Reply to youth soccer participation down 23.5% in key 6-12 year age group...

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My kids left soccer because it was soooo boring. I jumped up and down with joy (not in front of them) when I didn't have to watch that sport any longer. Much prefer the hockey they are now playing. [/quote]

My kids play tennis and golf because they are lifetime sports.  They practice 7.5 hours of tennis on weekdays and 8 hours of golf on weekend.  In the winter break, they go to Florida tennis academy.  During spring break, they go to golf academy in Arizona.  Private coaching during school years.

I am so happy that they don't like soccer.  Most people stop playing soccer after turning college graduation.  People continue with Tennis and golf until they die or can no longer play them.[/quote]

Tennis and golf are great, so is swimming. Most families can't afford the kind of travel or coaching described above, even the price of travel soccer is a real issue for too many Americans. But another issues is camaraderie and learning to play on a team. Golf and tennis aren't team sports- a lot of early year soccer kids probably aren't built for team sports, so they should find their passion. Likewise, many kids don't have the need to run- so baseball's great. My generalizations are that hockey is for people with NE roots and extra money, while Football is for those who haven't yet considered the concussion risk, love the game so much they can't stop, or love the game and expect kids to stop at flag. Soccer is a little kids' sport because it's simple and accessible (on many levels , especially at young ages, and in many communities and countries). But soccer is also an adults' sport because it takes a lifetime to get good and throughout that lifetime is a great avenue for being a part of teams and forming friendships.

One aspect that people haven't touched on is how international and inclusive soccer can be. It's true that travel and rec have different core kids, and different income brackets approach the game differntly, but the game translates and those same kids can play together at any time they happen to converge on a space. 
 
If your kid doesn't like it, don't force them. But if (s)he does, I consider you lucky and you're at a good time because the sport is still growing in this country in popularity (if not participation according to this study).[/quote]

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