Playing soccer
There are many differences between playing soccer in the street and joining a youth team in an organized league in the USA
A
AStreet soccer, as its name implies, is an informal variation of the sport, often played on the street, particularly in urban areas. There are many reasons for the widespread popularity of street soccer. Unlike youth soccer, its more formally organized counterpart, no large space is needed, and goal posts, corner markers, and marked lines, associated with the formal game, are typically absent, as are game officials or referees. Another attraction of street soccer is that it is played frequently and competitively, but does not necessarily require standard 11-a-side teams or fixed playing positions. Unlike in youth soccer, inexperienced street soccer players rarely learn from repetitive technical and tactical drills. Instead, they learn from their poor performance in competition, unconscious of the skills they are nonetheless developing, and without older adults or coaches present. Players learn without effort through playing the game, and soon attain an almost natural feeling for the sport.
B
BHowever, there are lots of cities in the world today where conditions are such that street soccer is no longer possible. Congested traffic now dominates where games were once played. Parks and open fields are used as hangouts for older teenagers with other interests. Add to this the requirement in many localities for official permits to use public spaces and the managed schedules that many young people have today, and spontaneous play of any kind is hard to imagine.
C
CIn spite of all these obstacles, which are probably solvable in most instances, there is another sociological explanation of why in many places street soccer doesn't enjoy the same popularity it once did. In his book How Soccer Explains the World, US writer Franklin Foer observes: "But for all the talk of freedom, the 1960s parenting style had a far less relaxed side too. Like the 1960s consumer movement which brought seat belts and airbags to cars, the (youth) soccer movement felt like it could create a set of ... regulations that would protect both the child's body and mind from damage. Soccer leagues like the one I played in as a child handed out 'participation' prizes to every player, no matter how few games his (or her) team won. Where most of the world accepts the practice of using your head to hit the ball as an essential element of the game, some (youth) soccer parents have worried over the potential for injury to the brain. An entire industry grew up to manufacture protective headgear... Even though very little medical evidence supports this fear, some youth leagues prohibited heading the ball altogether."
D
DA growing body of people don't believe street soccer involves a legitimate educational method. They argue that children need to be taught by experts. Youth soccer instruction now begins with four-year-olds, so that they will have an advantage as six- year-olds. This need to get ahead brings with it a fear of falling behind that only expert instruction can prevent. This type of instruction leaves no room for the trial and error approach of street soccer.
E
EOne of the basic ideas of street soccer is that young players are assigned a particular role by a better player and are expected to play for the good of the team. Such an assignment runs counter to the idea of youth soccer that every child needs to learn every position and will benefit from doing so. In street soccer, you fill the role that you are best wiled to at a particular time. While this role assignment can change from game to game, the purpose is always the same: to get the best out of each individual at any given moment.
F
FIn tartlet soccer, children have to learn patience, to wait their turn, to realize that they are not entitled to make decisions, or even be listened to simply because they allow up. Positions of responsibility are earned through competition within the team. Younger players in street soccer must wait to attain those positions. In youth soccer, however, with its overly democratic values, youngsters are guaranteed their time in the spotlight. Whether it's their turn to be captain, to play a central position or to take a crucial shot, youth soccer players come to believe that hard work and patience aren't really necessary.
G
GNot only does every youth soccer player get a chance, it is assumed that each individual has played well. 'Everyone's a winner; no one's a loser' is a guiding principle of youth soccer. This ensures each individual goes away positive about themselves. No one can leave a game or a practice feeling bad. But, if there really are no losers, then why try at all? Since giving less than your best receives the same reward as giving your best why go to any extra effort? In street soccer, every game results in a winner and a loser and everyone knows who is who. Losing a game is a common experience and players learn early on how to handle this. As a result, unlike most youth soccer players, they acquire resilience.
A further difference between these two strands of soccer is that in street soccer a formal record is not kept. You can lose one day and win the next. The results are only temporary and are forgotten within minutes of the end of the match. But in organized youth soccer, the position each person plays and the results are formally noted and maintained throughout a season.
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Question 1 - 6
Reading Passage has seven sections, A-G. Which section contains the following information?
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
1.
a contrast between the ways young players gain experience of playing different positions
2.
examples outside sport of greater emphasis on individual safety
3.
a description of methods of selection for leadership on soccer teams
4.
details of urban changes that discourage street soccer
5.
a mention of the lesson that failure teaches street soccer players
6.
an explanation of why youth soccer emphasises the need for coaches