Would you be concerned about your daugher playing fooball.. errrr soccer?

[cmhawks99]

You sound boring.

Lol...spoken like a true American.......

 

[cmhawks99]

Competitive club soccer can be very expensive, depending on the club. Both my son and daughter belong to the same club. You have club fees, league fees, tournament fees and yes, you pay the coach each month about $67 per month. You have spring soccer, fall soccer, winter outdoor(yes, the fields have heating coils) and winter futsol, which is played indoors on a basketball court. You have anywhere between 2-3 tournaments in the spring and fall and at least one of those is out of town where hotel stays, meals, gas money, etc....come in to play.

Again, I grew up playing football and I am a huge football fan. My son loves football too, but has not played for the last two years to focus on soccer. He may play football this fall as he enters 9th grade, because at that age there is no longer fall soccer with the club. I was against the idea of starting soccer, but again, I respect it. It is exciting, regardless of the score. Whoever said soccer does not involve hand/foot eye coordination is clueless. You probably need that more in soccer than many others sports.

For those that cannot afford the fees, this club actually offers scholarships. This is truly a developmental club that is affiliated with Sporting KC, the Kansas City professional soccer club. If you make it to the first first level team, or the junior sporting KC team, you most likely are guaranteed a D1 soccer scholarship, if not a shot at professional soccer. If you make a traveling team, you play games every other weekend across the country in Dallas, LA, Atlanta, Chicago, etc....I don't even want to think how expensive that would be for the parents.

Soccer is in fact a very demanding sport physically. It is also a high priority sport in America. The US wants to be competitive on the World scene. You have seen both the US men's and women's teams progress significantly over the last several years in world cup play, olympics, etc....That all starts with junior club soccer in cities throughout the country.

I wouldn't pay for it if I didn't think it was exciting to watch as a parent or think my kids were not benefiting from their experiences. Additionally, both my kids play basketball. So for example, my son will practice basketball or have a game each day of the week in the winter. Throw in a winter outdoor practice each week, two indoor futsol practices, a winter outdoor game and possibly 1 to 2 futsol games on the weekends and you can see it is not only a busy week, but a physically demanding one as well.

I am not blasting anyone for not understanding soccer. However, to call it a sport for p***ies or however you want to label it......well you are just plain missing the boat on this one. Based on what I see, soccer is probably the #1 sport in the country in regards to the number of kids who are actually playing. In big cities, it is utterly unbelievable and soccer complexes are astonishing. The money involved is staggering. In OP Kansas, the Blue Valley soccer complex I believe has 14 fields with heating coils at a cost of about $1 million per field. You have to have many people believing and vested in soccer to get a cost like that voted for on a bond issue. Maybe that is one downside of soccer in the US. If it is too expensive, not everybody gets the same opportunities? However, that is why many clubs offer scholarships, so some kids can get the opportunity that they otherwise may not have had?

Soccer may not be for everyone, but sooner or later, those people will be in the minority. I still love football more, but again, I respect everything involved in soccer!

Very, very, very well written. Nothing there to refute. Good job.

 

[Hawksd]

What about safety? Should they ban headers in youth soccer? I don't follow soccer, but it seems like something that could be eliminated without ruining the sport.

 

[ForeverHawk]

What about safety? Should they ban headers in youth soccer? I don't follow soccer, but it seems like something that could be eliminated without ruining the sport.

I could see them banning it in youth soccer up to a certain age. To be honest, most kids do not even try until the are a little older. At 14, my son and his teammates are really now just able to control the soccer ball with their head, ie....passing, shooting or simply changing the direction of the ball. From what I hear, most injuries are neck injuries from kids who do not know how to do it properly. That of course is not knowing if there is any brain injury risk due to repeated contact.

 

[HawkeyeinMexico]

You sound fat.

You are fat.

 

[Scooter]

You are fat.

The country is fat.

 

[Hawkeye11en1]

You are fat.

You sound fat, and that's worse.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Lol...spoken like a true American.......

You sound like a ghey foreigner.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

America is by bar the fattest nation on earth. I am laughing my *** off at a bunch of people decrying soccer who most likely have to prop their fat up on their desk to type. Given what a bunch of fat ***** people in the Midwest are I would think you folks would want your children running around. I bet most of you guys ripping on soccer would have a heart attack if you actually tried to play the game. Get a passport and travel abroad. You will be shocked at what a fat *** nation this is when you return.

Hey If I lived in Mexico Id be skinny also.....and a rich mother ######.

However I dont. Ohh and soccer sucks because its boring not because people are fat.

Some people think running is a sport.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

And here we are again…….yet another example of some who likes to take little jabs and attack. Yet when you come around and point it out and criticize them in return they act shocked and call you names……are ya listening spider…

Here’s the rub…………..that was an exciting game just based on the tension involved with a 1-0 game. Now since I used to think like you until I really figured it out, I know that it’s a game you don’t get and can’t understand the nuances. To say you do would be a lie. And again….I once was you. Thought it was dumb and boring and now after having my eyes opened I see it for what it is.

Once again we don’t really care either way, yet you feel the need to call it dumb, boring and imply those who like it are more of the same……..and yet you can’t see that because of the clouds….pretty sad really.

Chad this is lame.

Stop saying I dont understand soccer. I have watched a lot of soccer. Most of my friends played soccer and I have been to many matches as the high school I went to did not have football. I went to the state championship in high school and still no one was even paying attention because of how boring it is.

The only thing you keep saying is that I dont understand it. I do. Take away offsides and maybe it would be better.

 

[cmhawks99]

You sound like a ghey foreigner.

