No the greatest youth soccer game was more than 20 years ago when my 12 year old son scored on the sixth PK to win their first ever travelling team tournament game, and was carried off the field by his 13 and 14 year old teammates. Either that or when some of the same boys won the U19 State Cup several years later. Rep given to Red Star. I used to watch entire football and basketball games, but can't sit still that long anymore. Soccer - no problem, because there's always action.
This first dawned on me when I started bumping into middle-aged soccer nuts at tailgates. The typical profile for a soccer fan in the country is a young male who may have played soccer in school. Soccer fans are much younger on average than baseball fans. But the fact that it is catching on with older men is significant Soccer dads sometimes stay interested after the kids give it up, but the most passionate ones doen't get involved that way. I think they tend to be disillusioned sports nuts who need a new calling.
I openly derided the game, about which I knew nothing, when I was handed the keys to covering Serie A for the Associated Press in Italy in 1992. I was a 23-year-old punk who grew up on Pop Warner and high school football, which I finally had to quit since despite being captain and QB, I could not see much over the line at 5'6". Suddenly, after three months of churning out horrendously bad copy for the AP, I found myself utterly hooked on 'calcio.' I mean hooked. We're talking Charlie Parker-hand-me-the-syringe-or-I'm-gonna-bash-this-saxophone-over-your-head hooked. Then came World Cup '94, and more reporting in Italy, and the rest is history. Strangely enough, although I continued to cover Italian soccer throughout the 1990s, it wasn't until I moved back to the States in 2001 that I actually started playing the game. I had no skills, but having played American football, basketball and other sports and general athleticism helped in other ways. As did studying the game as a fan and reporter. Now I'm back in Europe, playing two days a week with players (American, too) who are very good. But I don't get skilled much anymore. I actually have decent skills now, mainly because besides playing, I practice a lot with the ball at home with my son. Meanwhile, this evil, insidious addiction grows....spreading to this insanse daily devouring of all information about everything and anything concerning the U.S. game...even leading me to take up job-threatening missionary work in the remote hope of helping the future national team....and BigSoccer just ain't helping.... My wife, desperate, is now recommending a Chinese doctor and acupunture. I let you guys know if it helps.....
There is no known cure for MAMSS.... I was going to start a thread about soccer widows too. Put yourself in the shoes of a woman whose husband suddenly starts dressing up like Uncle Sam and prancing around the parking lot. For better or for worse....
For obvious reasons, my mother is completely immune to MAMSS, there is no doubt she has the related disease, MAFSS. She signed me up for the town U8 team when I was 6 (21 years ago) with absolutely no understanding of the game, except that you couldn't use your hands, it wasn't as violent as football and the team was coached by a friendly guy with a charming british accent (my parents are divorced.) Despite her lack of knowledge of the gams, she offered to be the assistant coach for my team. Rather than just provide water and oranges, she threw herself into the role, reading any books on the subject she could find, attending clinics, and watching whatever games were available. Soon, she was the head coach of my sister's team and the town's soccer director. We went to 6 WC 94 games, and she has had seasons tickets to the Revolution (and while they existed the Breakers) since the league's formation. She still comes to watch me play in my adult league. You'll know me if you see me play because I'm the only 27 year old with his mother at the game. Thanks to her, I don't have to worry about catching MAMSS myself, as I've had a love for the sport my entire life.
Indeed. I got MLS Direct kick and FSW at my parents house so when I visit I can catch the action. My mom now is hooked on Metrostars and unfortunately she has taken a liking to Arsenal b/c "they are fun to watch b/c they score alot and are exciting. Plus that Henry player is so quick.."
