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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This thread reminds me of another, similar subject I've been thinking of recently: the subject of how many people play their sport to be validated by others during the socially critical years of school, but as soon as high school ends, they may never touch the ball again - ever.

If you're old enough, look around. Look at all the kids who threw so much of their time into earning the status of all district, all conference, travel team this, travel team that, etc. Then, when college rolls around and they are unable to play at the next level, the ball goes 100% untouched for decades, if not forever. It seems so very important to secure the status of being lettered in school, securing the status of being "on the team", playing for the best club that you can, etc. Going to summer camps, traveling bizillions of miles to home and away games. Playing in tournaments near and far. Having a soccer haircut. Wearing the right soccer jerseys in public.  And then, understandably, only a very small percentage of these kids (including the ones are are well above average) go to a school at which playing soccer is pie in the sky. In fact, some of the kids that were a big deal in their hometowns can't make the college club team, never mind the varsity team.

So soccer just ends. Abruptly. For a decade. Maybe two or three decades. Maybe forever. From pouring most of one's ambitions and free time into it between the ages of 7 and 18 to not zero. Beginning the day of high school graduation.

Whether one plays to please their parents...
or to gain the acceptance of a social circle at school...
or as part of the passage to manhood to gain respect in the village of a developing nation...
or to please their compatriots when playing for the national team...

Whatever the case might be, I suspect that a critical piece of playing youth sports, not just soccer, is that we are motivated to play in order to stay socially relevant. But when that relevance ends because we learn that we were a good sized fish in a small pond, all the dedication that *looked* like it was love for the ball, love for the game comes to an end and we assume either spectator status, or we finally exhale from the 10+ years of keeping up with a social construct that is shattered by the fact that everyone goes in different directions after HS and most soccer players can no longer continue to compete at the next level.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this anecdotal observation, but it looks to be the dominant pattern, further complicated by the cultural premise that as you get closer and closer to true adulthood, playing games/sports is no longer as appropriate. You might exercise more, but play less. As someone who loves to *play* (anything --- soccer, ping pong, practical jokes, etc.) more than I like to exercise (running, weight training, cross fit, etc.), I find it regrettable that we tend to abandon play, whether it's competitive or just playful movement, as we age. [/quote]

Yeah, I know all kinds of guys who just quit playing football too.  :roll:

Life kicks in and people pursue other interests and hobbies. Families and their kids interest can create a major course correction too?

There are lots of adult soccer leagues and many of the team parents I know will play in these leagues from time to time as it is available. That adults grow up and no longer dedicate 3 nights a week and weekends on their childhood activities is not even a remotely shocking or an interesting observation. [/quote]

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