So, after spending a large portion of the past year observing the growth of a new soccer franchise in Edmonton Alberta, it is apparent that Soccer can, and I believe will, succeed. The popularity of the NASL will begin to grow, the national team will be more competitive on the international scene and more children will take to the sport at a recreational level. However, when compared to countries across the Atlantic, such as England, Canada has a few, fairly large hurdles to clear before Soccer rivals the likes of Ice Hockey and Canadian Football. In my humble opinion, here they are:
- Weather: the weather, and more specifically the extreme's of the season's, plays a huge role in shaping the type of sport specific to a certain country. In Canada, it is clearly not possible to play Soccer all year round on outdoor facilities. The Soccer season (outdoor) is confined to a four/five month window before it has to be taken indoors. This cuts down game time, practice time and in turn allows other sports to take priority. In England, where the coldest temperature of -1 is felt in the middle of January and the warmest weather of 28 is felt in May/June, Soccer is playable all year long. Unfortunately, this is out of the hands of Canada's soccer enthusiast's and so they'll just have to make do!
- Culture: and the cultural reasons, I believe, are two-fold. Having spent a considerable amount of time in both America and Canada, it is evident that Sports are geared toward high-scoring, masculine events for example = Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey. Will this attitude ever change, I'm not too sure. I think over the next decade, there will be a decrease in both the popularity of Ice Hockey and Baseball, Baseball in particular. Fundamentally, it's a tough game to coach as a kid may stand in the field for hours on end and not touch the ball, or bat for that matter. Canadians live and breath Ice Hockey and good for them, however, again, it does have its drawbacks. It's expensive, has a large number of rules and needs a vast array of equipment. Unlike Soccer, it's not as easy to 'play', either in the street or down the local rec center. Soccer is the worlds game; it has a limited number of rules and needs very little equipment, you can move through 360 degrees in all directions and it can be played almost anywhere. It is these factors that will see it continued to be played the world over. Secondly, there appears to be a lack of appreciation for the intricacies of Soccer. Contrary to popular belief, its not just “22 players kicking a ball about”. I have no doubt that I'm personally ignorant to the vast array of tactics used in Football, or the movements of the players in an offensive Basketball move, but I'm pretty confident that most Canadian boys could describe in detail whats going on. Well, its the same in Soccer. Soccer has its complexities too, which I feel aren't fully understood by the North American audience. In short, a 0-0 scoreline can be as eye-catching and entertaining as a 4-3 game, but only to a non-American/Canadian.
- Proximity: so, I'm a kid in England and I play for Arsenal's academy in London. I only have to travel 30 minutes and I can play against Chelsea or Tottenham. It only takes 3 hours to get to Manchester or Liverpool. In effect, what I am doing is playing against the best players in the country and it only takes a maximum of 4 hours traveling time to do so. In Canada, as in America, it couldn't be more different. A 3 hour journey from Edmonton takes you as far as Calgary. Therefore, kids aren't pushed beyond the talent of those closest to them. Those from the West may never get to play against those from the East and it goes for those in the North too; they may never venture South. Provincial teams are hard to organize and can't practice often; state teams in America also have this problem. Can this be overcome? With time and money. More kids that play the sport means more teams. More teams means more competition which in turn leads to better standards of playing and coaching. Better soccer = more money!
- Which brings me onto my next point: level of coaching. In the same way that a good quality Baseball or Football coach isn't commonplace in England, good quality Soccer coaches in Canada are few and far between. Now, this may sound rich coming from an Englishmen, whose team played abysmally at this year’s World Cup, as well as many more before that. However, the Football Association (Soccer's governing body) has taken many steps over recent years and the country’s coaching standards are improving. This needs to happen in North America; better coaching leads to more Soccer players and more Soccer players generates better players. Better Coaching = Better players. Kids need to watch more Soccer on TV and when they do, really study it. They need to play it often and coach it even more. National coaching certificates need to be more challenging but at the same time, more accessible. Can this be overcome? Without doubt.
In conclusion, I believe the USA will reach the final of the World Cup in my lifetime. Whether they win, I cannot say. Canada has the ability to be a regular participant at the World Cup competition also. However, if Soccer is ever played on ice, if Soccer players begin chewing more gum, or if 7 points are given for a single goal, then my money’s on Canada.
