DO you know What is realy wrong with Bowling Green

[Ineedbotox]

Personally, my H & I are anti-soccer. That's because we grew up without it. However, both of our kids have played it. It is really a good first sport to try, because it is easy to learn & accessible to the masses. But you will quickly find that the "soccer people" who stay soccer people, are duds & their kids suck at real sports. Not to say that it does not get competitive & there are not great soccer players, there are (a la Mrs. Flipper). That's cool. But the just crappy soccer, year after year, sux.

The cool kids/ parents are the Hockey ones. Those people for whatever reason are just plain fun. There are definitely some competitive souls out there, and there are a few Russians & Czechoslovakians hanging around the rink that I obviously can't communicate with. But the straight hockey families...cool.

Can't believe BG doesn't have youth football. Y'all are definitely missing out on that one. But have to agree with the people in the soccer is for weenies camp.

[Zom]

You're all missing the point. When yours is the only place in the world that's had to build its own hill just to claim it has one, CROQUET is the name of the game.

[Warthog]

You may have problems as a father and person in general if you think soccer is just for wussie and geeky kids and won't let you kids play it.

Thanks for your concerns about my parenting skills (I know I have issues ), but you misunderstood my point. I was trying to say in a non-bragging way that my kids are athletic enough to play sports. I thought someone might try to think they didn't play because they lacked the skill which is definitely not the case.

And I wasn't trying to say only wussies and geeks played soccer. As MACMAN pointed out, more children are hurt playing soccer then football.

[Flipper]

Botox... my wife who was all of 5'-2" and 110 lbs at the time is very proud of the fact that she once gave a girl a concussion in a "powder puff" football game.

My niece is a soccer kid. She travels all over the midwest throughout the year playing indoor and outdoor tournaments. She's a tough kid, a little undersized, but she's not afraid to mix it up. Personally, I think it might be a bit much for a 12 year-old, but she really seems to enjoy herself.

[Warthog]

Back to the original issue, it just struck me why there is no youth football in BG. HOCKEY!!!! BG is a hockey town. Kids start playing hockey when they are like three years old. Hockey has leagues throughout the year, there is no offseason. The same kids that would play football are already playing hockey. There is no way for kids to play both sports at the same time.

So, IMO, Hockey is the reason there is no youth football in BG.

[Zom]

Speaking of which, I've just found out my partner's taking me away for a break ..... on September 3rd.

Instead of a total sports weekend, warming up with England trying to avoid a record defeat in a world cup qualifier against no hopers Wales (life for England fans is never easy), and then a bit of broadband radio to end the longest off season in college football EVER, I'm going to be sitting through each game on a long haul flight going out of my skull.

Sigh. Togetherness. Smile. Got to keep smiling.

[leardm17]

As MACMAN pointed out, more children are hurt playing soccer then football.

That is because more kids play it. Also, most sports are physical and injuries will happen whether you play baseball, football or soccer.

[Ineedbotox]

I said there are exceptions Flipper, for sure. There are some really good soccer players. I have a friend whose daughter plays on scholarship at Mississippi State (actually, it's the P-A, CPA from my blog), so it definitely can be a good thing.

But the example of no-talents that comes to mind is my old boss' kids. (He's the MD on my blog for those in the know). I love him & I love his kids. But we used to hang with them a bunch before we had our own kids. I would take HIS kids to their soccer games & hang with them. His kids have NO TALENT playing soccer. However, they have done it forever. They STILL suck. His oldest is just a very large husky girl that they put at goalie. They put her at goalie b/c she is completely immobile & can't move. She is horrible. However, her dad is CONVINCED she is the greatest soccer player of all times & will also get a scholarship. Lemme just tell you, she WON'T. There are some sports where weenies can make it through & just "participate" for the sake of participating. (I will admit that softball is one of those & I played WAY too many years at right field). But for good competitive youth sports, try hockey or football/ cheer. JMO though! (and Flipper, your 5'2" wife could probably take my 6'0 gangly self out any day!)

[UK Peregrine]

Hey, how about that BGSU Falcon football program! They seem like they could have a very solid year. Not to metion the BGSU intramural flag football programs, boy that is exciting stuff. How's the BGHS team going to be this season? I hear that the BG JV team and junior high teams are stacked. It does kind of blow that they have no youth BG football though. But it is comforting to see they have BG futbol on a number of levels.

P.S.: What's up with the random capitalization in this thread title?

[Rightupinthere]

My daughter is all of 3.8684931506849315068493 years old and plays soccer. However, she hits like a linebacker and throws a better spiral with greater range and accuracy than her old man (w/ a 2003 MCB mini-football).

With these recent gift realized, we're going move her to ballet class this fall.


Here is the moral of this story: It doesn't freaking matter what sports are offered in a community - just that there are activities offerred. In my hometown of Chardon, we don't have hockey. We barely have soccer. Football is king. It's so regarded that the pee-wee coaches actually start teaching the basics of the Winged - T type offense so that the kids will be ready for that offense when they hit high school.

[rocketfootball]

You guys are funny about this whole soccer thing. When I was a kid I did not play soccer, never had an interest in it really. But I did have friends that played it. Quite a few of those kids went on to play football and baseball in high school. Some even still played soccer for run.

This whole stereotype of most soccer kids being wussy or geeky is only from people that don't really know the kids that do play.

Yes, there are some nerdy and unathletic kids out there. There are also some nerdy and unathletic kids that play baseball/softball and other sports. Some even try out for other sports. When I was in high school we had this kid tryout for the basketball team both his freshman and sophomore years. He was so bad that he couldn't hit a layup and he even got stuffed by the backboard a few times. There are kids like that in virtually every sport. Especially at the younger age.

In Toledo they do have youth football and some of those younger leagues are funny to watch. The kids just run all around, kind of like in soccer. Many of the kids aren't very athletic and don't play more than a year or two of organized football as very young kids.

[rocketfootball]

My daughter is all of 3.8684931506849315068493 years old and plays soccer. However, she hits like a linebacker and throws a better spiral with greater range and accuracy than her old man (w/ a 2003 MCB mini-football).

With these recent gift realized, we're going move her to ballet class this fall.


Here is the moral of this story: It doesn't freaking matter what sports are offered in a community - just that there are activities offerred.

Well said!

[BGDrew]

This part of Ohio has a lot of hockey talent. Eh, as long as they're doing something let them do whatever.

[Rightupinthere]

You guys are funny about this whole soccer thing. When I was a kid I did not play soccer, never had an interest in it really. But I did have friends that played it. Quite a few of those kids went on to play football and baseball in high school. Some even still played soccer for run.

I hope everyone has a change to read some of Tech83's son's accomplishments (FreeForAll board). The lad is a very good soccer player down in SW Ohio. He's now playing 7th grade football and knocking the snot out of his fellow human beings.

And I like soccer. Some of the best spectator events I ever attended were the old Cleveland Force games in the Richfield Coliseum.

[TG1996]

Well done, RF!

I thought the age of "soccer is for geeks" was over when I got out of high school. I guess some folks just can't let it go. Yeah, maybe it sucks that coaches won't let kids try multiple sports, but in this day and age, everything is set up to build the "super athlete". I'm not a parent, but if any one of you can honestly say that you'd rather have your kid sit the bench on the football team versus playing regularly on the soccer team, you're kidding yourselves. I played soccer for 15 years or so, but rarely have an interest in it today. If I catch a game part way through on TV, maybe it will catch my interest. Going to games in Columbus was no different than going to minor league baseball. Get out in the sun with friends and take in the atmosphere.

I'd hate to see what other aspects of life you folks are keeping away from your kids just because you think it "sucks".