Anonymous wrote:Everyone can play soccer. Rec leagues are inexpensive. If you want to play soccer, you can pay $70 in the local rec league for a full season and play. Or get half off or a scholarship.

70$ in fees is a significant amount to poor families. And who is going to shuffle the kid around to play games? A lot of poor families don't even have cars. Try taking public transportation to games--even in urban DC, it's not convenient to get to many fields.

For example, Arlington's in-house rec league is very competitive at the high school level. Loads of kids who will never set foot on a travel team who could but there is no way their families are going to pay the $ for it. Are they missing out? no.

If they want to get recruited, all they have to do is have a family member record their games with a cell phone or camera, make a highlight video, put it on youtube. If they are good enough, coaches will have a look.

True there are those with exceptional raw talent, but for most others, how are they magically going to get good without lots of opportunity for practice?

Bottom line is if you want to play soccer, there's nothing preventing you from doing that. If you want to hire the best coaches who are not free, then you can't if you don't have the money.

Many poorer kids are working jobs or watching little siblings at a young age, so yes, there's a lot of things preventing kids from playing soccer.

If you don't have the money, go to the pick-up spots and play with adults or older kids. Go to Arlington, Alexandria, Annendale, anywhere with concentrations of latinos or people from other cultures or immigrant populations - soccer is in their lifeblood, unlike suburban america.

Soccer is NOT culturally important to the average suburban american family. However, the world series and the NCAA tournament is.

Find those environments, play as often as you can, and you can get better without the fancy tournaments, uniforms, age group categories, and $$$ fees.

Anonymous wrote:I really can't stand Hope Solo. She has major issues.

She beats up family members, abuses alcohol and is a sore/bad loser. She insulted Sweden after her team lost to them in the Olympics. Disgusting and disgraceful.

I wouldn't listen to anything she has to say.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha, the point she’s implicitly making p is that far better athletes than suburban white kids are missing out. That’s what hey US men’s soccer sucks beyond human comprehension.

The white kids of Germany, England, Iceland seem to be playing fine. It’s not the race, it’s the set up we have in this shitty travel pay-to-play environment t loaded with politics and focus on wins young.

But, it’s not the Race. Christian Pulisic is not poor or Hispanic/Central American and he’s the best player to come out of the US. Suburban kid.

Our system misses so many kids it’s not even funny. I disagree with it’s all white. It’s changed a lot in the past few years but it’s about money and time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha, the point she’s implicitly making p is that far better athletes than suburban white kids are missing out. That’s what hey US men’s soccer sucks beyond human comprehension.

The white kids of Germany, England, Iceland seem to be playing fine. It’s not the race, it’s the set up we have in this shitty travel pay-to-play environment t loaded with politics and focus on wins young.

But, it’s not the Race. Christian Pulisic is not poor or Hispanic/Central American and he’s the best player to come out of the US. Suburban kid.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't this true of EVERY sport once you get to a certain level? Yes, some sports have more "scholarships" for leagues, camps, etc. (basketball) but the fundamental costs are always high once you get to the level where you need paid coaches, travel, etc.

No, I'm no expert but I think there are lots more grass roots kids in basketball, baseball and football. Maybe hockey.

And you are wrong. There is no such thing as "grass roots kids" in any of these sports, past about age 10- 12.

Really? Street kids who make it to pro basketball? Dominican kids who make it to MLB? Is that all history?

Basketball: Yes, there are "street kids" as you call them but they are usually recruited at an early age to play for clubs, and most players play for a club either on "scholarship" or pay to play.

MLB: *American* kids who make it to the MLB by and large played Little League starting well before high school and continue with clubs while playing for their high school. There are very few "grass roots" kids if you are looking at the American born kids. Scouting starts early in the US but it's through clubs--Little League, then Babe Ruth, etc.

Football: This one's a little different because, physically, the body can't really take playing at a top high school while also playing with a club. But usually the best players do clubs BEFORE high school, do a lot of extra camps to prep, etc. in order to make the team at a top high school. And playing for a top high school program increases your chances of playing for a top college. High school football is insanely expensive (big coaching staff, fields, equipment, travel) but in this case, the good schools have booster clubs, sell tickets for cash, etc.

NHL: Hockey is insanely expensive to play and you need to play for a club team. Not to mention a lot of the best hockey high schools are prep schools and boarding schools.

Anonymous wrote:Soccer is different than football or basketball where genetics really dictate outcome combined with skill. Soccer is the only technical sport a 5’7” male can play; other than individual sports like wrestling or gymnastics or whatever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't this true of EVERY sport once you get to a certain level? Yes, some sports have more "scholarships" for leagues, camps, etc. (basketball) but the fundamental costs are always high once you get to the level where you need paid coaches, travel, etc.

No, I'm no expert but I think there are lots more grass roots kids in basketball, baseball and football. Maybe hockey.

And you are wrong. There is no such thing as "grass roots kids" in any of these sports, past about age 10- 12.

Really? Street kids who make it to pro basketball? Dominican kids who make it to MLB? Is that all history?

Basketball: Yes, there are "street kids" as you call them but they are usually recruited at an early age to play for clubs, and most players play for a club either on "scholarship" or pay to play.

MLB: *American* kids who make it to the MLB by and large played Little League starting well before high school and continue with clubs while playing for their high school. There are very few "grass roots" kids if you are looking at the American born kids. Scouting starts early in the US but it's through clubs--Little League, then Babe Ruth, etc.

Football: This one's a little different because, physically, the body can't really take playing at a top high school while also playing with a club. But usually the best players do clubs BEFORE high school, do a lot of extra camps to prep, etc. in order to make the team at a top high school. And playing for a top high school program increases your chances of playing for a top college. High school football is insanely expensive (big coaching staff, fields, equipment, travel) but in this case, the good schools have booster clubs, sell tickets for cash, etc.

NHL: Hockey is insanely expensive to play and you need to play for a club team. Not to mention a lot of the best hockey high schools are prep schools and boarding schools.

Anonymous wrote:Ha, the point she’s implicitly making p is that far better athletes than suburban white kids are missing out. That’s what hey US men’s soccer sucks beyond human comprehension.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know by these faces that they weren’t rich kids?

Anonymous wrote:Ha, the point she’s implicitly making p is that far better athletes than suburban white kids are missing out. That’s what hey US men’s soccer sucks beyond human comprehension.