| From my seat in the stands, I could see that these | | | | that time to dismiss the sport in this country. They |
| qualifying soccer drills were a test of a player's | | | | said it would never be popular here because it was a |
| dexterity, power, speed, agility, practice and | | | | " foreign game". Americans did not "dominate" the |
| coordination. It was warm inside the Soccer Etc. | | | | game was another reason often cited. It was a |
| facility on this late May afternoon. However, the heat | | | | game that was not "discovered" in America still |
| did nothing to discourage my nephew or the other | | | | others opined.. There was not enough scoring was a |
| twenty youth soccer candidates who were on the | | | | common reason. Sports that were already popular in |
| field. The tryouts were for the final two roster spots | | | | America would prevent soccer's growth and |
| for the Aztec's premiere youth soccer team in the | | | | domination was still another reason given at the time |
| fall and the competition was intense. | | | | to dismiss the sport. |
| In fact, over eighteen million people in the United | | | | So what happened over the last two decades to |
| States now play soccer and nearly eighty percent of | | | | make soccer the apparent sport of choice for |
| the participants are under the age of eighteen. As I | | | | America's youth? There are several things to |
| glanced around, I could see that the stands were | | | | consider when discussing soccer's popularity increase |
| occupied by parents who clearly supported their | | | | during the last twenty years : Soccer is a game both |
| child's enjoyment of the game of soccer. | | | | boys and girls play. It is more economical for a cash |
| I continued to watch the drills and in particular a | | | | strapped youth organization than football. Most high |
| twelve year old boy as he bounced a ball off of his | | | | schools have added a soccer program in addition to |
| foot into the air repeatedly without the ball ever | | | | their football programs. The American Youth Soccer |
| touching the ground. As I looked on, he accomplished | | | | Association was highly successful in popularizing and |
| this feat over two hundred times in a row . I can | | | | marketing soccer with America's youth. More and |
| only imagine how many hours of practice it took to | | | | more American's having now played the game in their |
| attain this proficiency. | | | | youth are becoming avid fans. Latin American |
| As I watched his display of dexterity, I wondered | | | | immigrants were increasing soccer's popularity while |
| what had happened to the pundits that had dismissed | | | | the World Cup's arrival in America in 1994 also raised |
| the growth of soccer in America in the mid nineteen | | | | the game's visibility. |
| eighties. I can clearly remember the reasons given at | | | | |