Or an Iowa farm boy that knows how to treat people with respect aannnnnnddd point out the folly of others.....

 

[1hawkeye1]

Or an Iowa farm boy that knows how to treat people with respect aannnnnnddd point out the folly of others.....

Yeah, "you guys are all fat" You used the terms "dim wit" and "dumb."
You derided the great country that Ricky Stanzi loves just cause we don't embrace soccer. Real respectful.

Jeebus, will you get over it already? I love golf and I like to watch it. But I would never tell someone else that they are fat, dim-witted, dumb, a snobbish American, or "just don't get it" if they don't like it. It can be boring sometimes and it isn't for everybody. I can accept that.

Soccer is boring. Hell, it takes a minute and a half for the announcer to say goal. Mostly cause he knows he won't miss anything of significance.

 

[cmhawks99]

Been waiting for this....

1st off I didn't say fat...hell I’m 6-1 and weigh 290 lbs.

2nd....you guys truly are dim. You talk down a sport, person etc....then. Let me stress, THEN, as in after YOU HAVE ALREADY TALKED YOUR CRAP you get all boo goody boo about someone talking to back to you…..

Get over it……
Here is a tip…..speak negatively about something at your own risk. And then for the Love of God at least expect you’ll get it back.

Anything else….

Yeah, "you guys are all fat" You used the terms "dim wit" and "dumb."
You derided the great country that Ricky Stanzi loves just cause we don't embrace soccer. Real respectful.

Jeebus, will you get over it already? I love golf and I like to watch it. But I would never tell someone else that they are fat, dim-witted, dumb, a snobbish American, or "just don't get it" if they don't like it. It can be boring sometimes and it isn't for everybody. I can accept that.

Soccer is boring. Hell, it takes a minute and a half for the announcer to say goal. Mostly cause he knows he won't miss anything of significance.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I've been waiting for this. Soccer bores me. It doesn't mean I'm dimwitted or "don't get it." I prefer more action and scoring....... America and I apologize if we've disappointed you.

 

[wundergrape]

Chad this is lame.

Stop saying I dont understand soccer. I have watched a lot of soccer. Most of my friends played soccer and I have been to many matches as the high school I went to did not have football. I went to the state championship in high school and still no one was even paying attention because of how boring it is.

The only thing you keep saying is that I dont understand it. I do. Take away offsides and maybe it would be better.

Yeah, because watching two clumps of dudes kick the ball back 120 yards back and forth, back and forth would be just killer!

That's why they invented offsides in the first place. To negate goal-hanging. I don't have a horse in this race (other than the fact that I'm a soccer fan), but you can't proclaim that you understand soccer and then say that they should do away with offsides. That just doesn't wash.

That's like saying you're a football fan, but they should do away with holding penalties.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

Yeah, because watching two clumps of dudes kick the ball back 120 yards back and forth, back and forth would be just killer!

That's why they invented offsides in the first place. To negate goal-hanging. I don't have a horse in this race (other than the fact that I'm a soccer fan), but you can't proclaim that you understand soccer and then say that they should do away with offsides. That just doesn't wash.

That's like saying you're a football fan, but they should do away with holding penalties.

False the sport needs scoring.

 

[wundergrape]

You understand that eliminating offsides will not increase scoring, right? You do understand that?

It would create a game where five forwards and five fullbacks stand by one goal, and five forwards and five fullbacks stand by another goal, and they just kick it back and forth.

Offsides is what makes the game great. It creates the angles, the overlapping runs, the strategy and the crosses. It creates dynamic midfield play and intelligent fullback play. The game would fall apart if you eliminated offsides. To suggest otherwise is just....let's say...misguided.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

You understand that eliminating offsides will not increase scoring, right? You do understand that?

It would create a game where five forwards and five fullbacks stand by one goal, and five forwards and five fullbacks stand by another goal, and they just kick it back and forth.

Offsides is what makes the game great. It creates the angles, the overlapping runs, the strategy and the crosses. It creates dynamic midfield play and intelligent fullback play. The game would fall apart if you eliminated offsides. To suggest otherwise is just....let's say...misguided.

It would create more one on ones....it would be more like cherry picking in basketball. I doubt they would leave guys back there and kick it back and forth to eachother. However with how boring the sport is maybe they would find a way to keep it boring.

 

[wundergrape]

You haven't really thought this through, have you? Offsides encourages one-on-ones because defenders are forced to mark individual forwards as they try to time onside runs.

If you do away with offsides, the entire defense will be forced to sag, because there is nothing preventing forwards from receiving passes anywhere in the attacking third. You'll have a clumping effect, where the defense swarms the goal and has to make sweeping clearances of 80 yards or more because there's no room for the goalie to operate.

Trust me, dude. Soccer is like any other sport. It's had its historical changes. When offside became instituted in the 20s, that's when the game really began to get good. It's similar to when basketball instituted the shot clock. We know what both games looked like before. No one (except uninformed observers, apparently) wants to go back.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

You haven't really thought this through, have you? Offsides encourages one-on-ones because defenders are forced to mark individual forwards as they try to time onside runs.

If you do away with offsides, the entire defense will be forced to sag, because there is nothing preventing forwards from receiving passes anywhere in the attacking third. You'll have a clumping effect, where the defense swarms the goal and has to make sweeping clearances of 80 yards or more because there's no room for the goalie to operate.

Trust me, dude. Soccer is like any other sport. It's had its historical changes. When offside became instituted in the 20s, that's when the game really began to get good. It's similar to when basketball instituted the shot clock. We know what both games looked like before. No one (except uninformed observers, apparently) wants to go back.

Well then they need to have two balls in play.