To a group of some 20-30 suburban high school graduates, the World Cup they most talk about is a pick up soccer game that became a twice weekly event on a local soccer field. Dividing into numerous two player teams, they claim a country as a team name, and prepare to take on the world. Your goal only counts if you scream your team name before you take a shot, and at the end of every round the last team to score is out. This soccer free for all allows all levels of players to compete–skilled club soccer players, high school soccer players who never saw a second of varsity play, gymnasts who have muscles and speed but no ball skills, and even dancers who do little more than look pretty on the field and are just hoping to learn soccer moves to impress the crowd.

The real World Cup, of course, was most recently played in Canada during the summer of 2015. The 2015 World Cup Title earned by the US Women’s Soccer Team has once again spiked interest in youth soccer leagues. Whether your child is wishing to do little more than play a two-person pick-up rec game, or is interested in playing in an organized urban soccer league, or has plans to play for a high school soccer team after attending soccer camp, now is a great time to explore options. Even before the recent World Cup Title, soccer participation in the U.S. has been staggering:
–284,000 boys in the United States play high school soccer.
–209,000 girls in the United States play high school soccer.

Summer soccer leagues are a great way for youth and adults to learn how to play soccer, while increasing their physical activity at the same time. Some estimates say that A single soccer player runs about 7 miles during an entire game. Since children and adolescents should participate in 60 minutes or more of physical activity on a daily basis, soccer is clearly a great opportunity. Adults, obviously, would also benefit from participating in an active soccer game.

Whether your young athlete is wanting to learn how to play soccer in an organized league, or your soon-to-be-college student has just discovered the sport upon high school graduation, soccer is a sport that is quick to learn, but at the same time allows plenty of room for improvement. Who would have thought that the ability to learn how to play soccer
would also provide you the stamina to run seven miles in a single game?