Lack of Diversity on the U.S. Women's National Team

Necron's point was a good and relevant one.

Whether for men or for women, if there are big $$ at the end of the rainbow, the money is there to get the best prospects from all ethnic and economic groups to the clubs, leagues, individual instruction, showcases, you name it, that they need to get to in order to excel and rise to the top. In fact, there are so many $$ available in US basketball and football that a whole industry has grown up around finding, developing, and promoting (all based on economic self-interest, not benevolence) the best prospects. This is true in soccer/futbol as well, which is why in countries where there are player $$ out there to be had, you find the systems identifying and bringing along the best prospects. If there aren't big $$ at the end of the rainbow, then all of those things are a luxury that will go to those who can afford them without an expectation of an economic payoff in the end. That is the case, for the moment, with soccer in the US for women, and realistically also for men.

If professional women's soccer players had multi-million dollar contracts as the norm, believe me, you would see as much diversity as the potential talent pool merits. On the other hand, so long as people are complaining about paying $15 to see a streamed international tournament game involving our National Team, don't expect to see anything different than what you're seeing now.

 

This is an interesting position which is similar to a point metioned regarding the men's national team. I think it was Alexi Lalas who mentioned that one of the reasons the men's team cannot field a high quality team when compared with othere countries is that the best athletes in the US don't play soccer and he was talking about minority football and basketball players who are pursuing the big $ in those sports, and mentioned that US soccer is left for middle and upperclass suburban kids.

 

It isn't just the minorities, the vast majority of the most talented athletes in the US choose to play American Football, Basketball, and Baseball third. There are some that have a love for the international game of football(soccer) and play it anyway, but by high-school and college most are chasing the big money dream.

 

I remember reading that Kobe Bryant played soccer as a child in Italy or found a love for the game there. It makes you wonder if he could have been an excellent footballer in the United States if he had just focused on soccer instead of just basketball. Obviously he chose basketball because that was probably his first love and his father played the game as well apparently... and yeah that little thing called money helps.

But on the flip side, what if Lisa Leslie was into soccer? Would she have made an excellent soccer player as well since she's obviously athletic or is it a little silly to assume a great basketball player can easily transition into a soccer player.

 

Really? Can you name a woman football or baseball player since WWII? I've seen "League of their own" and I understand there was Women's football, but I'm pretty sure they were both all white and basically outlawed whet the G I's came home.

I'll grant basketball, but not everyone is 6'5".

 

Steve Nash was also a good Jr soccer player. There is plenty of youtube footage of him juggling. Guy is excellent. Kobe played guardian. It's a known fact that USA elite talent ends up in football and basketball.

 

He has good points but a bit off. Ethnic girls gravitate to track and field and basketball like the men to football and basketball in the states, because that's where the money is.

Lolo Jones
Alison Felix
Sheryl Swoopes
Cheryl Miller
Candace Parker

How much better would the national team be, if the sprinters and 6ft plus girls started soccer from youth? International teams have problems dealing with Morgan's pace, and she is a snail compared to world class sprinters like Lolo and Felix. Girls like Parker (dunk a basketball) run 6'3" and are far more athletic than Hope Solo. It's like putting a female version of Kobe in net.

Minorities in general have no clue who Sydney and Press are.

He was point on.

 

Except the whole Canadian thing.

 

Jennie Finch. Granted, she played softball and not baseball.

 

Wait... Canada isn't part of the USA? When did that happen?

 

Got me there. If she had played Soccer it would have solved all of the sport's diversity issues

 

I was responding to their comment about minority athletes and sports. Their comment was not limited to women. Therefore I was speaking about men.

 

My bad, I was for once focussed on the thread title, which is:

I'm still a little puzzled why you would reference a blond softball player.

Megan Rapinoe has the bleached demographic covered.

 

Really! You've been running back and forth to Wiki posting stats since yesterday. That's trying to prove something while everyone else is just making broad comments, not concerned if they are completely right or wrong. It's about opinions, not Wiki. Nash plays ball in an American league and had a past in soccer like Kobe. Now, if he is Canadian, then he'd upgrade their team, because the Canadian NT isn't exactly winning WC and Olympics, seems to be in the same boat with USMNT and MLS.

 

Thanks, pot. . You are entitled to you opinions, but not your facts.

Wait,

IF he is Canadian?



And Canada did medal in the Olympics in women's football, which Germany, France, and Brasil, for examples, did not.

 

I didn't reference any players at all, blonde or otherwise. Are you quoting me in response to someone else?

 

Sorry mixed up responses

 

No problem sir.

 

Guess it's still a topic: http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer-baxter-20170121-story.html

 

There were people who claimed Jill Ellis was a racist, when she didn't include Dunn on the 2015 World Cup roster.

 

Well to put it this way.....

Nash walked away from Basketball Canada after the failure to qualify for the '04 Olympics and his coach/buddy Jay Triano was let go. He publicly refused to rejoin the national team until his retirement claiming that he "gave his all" at the '00 Olympics.

In reality, he was too loyal to Triano and decided that winning an NBA title and being famous would proved Basketball Canada wrong. He failed to win a title but showed Canadian players that NBA glory is more important than the national team.

Which was funny given that Nash was made "General Manager" of Team Canada on the condition that Triano was brought back as coach. Canada failed to qualify for the 2014 Basketball World Cup and the Olympics. Much of that was top quality players refusing to show up to play for the national team.

In other words, being like Steve Nash.

 

That wouldn't make much sense, since Shannon Boxx made the team in place of Dunn.
I don't recall people saying this about Jill, but I do remember people complaining about the lack of diversity or even call ups under Pia.

 

Impressive that you choose a 4 year old post.

Whatever you think of Nash, there is no question that his loyalties lie with Canada. That the Canada National program is disfunctional isn't really his problem.

 

it's not so much diversity but success in American woso has to do more how wealthy your neighborhood is. For instance Christen Press(part African American) was raised in Palos Verdes, a very wealthy suburb of LA(medium home price; $1.2 mill).

minus black & white discussion, if you look at the New Jersey soccer hotbed area; Carly Lloyd came from the fourth richest county in the US, Hunderton county. Tobin Heath from the 8th richest, Somerset.

I live close to the LA/MS border. Both states top high schools in soccer come from their most affluent areas. LA's got the #1 high school team(according to max preps) in St Scholastica, a private catholic school(tuition 10K an year) which is located in the wealthiest parish(St Tamanny) in LA. Yep, we're #1, no jive
St. Scholastica High School Girls Soccer | MaxPreps

In one particular year, the most affluent county in MS, (Madison) won 3 of the 4 state's high schools division titles.

 

Completely agree with this. Soccer is a rich sport in Missouri at least. There hasn't been a public school state champ since 2012. It's been all private schools classes 1-4. Sure big names names in the area have come from public schools Groom, Laddish, Marlborough, Jaycee Johnson but they are in wealthy suburbs of KCMO. And Groom is the only one with a state championship in 2011 and 2010.