didn't espn do a recent poll that asked kids which they prefer watching in the summer MLS or MLB and it was a dead 50/50 draw? that's not a bad start, i bet 10 years ago it wouldn't have even been close
So many fallacies in this post. It never ceases to amaze me how many Americans don't understand how important physical athleticism is in developing technique and more importantly executing technical skill. Maybe it's because the big three sports have conditioned us to simplify our understanding of athleticism to more or less specifically some combination of speed, strength, quickness, and jumping ability, I don't know. Saying the only important physical attribute in soccer is stamina, or that being good at soccer has nothing to do with athleticism, even in the looses imaginable sense is asinine and honestly shows a lack of understanding of the physical nuances of the game. Balance, coordination, agility, space-time differentiation, are crucial in being able to successfully develop technique. Repetition, physical stage of development, and instruction all being equal, it is 1000 times easier for an athlete like say, Allen Iverson, to develop technical skills than it is for the average kid in an American DA. True that decision making, problem solving, vision, creativity, flair etc are another part of the equation but the importance of athleticism can't be overstated enough when analyzing what it takes to be a top player. Being good at soccer has as much to do with athleticism as any other American sport just not the type of physical attributes that can be measured in a 40-time or vertical.
Quoting myself... it seems I picked the wrong national team as an example for height. Lets look at Germany's team instead. Germany's population isn't as large as Brazils, 82 million to 200 million respectively. The average height of the German National Team is 6' 1". Again, I am sure Germany could find taller soccer players in their country, but they just aren't as successful as the guys that are 6'2" or shorter (The tallest guys on Germany's squad are 6'3", one is a goalie and the other is a defender). There are no other German field players in the entire Bundesliga that are taller then 6'3". I wonder why this is?
I saw a kid playing playing baseball with his dad today. I thought about this thread while driving by in my Kia and decided to stop. I sent my wife out of the car and she took their baseball and gave them a soccer ball. She told them in her country the soccer ball is called a football. She then got back in our sweet Kia and we drove off.
When best American athletes start playing football and not eggball you mean? jk futbol is spanish for fussball or football when Americans start calling "soccer" by the real name then maybe things change
Baseball has seen a huge drop off in major urban areas. Kids will play pickup basketball or American football. Can't make a lot of money playing soccer in America. MLS doesn't have the capability to provide that right now.
This is the exact reason MLS is paying big money to bring guys like Dempsey and Bradley back to the states. These guys are the poster child(s) of you can make money playing soccer.
Dude, you picked perhaps the wealthiest, whitest place in the country, as your example.. Its like the real world "caddyshack." I agree with your post though to a certain extent... Although I did remember about a school in NYC(might have been Brooklyn) that was very good at soccer, and predominantly black.. And they were trouncing everyone they played from what I remember.. I think while what you say is true, the poor coaching setup (valuing strength, speed, more developed kids vs teaching skills ) is the biggest issue. I remember reading on another threa Belgium has their 7 year olds playing 2V2, then 3v3, 4v4 as they get older and don't even play 11v11 until early teens. That's what the whole "street soccer" thing is, its small sided games that allow for flair...
Wait a minute, I'm going to have to call you on this, Hummels is 6'4 for that matter so is Brooks. I'm sure there is more.
We could be Brazil, where everyone plays pickup soccer. Then we'd only lose to Germany by 6... and a home no less. Winning in the World Cup against elite teams isn't easy.
Don't most clubs do it this way these days? In competitive soccer in South Texas it's not 11 v 11 until U-13 (North Texas they start at U-12).
Baseball has been having the same problem Soccer has had where these expensive travel teams end up pricig a lot of kids out of the game.
I misread the article I quoted. There are no players over 6' 4'. ...and I image there are not that many.
To be honest I am not sure, but I was under the impression they did not, just from hearing others write/talk about it over the years.... I know when I played when I was very young, it was not like that..
Found the answer... All state associations mandate or recommend SSG's. They differ in the ages/ sizes though and some clubs or leagues don't follow their respective states' recommendations to the letter. I believe that pretty much all clubs do SSG's in some manner. http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/assets/1/15/NationalSmallSidedGamesUpdate.pdf
In southern Ca. AYSO plays full field at the age of 8 with a ball size 4. By age 10 they graduate to ball size 5 and don't get good at it until around 12-13. Normally, if a kid shows talent he is recruited at the age of 9 for Club soccer, club soccer is broken down in to two seasons, league and cup (winter) and invitational weekend tournaments (summer).