| Noticeable Differences Between US and UK Soccer | | | | they were too big you would pad them out with paper. |
| | | | | Now wait, I am supposed to be talking about gifted |
| I am a former amateur soccer player from the UK | | | | players well this is what I mean by a player not being |
| and I have noticed a big difference in the way both | | | | given the chance to prove himself. |
| countries appear to treat soccer at the junior or | | | | My cousin and I had managed to scrape together 12 |
| children’s league level. | | | | kids of varying shapes and sizes and fitness. We then |
| For a country that invented the game you can | | | | had to find somewhere to practise. There was a |
| probably understand, after reading this, why English | | | | school at the back of my mom’s house called Ellis |
| soccer is not the world force it should be. In fact it’s | | | | House, this was a school for kids with learning |
| so far behind the majority of the world it’s become | | | | difficulties or “mentally handicapped” as they |
| an embarrassment. | | | | were called in the 70’s, this place had a ¾ length |
| From the International squad all the way down to | | | | soccer field complete with goals. The house gave us |
| schools soccer England FA is failing the fans of the | | | | permission to practice and to play our games there. It |
| sport. | | | | would be entertaining for the people in the house. |
| Firstly at the moment English soccer teams are being | | | | I remember one particular practice session. There was |
| bought out by business men who care very little | | | | a kid who resided in the house who would religiously |
| about the traditions of the English game and secondly | | | | watch us. So one day my cousin invited him to join us. |
| the influx of foreign players coming into the English | | | | Not thinking he would be any good we felt it would be |
| game. | | | | a nice gesture. This kid turned out to be brilliant, |
| How can that possibly affect the game at school | | | | seriously good. So we invited him to join our team. I |
| level? Simple, the kids who are playing at school know | | | | think by now the number of teams in the league had |
| that for most of them, no matter how talented they | | | | risen to about a dozen. Suddenly because we had the |
| are they will never make it to a major club. So any | | | | guy from the home in the team we were the brunt of |
| chance of realising the ambition of playing for their | | | | much ridicule, until that is the teams played us. We had |
| country is well out of reach. So why should they make | | | | our own ground our own changing rooms and our own |
| the effort. | | | | supporters........... Ok they were the residents of the home |
| OK I concede all the big clubs have academies were | | | | but none the less they were loyal fans. |
| the kids, not with talent but whose families have | | | | The point I am trying to make is that if it hadn’t |
| money, can attend. Saying that though how many | | | | been for us this kid because of his disability would |
| actually make it through to represent their country, less | | | | never have been given the chance. The same applies |
| than 5%. | | | | to the other 185 kids in school. They would never be |
| This Problem affects the game from the very top all | | | | given the chance. |
| the way down to schools soccer. | | | | In the USA they have things sorted, soccer is not |
| In England much the same as the USA we have kids | | | | confined to schools and the kids for the most part |
| leagues, but these are school teams, not individual | | | | have never met. They meet by playing soccer, the |
| teams were various kids from different backgrounds | | | | other great thing is co-ed teams. It’s great to see |
| come together to form a team. In England it makes | | | | boys and girls playing the same sport to the same |
| soccer elitist. My reason for saying that is this. If you | | | | standard rather than segregation. |
| have 200 children (ball park figure) in each form, 15 kids | | | | For a country that invented the game how come we |
| may get selected for the team. What that means is | | | | have dropped so far behind the rest of the world in |
| this, kids from impoverished homes or kids who are | | | | our own national sport. England are currently 15th in the |
| taken care of by the state do not get the same | | | | world rankings and falling. The USA are currently 28th |
| chances as those from working class backgrounds. | | | | and climbing. All this is the fault of the money men at |
| So what happens to the other 185 kids? Well in | | | | the top. England can’t even get an Englishman to |
| amongst those kids you may get some who have a | | | | take charge of their national side. |
| gift for playing. I’ll explain further. | | | | As long as the USA has the grass roots of the game |
| As a kid growing up there was very little for the kids | | | | sorted as they do now I see a bright future for the |
| to do in the town we were living. So some kids with | | | | American Kids who love the sport of soccer. For |
| imagination formed a small soccer league. Only about | | | | England I see a different picture, I see the game falling |
| 5 teams if I remember but the way you got into the | | | | apart, I see kids losing heart because there is no point |
| team was to not play for a school team. This was a | | | | in playing the sport they love. |
| conscious decision because the idea was that we | | | | I see a point in time when the USA will move ahead of |
| would eventually take on the school teams and show | | | | England in the world standings and I see it sooner |
| what talent really was. | | | | rather than later. |
| We managed to get local businesses to buy uniforms | | | | Bear this in mind too, The USA are top of the ladies |
| for us, not decent stuff but uniforms just the same. | | | | international league, England are 11th almost 300 points |
| Shoes were more difficult, there were kids going | | | | behind. If the English football association cared they |
| through trash cans and charity shops to find them, if | | | | would do something to reverse the trend. |