Why US Mens’ Soccer Struggles

I hear lots theories of why US Mens’ soccer doesn’t dominate on the world stage.  I think below is the key reason.

Kids playing soccer in Argentina:

Kids playing soccer in the US:

As a side note, I coach some 10 and 11 year-olds in soccer. I’ve tried for years to get them to learn to juggle. They have plenty of excuses for not doing it. It’s boring. It’s too hard. I was too busy. The weather was bad. 

On a jog a few months ago, I passed a house with an 8-year-old Hispanic kid in the front yard playing. It looked like he was with his Dad as his Dad was doing some work for a homeowner inside. He was juggling a tape measure. Yes, a tape measure. He was holding it by the tape and dangling it and using his feet to juggle the case of the tape measure.

He wanted to learn to juggle because he thought it was cool, not because an adult coach told him to do it. He didn’t have a ball, so he improvised.

Just like the kids in the above picture in Argentina, they didn’t need a $100 ball to kick around on a million dollar sports field with a licensed coach leading them in drills. They improvised. Plastic bottles in the street will do.

Kids in the US don’t improvise. Soccer is something they do in practice. The ball stays in the garage at home, until the next practice. If they play soccer on their own, it’s the FIFA video game.

UPDATE: I’d like to add that the 5-year-old on the right side of the Argentina picture displays some elements in driving (i.e. kicking) form that average 10-year-olds in the U.S. do not have.

First, he’s holding his hand opposite of kicking foot high in the air. This keeps his chest up, maintains balance and squares his body weight to the ball so more of his body’s momentum gets transferred into the ball on the strike.

The average 10-year-old the States keeps that arm down and folds their opposite shoulder over as they strike the ball, losing all the momentum from the opposite side of their body and thus losing power on their shot.

Second, he’s loading his striking leg (pulling it way back), before the kick. This ensures that his foot strikes the ball at maximum speed on the swing. The average 10-year-old in the States, pulls the kicking leg back a few inches before kicking, and usually strikes the ball when the leg is somewhere between a quarter or half max speed.

Third, he’s looking at the bottle he’s about to kick. This helps him make good contact. Like any swinging form, golf or baseball bats, good contact is the key. The average 10-year-old in the states is looking where he wants to kick at this stage, instead of looking at the ball.

The question I have is how did that 5-year-old learn this? By watching and emulating his favorites? By being ridiculed by friends in the street when he did it wrong? I’m guessing a little of both. Who knows, maybe they even teach it at school. Or, perhaps, he just happens to be an exceptional Argentinean kid? Maybe.

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Wise words from Leslie Jones

I happened to hear a local radio station talk to Leslie Jones, comedian and actor, known for her lively performances on SNL and soon-to-be-known as a Ghostbuster.

I thought what she had to say was very wise and worth repeating.

First, during the interview, one of the DJ sidekicks mentioned his try at stand-up comedy. He bombed. He said it felt worse than death and hated that feeling. He asked Leslie how she deals with it.

She said, Bombing on stage is a part of being a comedian. You shouldn’t dread it. Learn from it. It’s really not a big deal.

That’s why she’s a comedian and he’s not. She understands that nothing’s perfect, not everyone will think your funny and some nights just won’t go so well. But, she doesn’t let that stop her.

When asked what she thought about the criticism the new Ghostbusters is receiving, her response was, she doesn’t take it seriously. I mean, the movie isn’t even about real things. There’s no such thing as a ghost buster.  It’s just for fun. Some people say I ruined their childhood [with this remake]. Honey, if this ruined your childhood your childhood was already much too delicate.

YES!