The Youth of America: Can We Distract Them from MTV? an article by Craig Horne
I was born in South Africa, a country where the passion for soccer can be seen as life and death- both literally and figuratively. This passion is bred at a young age by live games and televised classics. The desire to play does not have to be encouraged; it is more of a craving that must be fed. Playing whenever you had the chance, whether by yourself, with your mates or even with the dog was the order of the day. No refs, no “rules”, no parents, no coaches- just you and the game. (Then you went to practice!)
Having the freedom to be creative and active in the game of “footie” (football abbreviated- i.e. soccer) changed my life forever. There are so many benefits to playing this great game for me such as health, sportsmanship, teamwork and many more. To try to single out one or two of these benefits would be hard for me to do (but I love a challenge right?). The game taught me to use my mind to solve problems. As a youngster I was able to make decisions for myself and be accountable/proud/humbled by the choices I made. No matter what was going on in my life, good or bad, when I had the ball at my feet I knew things were looking up because the “creator” (or so I thought) was about to design!
Now, taking that childhood experience and trying to relate it to the American soccer culture is a tough one for me and many other foreigners to fathom. There are so many distractions and events (especially that darn MTV!) pulling at kids these days. Soccer can become another thing to add to their “to do” list. Their natural passion for the game may be replaced by a sense of obligation to parents, friends or even resume's Which brings up a very interesting point- what is my job as a youth coach? has a huge responsibility. He must not only teach the game, but also make it fun and “give the game back to the kids”. Let them play and get excited about the sport! The passion we have as coaches needs to be oozing out of our veins and infecting the kids, getting them to practice early and having their parents drag them off the fields late. The coach needs to be an entertainer and an educator. If a coach just goes through the motions, then the “monster” known as MTV and other distractions will take effect. The game we love will never be what it can be for the kids- a life changing experience. My challenge to all youth coaches is to “give the game back to the kids”. Show them your fire for the game! Your enthusiasm will create self-satisfied players who will attract and inspire others to feel passionate about the world’s most popular sport.
Craig is Vice-President of soccer Extreme Inc, an educational camp company based in Connecticut, USA.He has the USSF "A" License and the NSCAA Premier License. For feedback on this article e-mail Craig at cjhorne@soccerextreme.com
