America was founded on three principles: life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness, principles that have defined our country for
generations and impacted how citizens act and pursue their dreams. The US was
also found on three other significant things: football, baseball and
basketball. These three sports have largely defined sport in America. Baseball
that has been deemed “America’s pastime”, football and everything that goes
with it (fantasy, Madden, etc.) and basketball has controlled media and
attention in the US. The heroes of nation were the likes of Joe Montana, MagicJohnson, Larry Bird and Babe Ruth and events like the World Series, Super Bowl
and the NBA Finals were the ultimate events in the sporting world. That’s what
it meant to be an American sports fan; you loved football, baseball and
basketball.
There have always been some understudies in the US sporting
world like hockey or soccer, but those understudies have begun to steal some of
the spotlight from the big three. Some obscure sports, for the US anyway, like
soccer and rugby have begun to make a presence in the American culture. The World Cup has taken the nation by storm as fans of the United States don't just root for their national team, but make alliances with world players like Brazil, Spain and World Cup Champion Germany. Professional soccer in America, though not as strong as the leagues in Europe or South America, has been growing in popularity and competition over the last several years. Major League Soccer was established in 1993 and had ten teams. Now, 21 years later, MLS sports 20 teams in both the US and Canada. Despite being consider a lower competition league, MLS has been able to lure big names like David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey to play in the Northern American based league.
Why is soccer becoming more and more popular in the US? No doubt the concussion crisis related to football at both in amateur and professional levels has made parents more interested in having their children playing a sport that has less contact, but is there more to the story than that? High schools are communities are offering more options for soccer across the country. When I graduated high school there weren't any soccer teams in the 2A classification in Utah. Not, even three years later most 2A schools have soccer teams and the level of competition is really great. The opportunities are more numerous and therefore there are more participants. Now, instead of Derek Jeter or Peyton Manning being the only sports icon and sports "heroes", youngsters dream about being Tim Howard, Christiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
Soccer being more available isn't the only factor in the sports rise in America. The international factor brings in an element of patriotism, even if the US isn't winning the world cup. You also have to consider the state of profession and amateur sports in the US. On both the collegiate and professional level the big three sports in America are riddled with controversy, desperation and dishonesty. Poor character has led to the devaluation of athletes that once stood out as role models and now are perceived as pompous, spoiled and arrogant babies. Soccer provides a fresh take, and though soccer isn't without it's faults, it's a new aspect and option for the American sports fan.
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