When did youth leagues really start taking hold in this country? I started playing in 1979 at the age of 8, in Idaho of all places. That had to be somewhat on the forefront. Played the game until I was a sophomore in high school. I never knew anything about professional soccer or the World Cup though as a kid (although I had heard of Pele and the Cosmos in passing.) All that changed when, right after I graduated from high school, I spent a month in Germany as part of an exchange program. I still can't believe this happened to me. The stars and sun and moon must have all been aligned just right, but get this. I spent one month in Germany in the summer of 1990. I arrived the day the World Cup began, and left the day after it ended. AND GERMANY WON THE WORLD CUP THAT YEAR. I followed the tournament the whole month along with the rest of the nation. The night before I left the country, I witnessed the biggest and best party I have ever seen in my entire life, taking place in the streets of Stuttgart. I still sigh happily at the memory. I have been a complete and utter addict ever since.
So did my wife but even she gets sick of it at some point. 4 kids who play (one more daughter due in a month) one sometines two games a weekend, tournaments, Fow Sports World, GOLTV, MLS on ESPN and the net for all the information and text commentary on games not on tv. She had no chance - Deep down she loves it but will never admit it openly, besides I'm the biggest kid of them all .
I sort of qualify. I grew up playing the game. Was a fairly mediocre starting winger and midfielder on a good H.S. team. Did the traveling team gig for my town as a youth as well where I was always one of the last guys to make the city wide team. In short I was quite a bit better than your average player, but not really athletic enough to be one of the better guys on really good teams. Sort of the same story in all the other team sports I tried. Good, good enough to start and play in a good position, but not ever really a star. Your typical little league third baseman who batted 2nd, 6th or 7th. Put the bat on the ball. Made plenty of hits, but never a real all-star. Just solid. Even translates to current life. I'm a 16 handicap in golf. Good, can crack 85 from time to time, but I'm not great. Guess that qualifies me as your typical sports junkie. In any event as a kid I loved all sports and was a pretty big fan of the NASL. Obviously when the game died professionally here I stopped following it. I'd watch the World Cup, etc., but that was about it. I was fully into MLB, NFL, etc. Then in 1999 my wife and I went to Italy on vacation. While there we saw Roma take on Parma in the Olimpico. My interest in the game was immediately rekindled and I have not looked back. For me there is nothing that compares to futbol in terms of the overall experience.
I read the Miracle of Castel Sangre about two years ago, and my memories of it are pretty consistent with the other poster's. Great backstroy, good writer, good insight into lower division Italian soccer, but by the end of the book I wanted to rip the author's throat out. He got way too involved in the story and basically became his story. Disappointing, but a lot of good "Oh--you're an American? We know Alexi Lalas" anecdotes. Worth checking out from the library. I guess I'm one of the lifetime soccer fans, a 20-something male that started playing in AYSO, moved up to competitive club and high school ball, lost the plot a bit in college, and then rediscovered the sport with a passion at the end of college and grad school. I now ref, play in a co-ed rec league (lower division, so this lifetime sweeper can actually play forward and score some goals), am addicted to an online soccer game (hattrick.com --check it out), and do the occasional bit of reporting on the local mls team. I can also remember the moment that I became a soccer addict (rather than just a soccer player). I was walking out of my dormitory in (early spring?) 1997, when I noticed a soccer team practicing on the astroturf field across the street. There was this guy with dreadlocks, this tall guy with red hair and a beard, and this coach who kept muttering something about a 3-6-1 (j/k--actually Sampson was very friendly and seemed to be running a good practice session). Walking out of my front door and seeing the USMNT practicing just floored me. I ditched class and watched for the next 45 minutes (I remember being really impressed with Frankie's fitness). I still have the pictures with Lalas, Cobi, Sampson, and Harkes that I took with my (gay) friend (who spent the whole time drooling over the player's legs). Turns out with the seasonable rain in the Bay Area, the team needed to find a drier place to practice for their gold cup match (in oakland). So they showed up on my doorstep, which led to me getting tickets for me and my friends for the gold cup, which led to me wasting hours and hours on this message board lurking and occasionally posting. Thanks for putting up with my lengthy digression, and sharing my obsession.
Just wanted to add that I just read the thread beginning to end. One of the better threads in quite sometime on these boards.
