Menu Item #1
Observe Players at the Recreational Fields
I went to go observe local soccer players at the recreational fields located at UNC
Charlotte. My primary focus was to look at behavior and communication between the players.
When I first got to the fields I noticed it was very easy for people to come to the fields and play a
game. Some of them didnt even ask permission to enter the game. I noticed similarities in all the
cleats and the ways most of the people were dressed. For example, most people had their socks
rolled up but no shin guards on. They also shouted words like mark which meant to guard a
player or man on which meant someone else from the opposing team was quickly approaching.
The people playing would yell switch when they wanted someone to send the ball to the other
side of the field. The soccer players focused on a lot of passing and sprinting more than scoring
goals. It seemed like a friendly environment fields with grunts, cheers, and claps. I also noticed
that people started leaving as soon as the lights were about to go out. Most of the people that
came to play were of different ethnicities and race. When I think about the culture of soccer it
makes me think about how the different players interact with the sport in their personal lives.
Such as, how they are dressed, look, and behave. About nine of the soccer players had the same
haircut and the rest of them just wore their hair long. This surprised me because I thought that the
main objective of soccer was to score goals.
UNCC Recreational Fields. Observing Soccer Players. 17 February 2015.
Menu Item #2
Interview American local soccer player
I chose to interview a soccer player at the recreational fields. His name is Matthew Neft.
He is a student who attends UNC Charlotte and plays at the recreational fields as a means of
enjoyment and exercise. He explained to me the influence that soccer has had on his life.
Matthew told that it has helped him form friendships with people that he believes will last a
lifetime. When I asked him if soccer has impacted his life in a negative way he mentioned that
sometimes he gets too caught up in having fun that he puts other stuff off. For example, he
procrastinated way too much and forgot to study for a test last week. He said that it is a lot of
work keeping up with his favorite soccer teams scores and statistics. Matthew grew up playing
soccer and it has changed the way he looks at life. It has taught him to respect everyone and to be
kind. Lionel Messi, Frank Lampard, and Cristiano Ronaldo are his favorite soccer players
because they have a great attitude on and off the field. Most of these famous players are looked
at as idols but I respect them because they are a class act. I remember when I first learned about
when Cristiano Ronaldo sold his Golden Boot to raise 1.5 million euros for Palestinian children.
This made me respect him so much more. Also Matthew feels that soccer isnt looked up to as
one of the greatest sports in America.
Matthew Neft. American Local Soccer Player. 20 March 2015.
Menu Item #3
Interview local player of Hispanic descent
The reason I chose to interview someone that wasnt fully American was so that they could
describe the culture of soccer from a different perspective. I interviewed a student named
Jonathan Sosa who is from Mexico and enjoys playing soccer in his free time. A constraint to this
interview was that it is only one person rather than a population so I couldnt get more outlooks
on the topic. Jonathan came from Mexico at a young age and remembers exactly what it was like
playing over there as opposed to America. I compared his relationship with soccer to someone
who plays in Europe. He reminisces on how in Mexico you could find a pickup game of soccer
almost everywhere you look and how in America it is very strict and confined within certain
boundaries. When Jonathan came to America at the age of eleven he felt that Americans were
more focused about the rules of soccer and that few people care or even understand the game.
This interview made me want to do more research on why it is that the Hispanic population has
such a significant impact on the American population. Ive learned that it is best to say that
soccer is more popular in his home nation because of how it represents his daily life and how his
surrounding environment interacted with the sport. Jonathan also mentioned he feels that in
America the rules of soccer are stricter and in his hometown there werent as many rules so the
game flowed easier.
Jonathan Sosa. Hispanic Local Soccer Player. 30 March 2015.
Menu Item #4
Read I Am Zlatan: My Story On and Off the Field
This autobiography tells the reader about how Zlatan Ibrahimovic grew as a person and
how his background shaped who he is and how he behaves when he is on the pitch. As a young
child he continuously came home to no food, as his father just sat around the house drinking beer
and listened to music. It is no question that the way he was raised effects his personality and
attitude. Many Europeans believe that Zlatan is an aggressive and stubborn showboat, but these
people do not know his background. He transformed from a young bicycle thief and school
bully to one of Europes top strikers. This relates to the argument of popularity in Europe vs.
America by giving explanations of how different European clubs work through the eyes of the
soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As one of the best soccer players in the world it is no doubt he
has an impact on soccer fans in Europe and America. Zlatan along with soccer stars across
Europe are the reason the popularity of soccer in Europe is on the rise consistently. The fans love
watching entertaining players and as long as they deliver what they came to watch. The
autobiography continually informed the reader on how soccer is really played at the highest level
and the building blocks of the sport. If you are someone who doesnt know anything about the
sport of soccer then this book gave insight on how you shouldnt believe everything you hear
about the game. Stereotypes and bias are prevalent throughout every sport and one should
explore the game without jumping to assumptions.
Lagercrantz, David. I Am Zlatan: My Story on and off the Field. Print.
