This summer I had the chance to accomplish a longtime dream of mine. This dream was to become a soccer couch. I have played and performed at the highest levels in European soccer but when my career ended, I knew I would always want to do something related to soccer. I started couching 8-year-old girls at an academy in New Jersey. This deep passion of mine for soccer wanted to see if kids in the United States have the same passion for the sport as I did when I was there age. This is the main reason I wanted to conduct a study and determine if kids in the U.S. really have a passion for soccer or they simply want to join a growing sport that more and more people are practicing in this country. I will be observing my 8-year-old girls at practice and talking with their parents to understand further if kids do really like the sport. The culture in Europe is very strongly attached with soccer, therefore, kids drag their parents to the soccer fields every day to practice. On the other hand, kids in the U.S for the most part seem to be dragged by their parents to practice a sport that it is getting bigger and bigger in this country in the hopes that someday their kids could exploit this to either gain a college scholarship or become pro. From this study I’m hoping to understand better the mentality behind sports in the U.S. and understand if kids really have a passion for soccer or not. This will help me gain knowledge as a coach in order to be able to provide the best experience for the kids that I couch.
Soccer Development study in the US 