Sports
July 29, 2010 |
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World Cup comes to an end
Colleen Paul | Special to the Sun
Ask anyone why he or she loves a sport and you will hear similar responses about athletic skill, strategy, and the beauty of a game well played or a sport well executed. So what sets soccer apart from other sports? Mainly its worldwide appeal. The 2010 World Cup Tournament ended a few weeks ago. Thousands of people traveled to South Africa to watch the games and millions more tuned in via satellite, cable and the Internet. People all over the world came together to cheer on their favorite teams. The World Cup is the largest team sport tournament in the world. It starts with three years of qualifying matches for teams from over 200 countries, all hoping to make it to the top 32 who compete in the World Cup tournament every four years. It is the dream of players and fans worldwide to see their team earn a spot in the World Cup.
Despite soccer’s popularity in the rest of the world, soccer has yet to really catch on professionally in the United States, though there are professional leagues for men and women. Northern California has the Earthquakes, FC Gold Pride and a new women’s team in Marin County, FC Wave. The men’s U.S. national team is currently ranked 13th in the world and our women’s national team is ranked first. However, what makes soccer so fun and interesting is that often anything can happen. Just look at this year’s World Cup. Spain took the title while Brazil, previously ranked number one, was eliminated. Two European favorites lost in the initial stages, while Ghana amazed the world with their youth, skill and excitement on the field.
According to statistics, soccer is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. I am an avid player and fan, as well as an assistant coach and member of the Sonoma Valley Youth Soccer Association. SVYSA registered over 1,200 kids for the coming season, ages six to 18 years. Our league functions because of the many volunteers from our community who coach, organize and assist in so many ways. We have sponsors who help raise funds to offer scholarships to families in the community. There are other leagues like FC Sonoma, an adult coed league recently started here in the Valley. Look around and you will also see pick-up games in Sonoma and its environs.
I recently found out about a program being developed with the assistance of Nuestra Voz that is bringing soccer to kids in Sonoma’s Hispanic community. Local men and women are volunteering their time and energy to help these kids experience the joy of playing soccer. You may have noticed some of them marching in the Fourth of July parade.
Soccer has a way of bringing together people of all ages and race. Soccer inspires intense emotions; passion, frustration and joy in people all over the world. Those who love soccer want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience this great sport.
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