The “Business” of Youth Soccer

The growth of soccer in the United States is one of the most interesting sporting, social and political phenomena of the past 20 years. From city to city, playing field to playing field, across most geographic and demographic lines, soccer has woven itself into the fabric of American family life. Right up there with apple pie and the pledge of allegiance is the now lemming-like procession to soccer practice, games and tournaments as kids are car-pooled to dusty, bumpy and overused fields to run, kick and play a sport that the world knows as “football”. Bewildered parents running lines, trying to understand the offside rule, look on as a game alien to everything they grew up with unfolds in front of their eyes. Mothers, Starbucks in hand, follow every play hoping for a “big kick” or the holy grail “goal” that will send them into joyous rapture while fathers look on with eyes on the game and an earpiece hooked into a radio broadcasting the local baseball or football match.