretty new to Minnesota High School sports back then.
Played football my next two years. g