I’ve been watching more and more Hulu lately and came across a doc called Kicking It, which covers the World Cup of soccer for homeless people. There’s a scene in it that sums up what the heart of the problem is for the slow adoption of soccer here. (Forget my previous rant, theories on soccer moms being more of a hindrance to the sport, or the cartwheels done by MLS’ marketing director over recent initiatives.) The reason is cultural. Yeah, obvious—maybe. Maybe not. It’s never mentioned in any of the messaging though. If it is, it’s to appeal to multicultural audiences who may have either emmigrated to the U.S. or are maybe 2nd and 3rd generation citizens born here. I don’t mean cultural with regards to race, but cultural in terms of societal.When you see kids lift heavy wheelbarrows of soil to help build a pitch, or other kids and amputees play barefoot on glass-filled streets, that’s the level of devotion I mean. You never see that here though. You see it with little league. Soccer is just another activity in an otherwise busy kid’s schedule. Baseball is a way of life. Dads and moms need to go out and kick a ball around with their kids like we used to play catch after dinner. Maybe then it won’t be so marginalized.
2 comments:
My other half, who's from the other side of the pond, told me his Dad would lift the kids up when they were just a few months old, and guide their little legs to get them kicking the soccer ball across the yard.
All four kids could kick before they could even walk. Now that's devotion.
Spending time with your kids, parents giving a damn...it's a wonderful thing. These kids would love that kind of attention......this story moved me.
www.fugeesfamily.org
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