SOCCER

SOCCER

When I was young and coached youth football, I called soccer a "communist plot to soften America's youth". Soccer was growing by leaps and bounds, urged on by mothers who didn't want their sons to get hurt and fathers who wanted their daughters to be the sons they didn't have. It was becoming harder and harder to get the best athletes to play football. In retrospect, disregarding the communist plot aspect, I think it did and it didn't make America's youth softer. Boys are softer but girls are tougher. I have nothing to back this up but my feelings based on my observations.

Before soccer, girls had nothing to play at the team sport level in our area except softball. There was always a little basketball and volley ball played in gym class. Neither of these games called for much contact with opponents. At least soccer has a little. The explosion of sports for girls coincided with the whole feminine revolution. Women began thinking they were equal to men. What a crock! Women will never be equal to men. They are different. We're talking apples and oranges. Women are no less than men, just different. Viva la difference.

As for boys, I see more skate boarding going on than basketball being played in the school yards. You almost never see a pick-up football or a pick-up baseball game. For me, that's sad. We wouldn't want too much competition going on, would we? Someone might lose.