World Cup 2018

[Griff]

Wow, what a semi-final! Captain obvious, Hazard is a hell of a player. England played a great game but the clean play of Belgium limited set pieces. Excellent game.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Over the past three years, the percentage of 6- to 12-year-olds playing soccer regularly has dropped nearly 14 percent, to 2.3 million players, according to a study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, which has analyzed youth athletic trends for 40 years. The number of children who touched a soccer ball even once during the year, in organized play or otherwise, also has fallen significantly.

link

[glatt]

It's a huge time suck. I was so happy when my kids quit their soccer teams. I got my weekends back.

I hear stories from a buddy at work and the amount of time he spends each weekend taking his son to practices, scrimmages, and games in distance places and it's crazy.

[Griff]

And not useful physically, travel soccer kids don’t broaden their interests and find out if they’re suited for different activities. That isn’t a recipe for lifelong fitness.