I didn't discover the game in middle age. I've played since I was seven, on rec teams, then travel teams, and in HS. But oh, have I had a mid-life change. I'd been coaching part-time (travel teams, goalkeeper coach) for several years. But when I got let go from my previous job and was wondering what to do, I decided to jump in with both feet and coach soccer full-time. Now I coach a high-school team, do private instruction, clinics, camps and referee. I specialize in goalkeeper training. Shameless plug: if you're looking for training in northern Colorado, drop me a pm. And check out JB Goalkeeping, my comprehensive (and free!) site for goalkeepers and keeper coaches.
Yea I read it. First third of the book is outstanding, McGinnis does an outstanding job of establishing setting and tone. He gives life to the city, team and team officials and does a good job portraying Italian soccer both from the fans POV, historical perspective and some of the inner workings. Unfortunately the book tails off after that into some boring, protracted and repetitive discussions of the Castel Di Sangrio team exploits. At times his situations feel very contrived (made up) or at the least greatly embellished. And as someone noted earlier he inserts himself far too often into the story (wouldnt be so bad but that he was pathetic and obnoxious). Even with all that I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to any soccer fan new or old. When I read the book I was just starting to get the fever (yes I am middle aged) and it contributed to and heightened my ongoing infatuation with soccer both domestic (US) and international.
As some of you know, I lost my father to cancer a few months ago. However, some years ago, I know one aspect of our relationship of father and son evolved from the "what the hell are you watching/talking about?" to him being able to listen, comprehend and offer feedback and educated discourse about the game I grew up on. My father was happily afflicted with the MAMSS that Thomas describes here, and even to the point of close to being afflicted with OMSS (that's "Old Male Soccer Syndrome", even). No complaints, though... we shared a common love of sport, and I'm more than pleased that he was eventually able to relate to this great sport that we all know, love and appreciate.
Baby Tiger, sorry your lost your father. My father died in 1986 but he had absolutely no interest in soccer. Back then and before, soccer was virtually unknown on the South Side of Chicago outside of a few Mexican neighborhoods. Middle Aged Female Soccer Syndrome (MAFSS) is rarer but just as incurable. Onset is often connected with a child's interest in soccer. The prognosis is not good.
Hello, my name is jkritchey, and I suffer from MAMSS.... <Hi, jkritchey, clap, clap, clap> I've always liked soccer, but youth soccer for my son really got me into it big time. Then when I first started expressing my love for the game to sports friends, I was greeted with "soccer sux" and then had to listen to the established sports media (ESPN and local sports radio) slam the game at every opportunity. Which of course steeled my resolve. I have come to dislike other sports for that reason. My main soccer claim to fame: I grew up in Boalsburg, Pa. Two members of the 1950 World Cup team have ties to Boalsburg: Bill Jeffries, 1950 Coach, and Walt Bahr, MF on the team, both lived there. I love that!
Great thread. Good to see so many "old" guys on here as well - I've been through stretches on BS where I can't take the petty crap between all of the kids I have a similar story to so many here. I was the typical 3-sport junkie growing up, although I played some soccer as more of a hobby and did watch NASL. Got into soccer a bit more in college as some of my best friends played and would watch WC's in Spanish every 4 years. It wasn't until I went to grad school and started playing 3-4 days a week with guys from all over the world that I became completely hooked - to the almost complete exclusion of the big 3 I grew up playing and watching fanatically. I studied in Mexico in the summer of '98 and my roomie (who played at a pretty high level) and I watched every WC match - most of them twice. Since then I've gone from haunting the pubs in SF to having Direct Kick and EPL (I love TIVO!!!) in the LBC. WC '02 was a coup b/c I "volunteered" to get up with my 5-month old every night and we've been watching together ever since. Every weekend since he started talking he wakes up and asks, "watch soccer daddy?" Who am I to say no and I'm bullet-proof with the wife! Needless to say, I'm hooked, and I still have the youth soccer stage to go!