Just watching the past month of soccer at the European Championships, has made me realize on thing, the United States will never be a soccer power.
EVER.
It just is not that appealing to the American kids. The best athletes in the United States play football, basketball, baseball, hockey, basically every sport but soccer.
America is currently ranked 22nd in the world in soccer. Not bad.
But it will never reach the heights of soccer, like it has in South America, Europe and Africa.
Why??
Kids dont want to play. The "Big 4" sports have a monopoly over 99% of the best talent in the U.S.
Kids dont want to play soccer.
You look at other countries, the soccer powerhouse countries, and kids grow up wanting to be like Pele, Beckham, Ronaldo, etc.
When we grew up, we wanted to be "Like Mike" be Bo Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Wayne Gretzky.
Never did I ever hear anyone say that "I want to be like Alexi Lalas."
Who? Exactly.
Soccer is life to them, it means more to a country to win soccer titles, than it does to try and avoid civil war.
But that is what it takes, dedication. Am I advocating war in order to succeed in soccer, of course not.
But America will never be a top flight soccer country, until it is made a priority to win, and right now it just is not.
That is my take...what is yours?
EVER.
It just is not that appealing to the American kids. The best athletes in the United States play football, basketball, baseball, hockey, basically every sport but soccer.
America is currently ranked 22nd in the world in soccer. Not bad.
But it will never reach the heights of soccer, like it has in South America, Europe and Africa.
Why??
Kids dont want to play. The "Big 4" sports have a monopoly over 99% of the best talent in the U.S.
Kids dont want to play soccer.
You look at other countries, the soccer powerhouse countries, and kids grow up wanting to be like Pele, Beckham, Ronaldo, etc.
When we grew up, we wanted to be "Like Mike" be Bo Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Wayne Gretzky.
Never did I ever hear anyone say that "I want to be like Alexi Lalas."
Who? Exactly.
Soccer is life to them, it means more to a country to win soccer titles, than it does to try and avoid civil war.
But that is what it takes, dedication. Am I advocating war in order to succeed in soccer, of course not.
But America will never be a top flight soccer country, until it is made a priority to win, and right now it just is not.
That is my take...what is yours?
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1 comment:
I hope you understand that your is not a very original coment, right?
And you are right on the money, to a point. If by never you mean "not anytime soon," you are absoultely right. But, if by never you mean "NEVER" then you only have to check census projections to see how wrong you are. You are forgetting changes in demographics, my friend. Tell me what percentage of the population will be Hispanic in America say in 2050, in 2080 and beyond.
Believe me, soccer will be HUGE in the U.S. of A... your other American sports? Well, good luck to them, they are going to need it.
Saivan
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