American Soccer Culture: A Brief Analysis

This post is actually a combination of two separate topics I had intended to write about, but after some reflection, I realized that they both tie together under a wider umbrella topic: American Soccer Culture.

A very ambiguous title, and to some, probably a bit of a contradiction in itself.

Soccer in the United States is considered second tier to several other professional sports that I will not mention, because if you are reading this, then I'm sure you know which ones I am talking about. While the sport boasts high levels of participation at the youth level, I have a strong suspicion that these numbers include a large population of middle to upper class suburban kids who can afford the pay-to-play model that most youth soccer organizations require.



These kids spend most of their time outside of soccer participating in "extra-curricular" activities, such as other sports or music. When they do have free time, it is spent playing video games or watching TV. Good thing EA Sports came up with the FIFA series, otherwise these kids would never have a clue who some of the big stars in the modern game are. If these kids do watch sports on television, soccer takes second fiddle to American football, basketball, or baseball.

For their parents, soccer isn't something for kids to be engaged in, or to develop a love for - it's a recreational activity that also doubles as a babysitter. Some of the kids who play, don't even really enjoy the game. Or, if they do, they don't enjoy it enough to spend time with a ball outside of training or games. Many parents never actually played the game, or if they did, not necessarily the modern game or at a significant level.

If our kids grew up in another country, my guess is that we'd see several very big differences.

First, soccer might be the only sport worth playing. All the time. Everywhere. By themselves, or with a group of friends.

Second, they would definitely tune into the big soccer games each week. Their whole family would watch the game. This is a sharp contrast to kids who don't ever watch soccer at home.

Finally, they would love soccer so much, that they might sleep with their soccer ball. Or daydream about scoring the winning goal. Or kick the ball around the house and break stuff. Or...you get the idea.

With that in mind, I want to touch on two events that happened recently. Both events made me question whether or not we are truly capable of developing a national soccer culture.

The First Event:

I am part of a closed group on Facebook that has the sole purpose of organizing pickup soccer games in my hometown. I don't live there anymore, but when I visit, I always like to get together with friends to play. This group serves as a good way to quickly connect with a large amount of people.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw that someone had posted something on this page about a "mean old soccer mom" who had kicked a group of people off some local fields just for playing soccer.

As comments started to trickle in, I found out that this "mean old soccer mom" was actually the commissioner of the local recreational soccer league, which uses the facility for games and practices. These fields are not owned by this league, but are licensed and operated by them. So legally they have the right to decide who can and cannot use the fields. I also found out that after telling the players they couldn't play there, she waited in her van to make sure that they did not return.

Now, I have played on the facility where they were told to leave. It is a very nice surface and it is also closed much of the time, probably why the surface is so nice. However, there are no fences and no way to regulate usage, so the indication as to whether or not it is closed is usually one or two signs that say "field closed", or something along those lines.

This facility is also very big - capable of having at least three close to full sized lined fields, as well as a significant amount of extra space in which because of the shape of the entire area, cannot be practically lined and made into soccer fields.

While I understand the sentiment of not wanting the surface to be overused, kicking a small group of players off seems like a little much, especially with such a large area in which they could potentially play without harming the surface.

I have a huge problem with this. In my mind, this sets a precedent that it is only "ok" to play soccer in formal "practices" and games - coached by someone's dad or mom, who more often than not has NO CLUE what they are doing.

What about the kids who want to play more than three times a week? Are they allowed to come out there and practice on their own?

What if they want to organize their own game with a group of friends, and try moves, and pretend to be Lionel Messi? What if they want to pretend to be Landon Donovan? Will they be allowed to imagine and discover the possibilities within the game, or to develop a lifelong love?

What if I wanted to come out there with my daughter and just kick the ball around? Would I be told to leave just for wanting to help her discover the same enjoyment in soccer that I have?

Nope, too bad. You can only use the field when WE say it's ok. You can only like soccer when WE tell you to. You can sign up for our poorly disguised version of the world's game and help continue to propagate the same mediocrity and indifference that exists in soccer in America.

The Second Event:

This past weekend, I watched an NFL playoff game. I only tuned in because my father was visiting and wanted to watch the game.

During the game, I decided to try to compare this sport to soccer, in the hope that I might actually be able to enjoy the long-winded spectacle. In doing so, I equated the more physical side of soccer to running the ball and a possession style of play to passing. My father disagreed, saying that running the ball was "a beautiful part of the game".

My argument was that I could not understand how people could find it "beautiful" to see the player in possession of the ball jam himself into the area where most of the players on the field are located just to gain a small fraction of the distance toward where the ultimate goal (of a touchdown). Much in the same way that I dread watching physical, direct teams who often feature big, strong, athletic players with the touch and vision of a brick wall, I had trouble watching big, strong, athletic players run straight into bigger, stronger, and athletic but morbidly obese players.

In contrast, I was more interested in seeing the quarterback use his vision to find a teammate in a promising situation away from pressure with far fewer players to beat, created by a well orchestrated movement of players. American football is not quite the same as the free-flowing passing game of soccer in which all eleven players are involved in moving to create space to advance the ball toward the goal. But, if I had to watch, I could at least find some joy in the pre-designated routes designed to create spaces for receivers to find the ball.

My father was later vindicated by the in-studio analysis of former professional players and coaches, one of which almost word-for-word echoed his sentiments regarding the running game. Instead of trying to convince me in the "beauty" of the running game, he decided to hold it over me that he knew more about American football than I did.

Perhaps I don't fully understand American football. I certainly have never played - unlike my father, who has played both games at a low level, and is therefore obviously much more qualified to pass judgement on each. And I suppose my near-decade of soccer coaching experience counts for little or nothing.

However, I find that the over-emphasis on the physical aspects of more mainstream sports in the US is a detriment to the development of a true appreciation for soccer in our country. How can we appreciate soccer players like Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi, when we are too busy looking for the next Oguchi Onyewu or Brian McBride? How can we tell that a young player at the age of ten is going to be good if we evaluate him by how fast or aggressive he is, or how hard he can kick?

In short, we will not develop a viable soccer culture in our country until these things stop happening.