This column probably will be the least popular with the Estevan Mercury readers, but I still decided to write it. People are all about football here, but I’ve always been a soccer (or real football) fan. So are millions around the world. And there are quite a few good reasons for that.
Those of you who are of European, Latin American or African descent probably heard something like “they don’t even use feet, so why in the world do Americans call their game football” from people of older generations. I’ve never used term soccer before coming to Canada either. No matter what you call this game, it’s awesome.
Some may argue that soccer is the most boring sport to watch, but once you are in it, it’s crazy exciting. It’s about the team, strategy, partnership, paying attention and just having a great time. It’s also about good physical shape and a strong heart, as you pretty much get to run for 90 minutes. But you gain endurance while you are just playing with friends without even noticing it.
It’s a type of sport that anyone in the world could afford. All you need is a ball (we sometimes made it out of tape and paper, which didn’t work too well, but made a good time during recess), a pair of shoes, two sets of gates (or four sticks, rocks or cans just to designate the posts) and a band of your friends of any age.
Soccer was the way to build friendships when I was a kid. You just come to the yard and ask, “Can I join you?” I never was really good at it (wasn’t good at all), but I never was refused. Worst comes to worst, there is always the goalie position, which is crazy responsible but actually was viewed as a spot for rookies in the world of yard soccer.
It always was a sport that could take as little as two-three people, and as much as the entire village for a full-scale tournament. So whenever we didn’t know what to do, we went to a field (which could be any field with pretty much any kind of surface: flat or bumpy, grass or dirt, even paved back alleys worked) to kick the ball. Whether it was playing or just practising some tricks and hits, it always was a team time.
Soccer is also inclusive. When playing not professionally, we often had mixed teams, which allowed us to learn from each other. The age didn’t matter either. There was a role for everyone.
Besides, soccer is pretty simple. It’s easy to keep score, and rules are pretty straightforward. But at the same time, there is a lot of room for personal growth for players who take it seriously.
With all that said, soccer is a competitive sport baring all the advantages of such. It may seem very laid back when played in the yard, but actually, people around the world take it really seriously. It clashes teams, running, fighting for the win, playing against the time in a fast-changing game. It sharpens players and makes it entertaining to watch.
I only played some soccer when I was a kid. But when I grew up soccer actually became an even bigger part of my life. Like other team sports, soccer has its own world with fans, pub meetings to cheer for the favourite team, travels for games with songs and face painting, and of course, that wonderful feeling when your team is winning.
Last summer when I went home, Russia was hosting the World Cup 2018 (which apparently was viewed by over four billion people all across the globe). I’ve never seen a bigger celebration in my life. When our city team won cups, it was huge too, but it only lasted for three-four days, when here it was a few full weeks of non-stop excitement.
The city changed to accommodate hundreds of thousands of fans coming from across the world, bringing their teams' attire and celebrating soccer.
One guy I met said he had to bike, then hitchhike and then fly to make it to Russia, because he couldn’t afford the full plane ticket but couldn’t miss the championship. Do people do something like that for football or basketball?
People around the world are passionate about soccer as if it was a religion. It’s played internationally, and it’s something that creates a common “language” for those, coming from different countries and continents. That’s why many newcomers look for a soccer team to join the first thing after they come to Canada. It’s like Ikea, no matter where you are in the world, it feels like home.
And after all, did you know that statistically, soccer is actually the most popular sport in the world that left all other kinds far behind? So if you are looking for a new routine for your kids or a hobby for yourself, give it a try. Then you’ll know what I mean.
