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I grew up, and currently live, in a town called "Soccer City". Soccer is played by 75% of the kids in town and that includes boys and girls. When the kids start playing at age 5, they are giddy about the parade that runs through the town. They get to wear fun costumes to match their team nameDalmatians, Daisies, Mighty Mice, Matadors. All the parents are watching them and videotaping this first experience with team sports.

Then the kids get onto the soccer field. All their practices up to this first game stress the concept of a team sport. Passing to your teammates is the goal of the game. Well, the reality is that the kids all bunch up into a mass of kicking legs until the ball pops out and that one kid who is faster than the rest is able to take the ball into the goal. The parents go wild. To the kids, the focus at this age is that soccer is an individual sport. Once they get the ball, they don't let go of it until they shoot at the goal. This is why parents think that their young child will become the next Mia Hamm or Landon Donavon.

In a perfect world, kids would be able to just play the game. It is great exercise; they develop strong friendships; and learn to play on a team. Unfortunately, there are too many parents that are living vicariously through their little sports stars. The parents start pushing their kids to become the ultimate sports star. The fun game of soccer is now tainted for these kids. They lose interest in playing and feel the stress from their parents when they are not playing on the premier league team or scoring all the goals.

We need to focus on keeping sports exciting and fun for kids, like when they were 5 and didn't have a care in the world other than playing the game of soccer.

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