With the World Cup now advancing to the Knock Out Stage, many Americans are still wondering why the US Mens team did not even qualify. The answer is pretty simple–we have crappy players compared to the rest of the world. Even with investments made by communities and the MLS, many feel our best players never get seen, or get a decent shot at advancing to the next level. For those involved with our own Shore Soccer League, we get it.
The main problem is the cost of playing youth soccer–being able to be part of the private club and travel team system. In an interview, former US Womans Goalie Hope Solo talked about this with Bonnie Bernstein on a panel Tuesday at Hashtag Sports in New York City.
“The average cost for soccer right now in the United States is $15,000 per year,” Solo says. “That obviously alienates so many communities, including the Hispanic communities, the black communities, the rural communities and under-represented communities. Soccer, right now, has become a rich white kid sport. You have to look at why have our U.S. men not qualified for the World Cup? And it goes back to our youth system. And it’s because we are alienating so much talent in the youth system, and it breaks my heart because these kids are passionate about the game and they are filled with great skill, yet they’re being told if you don’t have the money, you can’t represent your country.”
Kyle Martino, another former candidate for U.S. Soccer President who played for the U.S. Men’s National Team, recently said the “privatized” nature of youth soccer is putting financial pressure on parents to the point it drives kids out of the sport.
Solo is 36 and while her national team career is still in question, she says her activism will continue she fights to advance U.S. Soccer, specifically for women and youths.
“We have a claim with the United States Olympic Committee under the Ted Stevens Act, which means that a national governing body, a non-profit organization like U.S. Soccer, has to put money back into the youth system, has to put money back into the amateur system, the Paralympians, the U.S. Deaf Team, they have to support all of soccer in the United States,” Solo says. “Yet, they only support professional soccer because that’s what makes them more money. Right now, it’s become profit or progress and that’s why we filed a claim with the United States Olympic Committee.”
“The average cost for soccer right now in the United States is $15,000 per year,” Solo says. “That obviously alienates so many communities, including the Hispanic communities, the black communities, the rural communities and under-represented communities. Soccer, right now, has become a rich white kid sport. You have to look at why have our U.S. men not qualified for the World Cup? And it goes back to our youth system. And it’s because we are alienating so much talent in the youth system, and it breaks my heart because these kids are passionate about the game and they are filled with great skill, yet they’re being told if you don’t have the money, you can’t represent your country.”
Kyle Martino, another former candidate for U.S. Soccer President who played for the U.S. Men’s National Team, recently said the “privatized” nature of youth soccer is putting financial pressure on parents to the point it drives kids out of the sport.
A Conversation with World Cup Champion Hope Solo #HS18 https://t.co/2GsAVcre97
— Hashtag Sports (@HashtagSports) June 26, 2018
About the Author
The reason that the U.S. can’t compete in international competition is that as a spectator sport it is incapable of filling a 100,000 fan arena, as is commonplace in South America and Europe.
Parents have steered their children away from American football and into soccer because they can experience the thrill of competition without the ver real possibility of injury. Many parents feel it just isn’t worth the risk, and soccer is the logical 2nd choice.
When and if Americans are interested enough in soccer to fill big stadiums, the talent and money will follow.
I have two boys; twelve and fourteen, who are not interested in soccer. If they were, I would not apologize for their “whiteness” and/or their degree of affluence to anyone.
Note: Try and buy a ticket for DC United at the new and beautiful multi-million dollar Audi Field in southeast Washington DC. Like Seattle and Portland and NY and LA, these teams routinely sell out. Atlanta FC fills the 80k plus Mercedes arena every Saturday. American Soccer has carved out a decent niche via the MLS, still, our best players are either retired Premiere League players, or internationals that could not quite make the European leagues (they could not play for US soccer anyway). College soccer is also dominated by internationals on scholarship. Of course, soccer will never be the NFL or NBA, it is still a big country with some very talented kids that love the game, but may never get a shot due to not being on an expensive travel team that attends the tournaments where college and pro scouts can see them. Which is the point of what Hope Solo is saying in this article.
Why do you feel ‘your’ kids have a ‘degree of affluence’ ?
Everything is relative. ……thus “degree of affluence “
That is not what I asked you. Try again.
Mr.Bell, Mr Oliver’s post was an accurate explanation of the lack of spectator interest in soccer in the US, for better or for worse. In my small high school in Somerset County, Md, we played soccer, because even touch football was considered too dangerous for adolescents. Most honestly, I don’t believe you’re capable of writing an intelligent comment on just about anything.
Give up trying to explain, Mr. Oliver. To quote an often-used aphorism, “Against ignorance even the gods war in vain”.
I am not in the habit of watching people play with balls.
Watch your dress.
What does ‘White’ have to do with it?