After years of being unable to connect with the world’s most popular sport, I now see the light.
There was no glory there. Being an American men’s soccer player, I learned early on, meant being a punching bag in the world’s most popular sports tournament and invisible in the years in between. I rarely saw soccer highlights onI had heard the excuses for our incompetence. It isn’t because we can’t produce elite soccer talent. The US won the first women’s World Cup in 1991, then three more since, while never finishing below third place.
I bought into this idea as well. My introduction to soccer came in first grade, when I joined my school team. While I excelled in baseball and basketball, I was useless at soccer. I couldn’t seem to kick the ball straight or with any respectable force. In three years of grade school competition, I scored a grand total of one goal, an event so monumental that my mom rewarded me with a Lego set after the game.
But the sport wasn’t yet resonating with me. The US team was filled mostly with white players, making it hard for me to support them over teams composed of players who looked more like me and my brown friends. I had no fond memories of the game, nor any emotional investments in a professional team. Like learning a new language, picking up a new sport gets harder with age. Immersion is critical.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
Utah football’s Clark Phillips III clinches unanimous All-American statusUniversity of Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III on Wednesday was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, securing unanimous All-American status for the third-year sophomore
Consulte Mais informação »
Steven Spielberg and John Williams Will Mark 50 Years of Collaboration at American Cinematheque Tribute (Exclusive)The legendary duo, whose 29 films together span 'Sugarland Express' through 'The Fabelmans,' will be recognized on Jan. 12.
Consulte Mais informação »
Breakingviews - Who will be Wall Street’s un-American idol?BNP Paribas isn’t the first bank to roll the 12-starred European flag across American soil. The French lender is hiring, lending, broking and hustling to capture a greater share of the world’s biggest profit pool for trading and dealmaking. Deutsche Bank and Barclays are doing likewise. This time round, the goal isn’t to add a European face to banking’s Mount Rushmore, but to slow the advance of the Wall Street firms in Europe. It’s a plan shareholders ought to appreciate.
Consulte Mais informação »
![American Dad Clip Sees Betrayal Turn Roger Into The Grounch [EXCLUSIVE]](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2022/12/16/screenrant/screen-rant-presents-an-exclusive-clip-from-americ-screen-rant-presents-an-exclusive-clip-from-americ-1603799797756051472.webp?w=640)
American Dad Clip Sees Betrayal Turn Roger Into The Grounch [EXCLUSIVE]Screen Rant presents an EXCLUSIVE clip from AmericanDad!'s new holiday-themed season 17 finale, 'The Grounch,' in which Roger gives The Grinch an adult twist:
Consulte Mais informação »
Bobby Rush is the American Music Gift That Keeps on GivingLegendary blues artist Bobby Rush touches down this weekend at Continental Club, a week before Christmas. In a phone interview with Rush this week, we suggested he might even be a Christmas present for some folks, their stockings happily filled with tickets to his Saturday night set. As we learned...
Consulte Mais informação »