Menu Item #5
History of Football The Beautiful Game Origins
The documentary basically summarizing how the game of soccer was created and how many different nations
across the globe interpret the game differently. There are myths that the first soccer ball was created with human
skulls. Some customs and traditions from these different nations have remained with the sport of soccer until today.
For example, in Scotland an entire village is used to cooperate in order to get the ball from one side to the other.
These nations incorporated their own culture into the sport which influenced it greatly. I also learned that Scottish
players were imported into Englands professional league. This impacted Europes position on soccer by allowing
clubs that arent as popular obtain better players that made each club team better. The 1970s and 1980s saw
Holland, West Germany and Italy as the powerhouse teams. These countries are still viewed highly in todays
view of European soccer. The documentary showed clips of soccer fans around the world that are perceived as
hooligans ad racists by the manner in which they behave. I learned that this is not just an American soccer fan base
that is having this problem of out of control fans but, many South American and other European teams are facing
the same problem. The media influences soccer by broadcasting the games to millions of people, but the media
also publicizes soccer violence, drug scandals, etc. The end of the documentary talks about how even though
Europe dominates soccer, the more populated countries in Asia may contain powerhouses that are even better than
Europes teams.
History of Football. Shout! Factory ;, 2001. Film.
Menu Item #6
Storify
Storify is where I tried to capture the subculture of my topic and general ideas about it
that will help one better understand it. This is done through the use of photos and videos posted
on a site that one can access by scrolling down and up. The first picture I used was a kid playing
in the street to show that it doesnt matter what background one comes from, anyone can enjoy
the game of soccer. The next photo is of soccer players laughing to show how it forms
friendships really easily. These friendships that are formed may even last a lifetime. There are
two photos of soccer fans that show how they can get a bit out of hand and go crazy but on the
other hand are just passionate about something that they love. I chose to include the video clip
Futbol Flop to show how some people generalize soccer and make it entertaining as well. I
used it to show how many Americans believe it is not a contact sport and how they view it
through their eyes. The next video is a reel of the 2010 FIFA World Cup which shows all of the
goals, moments, and celebrations that surrounded the biggest sports event in the world. I chose to
use this video to show what soccer really is. It is a physically demanding sport that requires
endurance and skill to play. As the pressure builds throughout every game the European soccer
players do not hesitate to make every game as entertaining as the last, along with other nations
around the world.
"The Cultural Influence of Soccer (with Images) Esulima1." Storify. Web. 6 May
2015.
Menu Item #7
Summary-Response Paper
"We Aren't the World: Why America Resists Soccer Imperialism - Breitbart." Breitbart. 11 June
2014. Web. 6 May 2015.
This article starts off by explaining reasons why the World Cup should be renamed to the Europe
Cup. The author believes that this sporting event is unfair to North Americans because it ties
them into something they dont want to participate in. According to Daniel J. Flynn, unlike
baseball (a true melting pot), where players around the world compete for a championship; the
World Cup only has Europe and South America chasing for the championship. The article states
that in its simplicity lies its popularity. The author defends this claim by saying it is not as
complicated as American football and kids can learn the game quicker. He then encourages
Americans to watch, play, and cheer for soccer for the upcoming World Cup but not to play a
European.
I felt that the article was very bias in the view of soccer imperialism. The author feels that
Europe is trying to force soccer culture onto America. The article was filled with personal
opinions the writer had on soccer and how it impacted his own life. The author continually
crossed out World when mentioning the World Cup every time in the article and replaced it with
Europe. This repetition allowed me to infer that the author is frustrated that people actually refer
to it as the World Cup instead of the Europe Cup. I do however agree that within its simplicity
lies its popularity. Many fans of soccer around the world play the game because it requires so
little equipment. All you really need is a ball to enjoy the game.
Menu Item #8
Observe different Age Groups at Club Soccer Program
I went to a CSA (Charlotte Soccer Academy) club tournament day in Matthews, NC.
They had all different age groups starting from 5 to 18. There was a game on almost every field.
I started off by watching the older kids play first. This happened to be a U18 (age group 18)
team. They played very aggressively and communicated very well. There were many different
ethnicities on the team and I couldnt tell what the majority of races they were. It was the perfect
description of a melting pot. I then went to watch a girls U11 game that started shortly after that
game. There was a little bit of communication but not between the players. The parents on the
sidelines and bleachers were doing most of the talking. My main goal for this entry was to
observe the culture between these different age groups and see if they behaved similarly or
differently. Many more people came out to watch the U18 game rather than the U11. I believe
this is because it was more entertaining to watch. The U18 kids who played seemed to take the
game very serious with very little or no smiles throughout the game. The U11 kids seemed to be
enjoying the game and laughing as they were playing. Both age groups behaved the same way
when they scored goals. They congratulated each other and at the end of the game everyone was
given high fives as a sign of good sportsmanship.
CSA Soccer Tournament. Observing Different Age Groups.5 April 2015.
