The Evolution of Soccer in Your Community

Presenting "The Evolution of
The Kicked Ball" In Your Community

By David P. Hillgrove from Soccer magazine.

Recent findings concerning soccer participation statistics have led to analyses that soccer is "exploding" on the youth sports front. I suggest to you that this is not the case; soccer has been in place in many US communities for several decades.
Nothing is perfect in an evolutionary world - one can see patterns when observing a soccer community from afar. And after one observes several such communities over an extensive period of time, the patterns become not only predictable, but also a tad humorous.

See if you can identify your community's stage along the path of soccer perfection:

Someone, somewhere introduces the game to a community. Often this someone is from another locale, especially a soccer-loving other-country. Usually it is one or two folks who "get the ball rolling." It's practically imperative that this leadership have somewhat of a serious background in soccer.
The Big Three sport fans (football, basketball, and baseball) meet the new sport and its supporters with disdain. This will morph into jealousy, and eventually, surrender.
Every revolution begins with a single defiant act.

House leagues produce a scattering of semi-talented players in one or two age groups. Energetic parents organize the players into a travel or select team. They initially believe that they will consistently succeed, defeating other communities who are well-coached and have been at this for more than 10 years.
This assumption will be challenged consistently. The early select teams struggle, Tacking superior "cross-sport" athletes.
High school teams wear old basketball uniforms as kit, and they play during the winter because the athletic director and/or football coach sees no reason to change that.

House leagues grow to the point where municipal resources are strained. It is obvious that fields must be converted to soccer pitches if all taxpayers are to be given value; the registration rolls are simply overflowing.
Big Three administrators fight vehemently for protection of their resources. While they find it difficult to justify a football field's non-use during spring time, they fight even harden They are successful at first, yet they get lazy while thinking this soccer ban" will continue ad infinitum. They don't work to grow their ranks, nor do they work to retain defectors to "communist kickball." The favors they have been given by the local parks and recreation administration are running out.

Several good travel teams, a waiting-list house league, and lots of enthusiastic parents mark this stage of soccer development. At this point, the talent of the players begins to supercede the talent level of the coaching, the refereeing, and the parent base. The original founder is still the best show in town if he has remained true to the game's values.
Someone is beginning to find a parks and recreation administrator, a politician, and/or a sports editor who is willing to give the soccer community a break or two. The road for parents at this stage is still long and somewhat frustrating if notoriety is all they desire.
Soccer camps begin to generate some serious interest and revenue.

Exploding numbers and entangled personalities are the genesis for the development of rival league or leagues.
While several adults will bemoan this stage as "the beginning of the end" for soccer, it says here that this is mandatory in the development of soccer communities. Rival leagues create controversy, yes. But they also create natural rivalries both in games and for top level talent. Competition between clubs can get ugly sometimes, but in the big picture of the game's development, it is crucial.

About this time, the Big Three fans have given tip on trying to classify soccer players as inferior athletes. By now they've already seen too many good athletes lost to soccer And while it is never enough to satisfy the average parent, soccer actually begins to occupy some column inches in local newspapers.
They, however, never do learn that in order to increase the coverage, one needs to make it easy for the newspaper (provide press releases, schedules, results, public relation events, etc.), rather than constantly criticizing it.

Players who came up through the system return to the community, having played or cheered the sport in college. 'They have new perspective, they have energy, and they have communication skills.
The test of a community at this stage is whether the dad who has coached for 12-15 years in a row is ready to step aside and let this player/coach lead the more talented players. The player/coach can help their game grow because he has observed the game at a higher level.
Feelings get hurt at this stage of evolution.

State level association meetings resemble political gatherings, with power plays and inflated egos allowing brutal exchanges of parental angst. The soccer purist grows weary of these exchanges, leaving the semi-important role of state association administration in the hands of amateurs.
Volunteer coaches are beginning to have somewhat of a background in soccer, even if it is a simple introduction of the sport in their grade school physical education class. Parents have evolved into a pattern of believing that their constant yelling from the sideline is helpful to the Saturday morning child player.

Later, local players will begin to earn scholarships and national accolades through a now-vibrant Olympic Development Program. College reams grow their level of play, while many universities rush to add the sport to their men's or women's portfolio.
It seems to this columnist that through all this, and the growth of national teams and professional soccer, the TV and the videotape industry, the soccer camp, and the soccer magazine industry…that the only real place to truly find the game at the purest form…is still at the Saturday morning match between a maroon and gold squad of no-nothings.
It is here that laughter is most cherished. It is here the lessons are learned in positive spoonfuls.
And listening to the parents holler may well be as entertaining as the play on the field.