WHY SOCCER IS NOT PROGRESSING IN THE US: ONE BASIC ELEMENT
Presented by
Meeroff JC, Meeroff DE, and Meeroff DH from the Lauderdale Soccer Club, Florida
USA
INTRODUCTION
The answer to the question why soccer development is
delayed in the US is a very complex one since there are multiple factors
contributing to this serious problem.
Here we want to call attention to one important and many
times neglected aspect that is the infatuation with “instant (immediate)
gratification”, a drawback that poisons our already fragile soccer culture.
“Instant gratification” is a distinctive feature of our inadequately
educated, extremely materialistic society. “Instant gratification” is a term that refers to the
tendency, to relinquish a future benefit to obtain a less rewarding but more
immediate benefit. “Instant gratification” is the need to experience fulfillment
without any sort of preparation, delay and/or wait. “Instant gratification” signifies
done one second before now. Instant gratifiers don’t understand the meaning of ground
work, long term goals and/or planning for the future. For instant gratifiers when
things don’t happen right away, they develop extreme anxiety and fly away. Resisting
short-term reward in favor of a long-term return requires a capacity to
envision the distant future. Furthermore, for young adults having a vivid view
of the future is a sign of social maturity. Education is crucial to enlighten
a person with regard to the value of deferred versus current gratification.
Higher intelligence is associated with a
more future-focused tendency. Future planning involves the executive brain, which is linked to
intelligence through the function of the prefrontal cortex.
Definitively we are living in an era where instant
gratifiers are leading the way. Millennials (those born between 1980 and 2000) are
now in control and that is their signature.
THE SCENARIO
We are going to review how the instant gratification
system pollutes soccer in the US.
In a country where unfortunately, there is an artificial
and abysmal separation between youth and adult soccer and many cities and
municipalities discriminate against adult participation in organized sports a
common scenario for youth soccer is as follows. A group of frustrated parents,
usually recent immigrants, coming from countries with strong soccer cultures,
who never succeeded as players and/or positive fans, get together to form a
team for their kids with the idea of creating new Messis, Ronaldos or Mbappes
who will soon be receiving gazillions amounts of money to play pro soccer. Those
parents easily find a self-invented “guru coach” who will lead the group. The
“guru-coach” is usually an individual of similar origin as those parents, with very
little formal education in soccer coaching and absolutely no knowledge of the
structure and goals of US soccer. Additionally, most of those “guru coaches”
have little interest in devoting effort and time to help developing the sport
in our country, but rather are there to earn a generous income. Consequently,
an age appropriate team is formed by recruiting and or stealing players from
other teams to complete the roster. The new team is then registered to compete
in leagues and tournaments. The parents spend an enormous amount of time and money
during the season to buy fancy uniforms and gadgets, to pay for “extra
training”, for referee fees, to provide luxurious travel arrangements, etc. Now
everything is soccer for them. They claim their unrestricted “love” for soccer.
During the season, the team produce a fair amount of low level victories that
stimulate the believe in instant greatness. Then, the “guru” coach have no
difficulty in convincing the parents that it will be beneficial to travel outside
of the local area to play at “higher level of competition” and to expose the
players to recruiters and pro coaches. At this time, the parents spend “obscene
amount of money” to send the team to regional and national competitions and
“show-case tournaments” where they confront teams that have better structure
and preparation. As expected, at that level, the team in general don’t do as well
as before. In addition, no top-class coach demonstrates any interest in
recruiting the players. Therefore, no more instant gratification and soccer
start to become a “bad idea”, a “foreign sport” leading to the inevitable lack
of relevance by parents and players. After a year or at the most two years all
the initial unrestricted “love” for soccer is gone and the team folds. But
business is not gone for the “guru coach” since he/she will soon find another
group of parents ready to support (and pay for) a similar adventure for another
year. It will be redundant to say that this system is harmful for the
development of soccer in the US.
THE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS
To overcome the problem, we must engage in the habit of delaying
gratification, a mechanism that helps strengthen the mind and shape the character
of players and parents. It will build self-control and willpower,
reinforces self-discipline,
and teaches the value of patience.
It’s the one habit that determines how successful individuals and groups will
become and how much they will ultimately achieve.
Soccer is a game, but it is also a philosophy and a way
of living. As FIFA proclaims it is “the game for life”. “Games provide players powerful opportunities
for learning and enjoying safe sports. “If we want players to continue their
involvement in soccer and unlock their potential, we must use games for
learning”. But when clubs place an emphasis on winning at all cost as the goal,
children bear the burden of adult egos in detriment of their personal
development.
Before everything else, parents must be educated about the
significance of sport in society and about the life lessons that soccer can
teach them and their kids. Fortunately, the United States Youth Soccer
Association in connection with the Positive Coaching Alliance has taken
leadership and provides very important information in this regard. The problem
is that very few clubs, very few coaches and very few parents follow their
advice.
CONCLUSIONS
We strongly believe that to develop soccer in our country
we must put emphasis in teaching the meaning of soccer, a game that will be
played for life without any concerns about instant financial rewards, a game
that helps modeling personalities and assist in having happy and productive
lives. At any age, there are multiple options to participate in soccer (as
player, coach, administrator and/or fan) and enjoy it thoroughly. Then we need to
create associations, leagues and solid clubs were short term gratification is
eliminated and delay gratification pursued.
References