Why people dislike soccer is a mystery. Those who don't really follow the game often complain about the lack of scoring or action that might take place over 90 minutes, or that soccer players are all fakers and fall down complaining about injuries at the slightest contact.
I was destined to play soccer right from the beginning. As the son of immigrants from Spain and my dad being a diehard Real Madrid fan, he was going to get me into the sport no matter what. When I first stepped onto the playing field at age 5, soccer in North America was really not mainstream. The pro league was struggling at best and while the arrival of handful of other world stars like Beckenbauer, George Best, Giorgio Chinaglia Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Gerd Müller and especially the arrival of Pele with different club increased the visibility of the game somewhat, it was short lived and didn't really bring soccer into mainstream. In terms of youth participating, soccer ranked far behind hockey, baseball and football and was seen as the sport of immigrants where the coaches were often a player's dad who was an immigrant or son of recent immigrants. Canadians are passionate about their hockey and baseball is called America's pastime but the cultural implications of soccer go well beyond the impact that either of those sports have on the national identities of their respective countries. I am not a soccer historian nor do I have expertise into the sociological impact that soccer has had on various cultures world wide but let's be honest, it is the global game. One look at the number of countries where soccer is #1 or at the number of people that participate in soccer in some form or other, confirms that while the game might be sneered at in North America, it is the game that is beloved around the world. When the increase of television coverage, social media, broader worldwide access, soccer enthusiasts can find soccer games to watch pretty match 24/7 from leagues anywhere in the world. Soccer remains the most watched sport worldwide and the World Cup the most watched sporting event. So why is soccer so beloved, what makes it bring out the passion in fans, or create the intense rivalries that we have all seen images about. Well I have a few thoughts on the subject... I mean if I didn't what would be the purpose of blogging today. Big games and rivalries are a big reason why people watch soccer. Sports rivalries exist everywhere and when teams have passionate fans, it adds to the atmosphere. Locally, hockey fans talk about Montreal Canadians vs Toronto Maple Leaf or Boston Bruins, baseball fans will talk about Yankees vs Red Sox. However North American sports rivalries will often depend on the success the teams involved are having at the time of the games. A very unique reality about soccer rivalries is that they are often based on culture, religious and social factors as much as they are about the game itself. Unlike North America, where in each sport, each city will generally have one franchise representing it, major European cities will have multiple teams ( or clubs ) which represent a neighborhood, social or religious group and then the bragging rights take on such a higher meaning. It creates great debates and intense confrontations. Just look at games that involve Rangers ( protestant ) vs Celtic ( catholic) , Real Madrid ( upper class) vs Athletic Madrid ( team of the people), Real Madrid ( central government) vs Barcelona ( catalan pride) , not to mention on the so call derby between rival clubs in the same cities Everton - Liverpool, Manchester United vs City, Arsenal - Tottenham, AC Milan vs Inter Milan, Roma - Lazio and oh so many more. Move on to international games and you find teams carrying the pride of their country on the shoulders as they step on the field. With major international competitions taking place at varying intervals, players might get one or two chances to represent their countries on the biggest stage and they often look to be at their best. Big games usually have big expectations, and the teams can usually deliver because its more than the 3 pts on the line but all the bragging rights that go with it. This is something that brings a country together every four years. Even though there are a bunch of friendlies and other tournaments that your club can win, this is the one that countries are always hoping to capture. The World Cup symbolizes that your country is the best at soccer in the world. Forget the Super Bowl, World Series , NHL Stanley Cup playoffs or NBA championships. The winners of these competitions are often labeled as World Champions but only the World Cup's outcome determines who is the best in the world. Spain had a great run between the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup. The only country to win 3 major competitions in succession. After decades of underachievement, those 4 years allowed Spanish soccer fans to walk around head held high and full of pride and believe me, it was a huge deal. If your team is the best in the world, you have been entitled to brag. Humiliating your opponents is unsportsmanlike, but the pride in you says otherwise. In my opinion, soccer develops a pride for one's team like no other sport. Followers of a team stick with them no matter what. Their are clubs whose competitive ambitions are limited to ensuring they remain in the top division, knowing that they will never win the championship and yet achieving their goal is the same as winning the greatest honors and those fans revel in it. Soccer is a sport that has generational and family implications. Parents loved the sport and pass along the passion for soccer onto their kids. The support for a specific club is passed down through generations. Families head out to the stadium for home games, fully dressed in team colors, chanting the club songs and dreaming of glory. For me it was watching the 1982 World Cup in Spain with my father and his Spanish friends where I really started to grasp more about my Spanish roots. Watching this group of expatriates, beaming with pride as their country hosted the biggest competition for their beloved sport, made me see the game in a whole different context. The images of national team fans jumping with joy, crying with devastation or screaming with frustration at the changing fortunes of "their" team made me realize the passion. pride and emotional investment that soccer fans put into their teams and the love of the game. Take a closer look and this is the same for fans of different club teams. Just the fact that teams are called clubs, tells you that soccer fans seems themselves as a part of the group, invested in their success and dependent on their results, not just a lovers of the sport going to watch a simple game. My dad decided I was going to play soccer while most of my friends were playing hockey and baseball. I had no reference point to understand the rules of game itself and it was left to me father to explain the rules. I was put on a team with a bunch of kids that I had never met. I opened the door to new friendships and development a passion that over time became a focal point in my life. The sport itself is beautiful. Anyone can play the sport. It doesn't matter if you're scrawny and 5'2" or 6'1" and muscle bound. It's such a great game for anyone to play. You don't even need proper equipment. You can play at the beach, with a volleyball, barefoot, and have your goalposts be two backpacks. You can play by yourself, just by juggling the ball. It's easily the world's sport, other than North America. Which is a true shame because most people are so ignorant that they take soccer as just "another" sport. That is the biggest lie I could ever hear. It's not just a game, it's a passion. Sports change us as humans. They can break down the barriers of language, race, creed and color. We can all enjoy sports together, regardless of what separates us as people. Nothing has demonstrated the equality sports can provide more than soccer. For the love of soccer, learn to like the game.
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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