Recently I was asked by a reader to write about why so many kids play soccer in the U.S. and yet by the time they are in their late teens it seems like no one plays. Well today we will dive into that.

This is a subject that I have tried to figure out many times and here is what I have come to conclude. In the U.S., we have more kids playing soccer up to U-15 than any other country in the world, which is quite impressive. In fact, no one come close to us. But after U-15 we lose that top spot, by a lot.

First lets talk about why so many kids play soccer. Soccer is an easy game that does not have that many rules or exceptions unlike football and baseball. It comes naturally to many kids because the motions in the beginning are not miniscule and complex like in other sports. It gives them a oppertunity to run around and whack a ball at their friends.

Parents like soccer because it is relatively cheap to play and yelling at the refs in easy whether you know the game or not. Parents can coach their young children in soccer even if they have never played it and anyone can referee a youth game if they know anything about sports.

But when youth get to 13 or 14 in soccer, everything changes. The game becomes complex and competitive. There are many commitments such as traveling and practices. But the major factor is the lack of good coaches and referees. The difference between a bad coach and a decent coach is HUGE.

When kids in the US start playing they are just learning those basic skills like dribbling, passing and shooting and they continue working on those until they get into their teens. At that point soccer gets tactical and the skills take a large jump because teens have much more capabilities. But those dads with the beer belly and a basic knowledge of sports have no idea of those skills, so right there the youth lose 99% of their coaches. When kids start realizing that they are not achieving what their capabilities are, they quit. This means that because of out lack of adults with soccer history, our kids with talent give up.

On top of that we have the refs. Any person who has played sports has an instinctual hatred for referees. As much as we hate them, we have a dependence on them too. When pre-teens leave their awkward stage and become more coordinated, they gain speed and power. The refs who are officiating the young kids cannot mentally or physically keep up with the teens. However the refs do not quit, they try to ref above their level and that causes problems. No parent wants to have his or her child subjected to horrible officiating. No kid wants to have to put up with a 68-year-old man limping around the field, blowing his whistle whenever he sees two players come together.

90% of refs shouldn’t be refereeing period in US soccer. Those 90% ruin the game for the kids and teach them the wrong things and give them a hatred for games. Between these two factors our soccer population dwindles by the time kids are in their late teens. This in turn leads to poor professional leagues and a national team that is not up to scratch. What we can do is keep getting kids to play soccer and look as hard as we can for adults who can do a service to the game by teaching kids how it is meant to be played, whether that be as a ref or a coach.