Why Are we Not Fans?
Soccer! No no, futbol! Whatever you want to call it, it is a sport the Black Community needs to embrace. The party atmosphere, the noise, the drums, the chants, the environment is electrifying…And Blacks, for the most part are missing out. This article isn’t about learning life lessons through sport, or building character in the youth, it’s about what you are missing in “The Beautiful Game”. Think of Mardi Gras or Carnival pact into a stadium. There are literally hundreds of professional leagues across the world, and everyone plays or takes part in their side(Team).
From the jungles of Brazil, to the communists of red China, they play the game. This presents Black youth with untold opportunities at professional careers. The American sports structure says go to college and then, on to a pro career. All this is done because the money from College Football and Basketball bring in billions of dollars, $10.8 billion for the rights to broadcast the NCAA tournament alone. These contracts prop up scholarships for all other sports, this is the real reason the NCAA can’t pay basketball and football players their fair share. Soccer isn’t that, it’s a free market at the age of 16. Players are paid their worth because the competition spans the globe to find the best players. Young athletes can join some of the biggest clubs in the world at the tender age of just 6, challenging themselves against the best in the world in their age groups. Big time clubs like Chelsea(Go Blues!), Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, all search for young athletes to fill their ranks. No matter the age.
The Black Community needs to exhaust as many ways upward as possible. Soccer gives that opportunity, it’s a different experience, a whole different vibe. Young athletes will be exposed to different cultures, people and different ways of life. This is an experience which is invaluable in the effort to give kids the confidence to know they can succeed. Players such as Didier Drogba, Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Pele, are all players to youtube.