Can the World Cup change how Americans look at youth soccer?
How a youth soccer report on New York, North Jersey casts the summer tournament as a vehicle for change in the ultracompetitive kids sports culture.
Why do kids play soccer ? Likely for the same reasons they play other sports. “We survey youth in every community,” says Jon Solomon, research director for the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, “and having fun and playing with friends are by far the top reasons.
Winning ranks lower, chasing a college scholarship usually ranks even lower than that. ” The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization designed to ignite human potential and build understanding. And yet, in terms of youth sports … “We've created this system by adults that is more about highly competitive, commercialized structure, when a vast majority of children are clearly saying that's not why they play or why they want to play,” Solomon says.
The goal of Project Play , Aspen Sports & Society’s signature initiative, is to build healthy communities through sports and get more kids playing. (The national average is about 55 percent. ) It sees a crucial opening with the World Cup , which begins in June in sites throughout North America , including 11 in the USA.
The final will be held July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Project Play has zeroed in on a sports-specific report for the first time, as well as on the New York City region, with its State of Soccer New York City/North Jersey report . Aspen shared the report with USA TODAY Sports ahead of its Tuesday, April 21 release.
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