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And that is the only prospect for growth of Soccer in places like Australia and the US. More kids are playing it because of perceptions around safety primarily from the parents compared to the more physical football codes, and low barriers to entry (skill, simplicity, equipment) secondarily. It has long been available to anyone here, yet languishes in popularity (not junior participation, but actual popularity) for the reasons I mention above...Incumbency/culture.
The hope of Soccer associations here is to ingrain it in the children and hope for generational transfer, because immigration alone has not done the job that they were banking on.
Just yesterday, I saw a poster in my neighborhood advertising a soccer camp for children, starting at age TWO. That's how low the bar is to start playing soccer. You don't see toddlers mostly still in diapers playing football or basketball.
But, as a former sports coach myself, I know that if the real goal is to increase interest in am activity among adults, it's not always a good strategy to encourage preschool kids to do it. Most kids are going to lose interest in a sport they started at age two, and want to try something else. The something else is more likely to engage them long-term, especially if they see lots of adults watching it and playing it. These practices and games for very tiny players which are not followed up by a strong interest in soccer among American adults sort of cement soccer as a game for little kids (not to mention that "Soccer Moms" are notorious).
We all know that is not the reason. It is simply what they grow up with and is handed down to them by their parents. Sport is tribal. If I was dealt the unfortunate hand of being born in a country where Soccer is king and all my mates played Soccer, I probably would have played soccer. Heaven forbid I was born in the Australian States of Victoria or South Australia I probably would have played the embarrassing "Australian" Football code (the predominant code in less than half the country by population).
And that is the only prospect for growth of Soccer in places like Australia and the US. More kids are playing it because of perceptions around safety primarily from the parents compared to the more physical football codes, and low barriers to entry (skill, simplicity, equipment) secondarily. It has long been available to anyone here, yet languishes in popularity (not junior participation, but actual popularity) for the reasons I mention above...Incumbency/culture.
The hope of Soccer associations here is to ingrain it in the children and hope for generational transfer, because immigration alone has not done the job that they were banking on.
Well said! I also prefer the NRL over the AFL. To me the AFL looks like just kicking a bunch of field goals all game. Also I like the fact that the NRL has a rectangle field, as oppose to the oval of the AFL.
Just yesterday, I saw a poster in my neighborhood advertising a soccer camp for children, starting at age TWO. That's how low the bar is to start playing soccer. You don't see toddlers mostly still in diapers playing football or basketball.
Yes it is likely the only ball sport kids so young could be involved in the primary skill of the game, kicking a large ball along the ground.
Because it isn't an American invention. It started in other countries first and was already popular in other countries before it eventually came to America and became the popular sport it is today in America.
"Records trace the history of soccer back more than 2,000 years ago to ancient China. Greece, Rome, and parts of Central America also claim to have started the sport; but it was England that transitioned soccer, or what the British and many other people around the world call “football,” into the game we know today. The English are credited with recording the first uniform rules for the sport, including forbidding tripping opponents and touching the ball with hands."
Because it isn't an American invention. It started in other countries first and was already popular in other countries before it eventually came to America and became the popular sport it is today in America.
"Records trace the history of soccer back more than 2,000 years ago to ancient China. Greece, Rome, and parts of Central America also claim to have started the sport; but it was England that transitioned soccer, or what the British and many other people around the world call “football,” into the game we know today. The English are credited with recording the first uniform rules for the sport, including forbidding tripping opponents and touching the ball with hands."
.
The again you can American football is just an offshoot of Rugby League, and Baseball is clearly just a derivative of Rounders, whilst Tennis and Golf were sports that the British were instrumental in developing.
I never said I was Italian. I said I was of Italian descent. All 4 of my grandparents were born in Canada, but my 4 great grandparents were born in Italy. I certainly wanted Italy to defeat England, because of that. I also defended Italy against your slanderous garbage, that all Italian soccer players are actors when it comes to taking a dive. The world saw English players constantly taking dives the entire UEFA Euro 2020. I also look as they say, Southern Italian, so growing up in a predominantly Philly Irish neighborhood, I certainly heard a lot of ethnic slurs thrown my way. You should be ashamed of yourself, because that is like me telling you that you don't have a black wife or kids.
No it isn't!! Because my wife and kids ARE black but you're NOT Italian (you've even just admitted it), as for 'looking' Southern Italian what is that supposed to mean?! Southern Italians aren't all clones, they look like other Europeans from all over the continent! Southern Italian isn't a seperate ethnicity to anybody else in Europe? As for Italian footballers I'm afraid they are famous for being the worst 'divers' (along with South Americans), of course I think you're right everybody does it these days but it was certainly something that started down in the Med and in South America (hand of God anyone!?)
Look, I do want to point out that I don't think ONLY Italians are subject to a bit of cheating, they just have (a probably unfair) reputation for it. I think many players from all over the globe do it.
By the way I bet in your 'Irish neighbourhood' nobody was actually Irish!
