Soccer vs American football in HS
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Anonymous
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I know I’ll take a lot of heat, especially the hardcore paytriots, but whats the allure with American football filling the stadium even if they know beforehand their school sucks and will get absolutely destroyed?
Vs what they call soccer here, never ever filling the stands/bleachers no matter how amazing the team is and even if they’re a contender to win the state championship? Please explain this infatuation to a South American who simply doesn’t get it. Not interested in specifics about how one is played with the hand and the other the foot, just curious what draws these crowds for a sport that spends 85 to 90% of time idle and has a fringe playing time of action. Plus I see overweight and outright obese children in it just to make a human wall or crash into a running body and I can’t for the life of me understand how that’s supposed to be healthy. Subjecting a child to heart disease and diabetes before they turn 30. Really curious. TIA! |
Anonymous
| This isn't Texas so I don't think football is as popular as you describe. But as a parent with elementary students the schools put together pyramid nights for football and not other sports. It's pushed more as an event I don't think most kids that go, go for the actual sport it's a social activity. |
Anonymous
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It is a self perpetuating tradition.
Several decades ago soccer wasn't popular in the US at all, most Americans didn't even know the rules. But they knew football, and the town and school would go to the football games. So now, even though many more people know soccer, the crowds still go to the football games. They aren't going to watch the football...here in the DC area the high school football is mostly terrible...they are going to hang out with the crowds. There has never been a shift that would make the crowds start attending the soccer games. |
Anonymous
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American football is a dying sport. No parents in our social circle let their sons play tackle football due to the risk of long term brain damage.
And flag football is just *** |
Anonymous
OK. As a South American, think about one of your local lower division futbol teams. Their supporters come out to support the team whether they are good and vying for promotion or simply dreadful and typically are dreadful. It's the same. And you do yourself no favors with the first sentence. Irrespective of what people think if themselves it sounds like you want to be adversarial. I know plenty of non-native born citizens and legal, and otherwise, resident aliens who love American football. And they aren't all white. Just as all South Americans aren't brown. You don't like American football as much as whay you grew up with and that's ok. Some musicians you think are awful have huge followings. It's not much different. |
Anonymous
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It's not about the actual sport on the field
It's about the social activity in and outside the stadium |
Anonymous
It's not though if you look at the television ratings for the NFL and major college football. Perhaps amongst your friends it's not popular. Using your social circle as a barometer is not typically a great way to assess the general popularity of something. People often surround themselves with like minded people. It's like with politics, "I don't know anyone who voted for this candidate." Well, they won so somebody must have voted for them. |
Anonymous
At the FCPS high school my kids go to football is a no cut sport and has trouble filling the rosters, due to many people not letting their kids play tackle football. While soccer cuts over 100 kids each year. But the football games are well attended and no one other than the parents of the soccer players show up to the soccer games. It’s about the crowd experience not the sport on the field. |
Anonymous
| Going to the football game is also about seeing the dance team and the marching band, seeing neighbors, the kids hanging out, etc. its a social event. |
Anonymous
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I'm pretty clueless as well as to the attraction and find it somewhat frustrating. In my DS's case, the football team isn't good and watching them play at Homecoming was dull as hell.
Their soccer team on the other hand was excellent and always a fun watch but played in front of no crowds. |
Anonymous
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It's a cultural thing that has grown over the years. HS football is the thing to do on a Friday night. As others have said, it's beyond the product on the field.
Don't live in the DMV directly, but grew up in Western PA and played in the HS band. Was at every game, home and away from 8th through 12th grade. Before band, I have great memories of going to the Friday night games with my Dad when I was a younger kid. Our community was small, and we would walk the the games. Seeing all the people out and heading to the HS stadium was really a cool experience. Today, our local HS team draws well - lots of neighbors, friends, at the games. Student section is rocking the weekly theme. Band is pumping out fight songs, cheerleaders, etc. My DD is a HS junior and I don't think I would go to many HS games if she wasn't a student. IDK, it's just different. |
Anonymous
You couldn't be more wrong about flag (and regular for that matter). Your circle isn't representative of the nation as a whole whatsoever. People started saying exactly what you are saying 10+ years ago and the NFL keeps raking in billions and continues to hold the top spot for professional sports by a large margin. The pipeline of talent apparently hasn't dried up by you and your circle choosing not to play **SHOCKING** |
Anonymous
Had to look it up - the Will Smith "Concussion" movie was 2015! Many people echoed your concerns then and the NFL continues to be stronger than it ever has been. |
Anonymous
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I really think there are many reasons why it is so popular but some main reasons are fantasy football, betting and so many people just play in high school. Some high schools have like a hundred kids on a roster. They might only play freshman year but people talk about playing football forever.
My DS plays flag and seriously you would not believe how many teams and kids play it right now. There are hundreds of kids playing in his league. |
Anonymous
Guess your kid plays soccer then? |