by Jay Nolan

Created on: March 27, 2008

The beauty of soccer is in its simplicity. You don't have to be a professional athlete to play soccer. You can still enjoy playing the game regardless of how athletic you are. And it is a sport that transcends wealth. It's played in every country by every ethnic group and religion. The rules of soccer are so adaptable that the game can be adjusted to fit your needs and it still works.

You don't have to have perfect hand eye coordination like in baseball or be muscular like in football. You don't need skates and you don't have to shoot a ball through a small hoop on a pole. You can play soccer barefooted in a pair of shorts and you will be fine. The game is made in such a way that all skill levels can still play. All you need is the desire and the basic ability to run and jump. No one is left out. That is the beauty of it. You don't need to be a great player to participate.

Soccer is so popular around the world because it can be played anywhere in any type of climate; indoors, alleys, streets, ball fields, parking lots and dirt fields. The size of the field is relative to the size available to you. The amount of people that play depends on who is willing. You don't need a referee to oversee the game. Fouls are obvious enough and they can be called or ignored depending on who is playing.

Regardless if you are wealthy or poor all soccer requires is the will to play. Goals can be made of anything; cups, shoes, shirts, lines carved into the dirt. Not only that, you don't even need a goalie. You just narrow the goal posts to make it harder to score. It all works in soccer. Plus you don't need to have an official ball to play. The only rule in soccer that remains consistent is the hand ball. You can't touch the ball with your hand. Outside of that rule all the other ones can be adapted to your situation.

A kid can also play alone and hone his skills. He can practice ball handling, juggling, and shooting. He can kick the ball against a wall and just have a good time. It's one of the few sports where you can practice and increase your skill level alone.

Soccer is a beautiful game, especially so when it is played by professionals. There has to be something about the game to keep the interest of the world piqued. Every four years there is a World Cup played in a selected country. The nations compete in the purest form of athletics. Countries from almost every continent contend for the bragging rights as the best soccer playing nation on the globe. Regardless if you are a rich or poor nation the competition is fantastic. Since soccer is played in barrios and ghettos as well as the well groomed fields of suburbia there is a greater opportunity for the best players to show off their talent and represent their country. What sport can offer so many people of varying backgrounds the same opportunity to achieve and excel and show the world their ability? In my opinion only soccer does and that is why the world loves soccer.

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