Friday, June 3, 2016

"'It’s only working for the white kids': American soccer's diversity problem"

TG:
in Maryland, parents can pay up to $12,000 a year on soccer after adding the cost of travel to out-of-state tournaments.

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Most of these teams offer scholarships to kids with financial needs. The gift is kind and usually well-meaning, but they come with their own problems. Usually they go to the very best players in the poor neighborhoods, and they come with the implication that the scholarship kid is expected to help their new team win. They also displace children in the lineup whose parents are paying full price, and wonder why they are spending thousands a year to have their child sit on the bench.