Confessions of a Soccer Dad

This may eventually change. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures produced earlier this year (ABS 4901.0 Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia) show that soccer is the second most popular sport among children (13 per cent of 5-14 years old), behind swimming, and the most popular sport among boys. The publication does not give comparisons in the popularity of the different sports for the last time the survey was taken (in 2000), but did note that overall participation in organised sport had increased by about 2 per cent to 62 per cent.

Soccer’s popularity has been achieved despite little promotion or a high profile league like AFL for the kids to look to, and I humbly suggest that at least part of that popularity is due to the fact that it can be kept simple for Under 6s. I cannot see kids of that age packing down in a scrum, or passing back, or controlling the ball as they do in Australian rules (despite that handicap, Aussie rules remains the third most popular sport for children, and thus the second most popular football code).

Another factor helping soccer’s popularity is the perception that it’s safer than other sports – a very important factor for young children – and there is some reason for that perception. A recent Sydney Morning Herald article (SMH June 14, 2004), quoted figures on sporting injuries kept by the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The figures indicate that the injury rate for soccer is similar to the others, but overall the injuries are much less severe.

As children who start in one football code are likely to remain with that code, and junior soccer does seem to have gained a considerable following in recent years, perhaps the code will gain real momentum in the next decade or so. Does this mean that in 10 years time we can look for a Socceroo win in the world cup? We can only hope.