by Simon Wright

Created on: March 28, 2008

The article title doesn't specify it but I imagine that the creator of this article was referring specifically to the United States. My focus, in answering this question, will therefore be focused upon the North American situation. It is worth, however, also taking a moment to consider soccer's ongoing popularity with kids in the rest of the world. Indeed, many of the reasons why soccer is so popular with kids across the globe will help shed light on its growing popularity in the US.

Traditionally, of course, kids in North America have tended to be drawn to the high profile big four American sports of Football (American Football for people outside the US), Basketball, Baseball, and Ice Hockey. These sports continue to be very popular, especially at professional level. However, at youth level, there has been strong growth in soccer participation.

There are several reasons for this surge in soccer playing amongst kids.

1. It's a safe sport to play:

Soccer is a contact sport and injuries do become prevalent once participants reach puberty and the intensity of physical challenges increases. For the most part, these injuries are muscle strains, sprained ankles and the occasional broken leg.

However, at pre teens level injuries are actually quite rare. In my time playing soccer at primary school, the most serious injuries I can remember were scrapped knees.

Certainly, compared to more aggressive full contact sports such as American football or rugby, soccer injuries are pretty minor. This makes parents more comfortable with the prospect of their kids playing soccer.

2. Both boys and girls can play it:

I guess this is linked to the first point about soccer's relative safety at kids' level. Certainly, up to about the age of seven or eight, there is no reason why girls and boys can't play in mixed matches.

3. There's no need for expensive equipment:

Kids like to experiment with sports. Sometimes they are made keen to play a sport but after a couple of times they tire of it and want to try something else. If the sport that your kid wants to try is ice hockey, then you have to splash out on a hockey stick, skates, a helmet and full body armour. That's going to set you back quite a few dollars! The same applies to American football.

With soccer, on the other hand, they don't really need any equipment. Maybe you might buy them a pair of studded soccer boots and a pair of shin-pads if they become very keen. However, when I started playing all I needed was a standard pair of running

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