| There are more youth soccer tournaments in the | | | | Even a fairly modest youth soccer tournament can |
| United States than any other country in the world. | | | | bring in tens of thousands of dollars if it attracts 250 |
| In fact, the leading soccer tournament website, | | | | teams at $400 a pop, and is run by a largely unpaid |
| Soccer-Tournament-Guide.com, lists well over 2,000 | | | | volunteer labor force. |
| youth soccer tournaments in the United States, far | | | | Clubs that got in on the "ground floor" in the 1970s |
| more than of the more traditional soccer countries | | | | were able to attract more players by using |
| such as Brazil, Germany, England and Argentina. | | | | tournament proceeds to keep their own league |
| So why is it that a country that still largely doesn't "get" | | | | registration fees lower. They were also able to buy |
| soccer on the professional level, promotes so many | | | | and maintain expensive equipment and even build their |
| opportunities for kids to compete in soccer | | | | own multi-field youth soccer complexes with the |
| tournaments? | | | | proceeds of their annual soccer tournaments |
| Well, ironically, one reason is the very fact that soccer | | | | And, of course, once you have your own soccer |
| has not been as popular here as in many other places, | | | | complex to maintain, it makes sense to have more |
| and the standard of play, for a long time, was not as | | | | than one annual youth soccer tournament. |
| high as in other parts of the world. | | | | There are now several clubs that operate 3, 4, or |
| 30 years ago, before there was a youth soccer club in | | | | even 5 youth tournaments a year, some |
| every town, and when many of those that did exist, | | | | accommodating over a thousand teams in a twelve |
| encouraged a kick-ball style of play, the few elite clubs | | | | month span. |
| that did play high-quality soccer found it very difficult to | | | | Are There Too Many Tournaments? |
| find similarly competitive teams to play against in their | | | | In fact, there are now so many soccer tournaments in |
| local area. | | | | the US that some coaches are starting to worry |
| After a season of winning every game 9-0 against | | | | about the effect it is all having on player development. |
| local competition, coaches would often use an end of | | | | The emphasis on winning in youth soccer tournaments |
| season soccer tournament as an opportunity to test | | | | often detracts from the need for young players to |
| their teams against stiffer competition from the | | | | master basic technical and tactical skills. And many |
| neighboring town, county, or even the neighboring state. | | | | worry about player burnout from extensive travel and |
| And, of course, in a country as large as the United | | | | too many games. |
| States, finding higher level teams to play against often | | | | Many high-level youth soccer players these days play |
| meant traveling greater and greater distances. | | | | as many as 70 games per year. Some, who make |
| Pretty soon, long-distance travel to faraway youth | | | | national teams at various age groups, play up to a 100. |
| soccer tournaments became a badge of honor for | | | | Meanwhile, the youth soccer development experts at |
| coaches, players and parents alike. On a subconscious | | | | US Soccer advocate playing 30 quality games a year |
| level, it marked theirs as a higher level team, one that | | | | with high-level training the rest of the time. |
| had to drive 100 miles just to find a team good enough | | | | Whether it has been driven by the egos of the |
| to compete against them. | | | | coaches, the vastness of the country, the fund raising |
| Clubs See a Cash Cow | | | | ambitions of the hosting clubs, or the ever-growing |
| On the other side of the equation were the | | | | base of committed soccer players, it is certain that the |
| tournament organizers. | | | | soccer tournament industry in the United States has |
| Once youth soccer teams proved themselves willing | | | | evolved on a scale that makes it unique among |
| to travel long distances, pay a hefty entry fee and | | | | soccer-playing nations. |
| stay a couple of nights at a hotel, just to play a few | | | | Just what impact that has on the development of the |
| soccer games, clubs began to see a huge fund raising | | | | sport at the highest levels remains to be seen. |
| opportunity. | | | | |