SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Where are all the minorities in youth club soccer?

Why do other youth sports organizations like basketball, football, baseball, softball have a higher percentage of minority youths playing those sports compared to youth club soccer. Do you think youth soccer clubs dicriminate against minorities?

Data please!

Do you think youth soccer clubs discriminate against minorities? Not on any club I've ever dealt with.

I guess hockey discriminates too!

He was asking...I don't think he was accusing

Thank you nsff. It was just a question. My observations on any given day at a club soccer complex is that minorities are absent at these venues. When you go to watch other sports there are many minorities.

gb it looks like someone in Greenville, SC is beginning to address the issue. Located downtown between the new Salvation Army Kroc Center and the new AJ Whittenberg elementary school is a brand new, full size, lined, state of the art, artificial surface soccer field, complete with Adidas logos.

I wonder if King Andrew has already taken control of it?

Listed below is the racial breakdown of the Congaree Rapid Soccer Association for the 2010 fall season:

Boys - 126
78.6%, White
11.1%, Hispanic
9.5%, Black
0.8%, Asian

Girls - 106
95.3%, White
4.7%, Black
0%, Asian
0%, Hispanic

Good topic and very interesting! Got me thinking to break down our Brookland-Cayce HS boys roster from last year. Here's the results:

Varsity (16) - 7 minority, 43.8%
White - 9
Black - 2
Hispanic - 5

Junior Varsity (18) - 5 minority, 27.8%
White - 13
Black - 2
Hispanic - 3

B-Team (18) - 2 minority, 11.1%
White - 16
Black - 1
Hispanic - 1

52 players / 14 minorities = 26.9%

Looking at our numbers, the largest obstacle for our B-Team aged (7th/8th graders) minorities is transportation to our training facility from their respective middle schools.

12 of the 34 Varsity/JV players are minorities (41.2%).

Price, travel and exposure. It's really that simple. My son has played football, basketball, soccer and baseball. We have spent more on soccer than any of the others. There are a number of parents not willing to travel and our kids are not exposed to pro soccer in the way they are to other pro sports. As far as the hispanic population they don't always know whats available out there, they really still relay on news via paper, radio and tv.

its def. not discrimination in the usual sense as i'm sure most club coaches would like to work with the best raw talent.
however the current model is just not inclusive & its just a matter of figuring out how to do it.
maybe after school intramurals at the elementary school level & actual middle school teams might be the first baby steps, but then no one gets paid...oop$
yth soccer in the states is about at the 1940's basketball level...two handed set shots & the underhand freethrow.

sandman, right behind you...

Do you think youth soccer clubs dicriminate against minorities?

I do not think discrimination (by clubs or their administrators/coaches) is to blame for the poor showing of minorities in club soccer. At least not in the most egregious meaning of the word to apply prejudice based on skin color or racial characteristic. Actually I would venture to suggest quite the opposite. Sensitive to this, I think most administrators and coaches try very hard to be inclusive and provide every opportunity when a suitable candidate (player) registers with their club. Of course, I think we could all make life a little better by dropping fees (attractive to everyone and especially marginalized communities and populations). Still dropping fees will only move the needle by a factor and not force the full swing.

I would look a little deeper to understand the challenge we have in increasing participation for everyone and particularly for minorities who struggle with social/language differences. In my (somewhat limited experience) I have found that 'Club' players generally start at the rec department and move due to natural promise, eager parents (with soccer background/insight), or recruited by club reps (pariahs trawling all-star sidelines and car parks). Whatever the motive to get to the next level around 2nd/3rd grade this is where those playing challenge, etc. mostly started and is where I believe we should be doing more to increase diversity in the sport and opportunity for all.

Rec departments have a duty to their tax paying stakeholders and is why most municipal programs (if not all) are centered in densely populated areas with lots of taxpayers. Grand facilities are built in 'nice areas' and soccer coaches live on the block. Moms don't want to drive more than 5 minutes and everyone is so busy it just makes sense (logistically and ROI) to keep these rec programs of large scale centralized that generally favor the majorioty (ironically antithesis of minority). I had a very interesting conversation with State school inspector a few weeks ago and he informed me most parents putting their kids in different school (outside of zoned) due to convenience (work/car pool, etc.) and that makes sense and probably will play against any of us trying to push opportunity beyond geographic status quo, but it is worth the effort.

Our club has tried hard to promote soccer to new audiences (especially at the youngest age groups) but we have had mixed success. Early numbers were promising but by our third season (fall '10), our minority numbers had dropped. Certainly fees play a part but what I have found the most challenging (and to be frank frustrating) obstacle is either parent ability or willingness to commit to practices and/or games (sometimes leaving coaches high and dry). Still we'll step it up in the spring and I have already reached out to community leaders, boys & girls club, and schools to push the word out that a quality soccer program is available at low cost in their backyard. I've seen success at clubs like Walterboro who field diverse, happy teams and know we can all do better if we just keep at it.

Thanks for reading, and if your club isn't working hard to increase soccer awareness and skills long before try outs, competitive leagues, and our crazy world of 'club soccer', please consider it.