We all know that is not the reason. It is simply what they grow up with and is handed down to them by their parents. Sport is tribal. If I was dealt the unfortunate hand of being born in a country where Soccer is king and all my mates played Soccer, I probably would have played soccer. Heaven forbid I was born in the Australian States of Victoria or South Australia I probably would have played the embarrassing "Australian" Football code (the predominant code in less than half the country by population).
And that is the only prospect for growth of Soccer in places like Australia and the US. More kids are playing it because of perceptions around safety primarily from the parents compared to the more physical football codes, and low barriers to entry (skill, simplicity, equipment) secondarily. It has long been available to anyone here, yet languishes in popularity (not junior participation, but actual popularity) for the reasons I mention above...Incumbency/culture.
The hope of Soccer associations here is to ingrain it in the children and hope for generational transfer, because immigration alone has not done the job that they were banking on.
Yes I agree there is some truth to this but its not that simple! Like I have already pointed out football isn't the only sport on offer here, there are plenty of people in the UK that prefer, lets say, cricket to football, my uncle wasn't much of a football fan but he loved rugby and was a season ticket holder at Blackheath, also (like me) many people like a multitude of sports, I am NOT just a fan of football, I like a bit of rugby (union more than league), cricket and I do watch a bit of the F1 when I can, the fact is though that a majority of people have football as their favourite sport because of its entertainment value, its known as the 'beautiful game' for a reason. In the UK we fairly get good crowds for cricket, we get fairly good crowds for rugby (both union and league), there is a large crowd for F1 Grand Prix's, we get HUGE crowds for football. Preference for football is just something replicated across most of the globe and even in places where football isn't the preferred sport it has quite a good 'presence' I believe?
Yes I agree there is some truth to this but its not that simple! Like I have already pointed out football isn't the only sport on offer here, there are plenty of people in the UK that prefer, lets say, cricket to football, my uncle wasn't much of a football fan but he loved rugby and was a season ticket holder at Blackheath, also (like me) many people like a multitude of sports, I am NOT just a fan of football, I like a bit of rugby (union more than league), cricket and I do watch a bit of the F1 when I can, the fact is though that a majority of people have football as their favourite sport because of its entertainment value, its known as the 'beautiful game' for a reason. In the UK we fairly get good crowds for cricket, we get fairly good crowds for rugby (both union and league), there is a large crowd for F1 Grand Prix's, we get HUGE crowds for football. Preference for football is just something replicated across most of the globe and even in places where football isn't the preferred sport it has quite a good 'presence' I believe?
Thats the same anywhere. Plenty of options. My #1 Summer sport is Cricket and Rugby League #1 Winter sport, but if it came down to a choice I'd take Test Cricket as my favourite sport.
The "beautiful game" is just a moniker applied by fans and administrators. It is self serving of course. Just like Rugby claims itself to be the "Game played in heaven". Surely that trumps plain old "beautiful"....
I'm sticking with my thesis and am not buying the "entertainment value" argument. What entertainment there is, is also largely derived from the tribal parochialism of team/country, given the dearth of action on the pitch for the majority of every game.
The fact that soccer is the most popular sport in the world is a function of incumbency and tribalism.
The again you can American football is just an offshoot of Rugby League, and Baseball is clearly just a derivative of Rounders, whilst Tennis and Golf were sports that the British were instrumental in developing.
Baseball is not "clearly just" a derivative of rounders, because they are completely different games. There could be some influence, but baseball developed separately from rounders in Canada, and the USA. Giving the British credit for inventing baseball is really stretching it. That is like saying the Romans invented soccer, because they played a very similar game.
No it isn't!! Because my wife and kids ARE black but you're NOT Italian (you've even just admitted it), as for 'looking' Southern Italian what is that supposed to mean?! Southern Italians aren't all clones, they look like other Europeans from all over the continent! Southern Italian isn't a seperate ethnicity to anybody else in Europe? As for Italian footballers I'm afraid they are famous for being the worst 'divers' (along with South Americans), of course I think you're right everybody does it these days but it was certainly something that started down in the Med and in South America (hand of God anyone!?)
Look, I do want to point out that I don't think ONLY Italians are subject to a bit of cheating, they just have (a probably unfair) reputation for it. I think many players from all over the globe do it.
By the way I bet in your 'Irish neighbourhood' nobody was actually Irish!
In America some people will refer to their ethnic background by saying I'm Italian, Irish, Polish, German, etc. Are these people actually born in Italy, Ireland, Poland, Germany, of course not they are Americans. I heard President Joe Biden on many occasions say that he was Irish, so even the President of the USA does it. If he was Irish he couldn't even be the President, because only someone born in America can be President. You were the one that made a point of saying Italians were great actors by faking their trips, and basically cheating. Now you are changing your tune, and saying it is probably unfair that they have that reputation, because everyone does it.
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. What entertainment there is, is also largely derived from the tribal parochialism of team/country, given the dearth of action on the pitch for the majority of every game.