I remember one day, when I was a young man in the 1970s, having a P.E. unit on soccer. This was at a time when my buddies and I would hurry through our greasy, mystery-meat pizzas and tiny milk cartons each day at lunch so we could head to the playground and play "real" football. I fancied myself as Johnny Unitas.
So on this day my buddies and I stood around, as uncomfortable and awkward as if we had been asked to wear girls clothes, as the coach rolled a ball out for us to kick around. What was this? I mean, the thing actually rolled! Our biggest job was to remember not to use our hands -- a rule that seemed sort of girlie on its face.
We actually had a soccer team at Longview Elementary in Phoenix, Ariz. The coach, Mr. Wells, knew absolutely nothing about the sport, as he admitted to me recently when we met again. (He's an old man now, the principal can't touch him.) He told me his strategy was simple. Wherever the ball was, that's where he wanted his players to be. Longview's soccer team would form an 11-man mob, with the ball in the middle, mowing down anyone who dared to challenge them. The team won the district championship, and Mr. Wells said other coaches wanted to know his secret.
As you can tell by these pictures, my kids do not feel awkward in a soccer uniform. American kids today are rapidly gaining the skills to put them on a par with kids in the rest of the world. Both 7-year-old Christian and 14-year-old Anders play on teams, following in the footsteps of their older brother, Nils, who played for many years.
For Anders, especially, this is serious business. 
The games are bruising. Yesterday, the ref handed out several yellow cards, to both teams. Anders' team, Rebels, lost, 1-0, and it was as intense as any American football game. Here are some more pictures of the boys from yesterday.
The games are bruising. Yesterday, the ref handed out several yellow cards, to both teams. Anders' team, Rebels, lost, 1-0, and it was as intense as any American football game. Here are some more pictures of the boys from yesterday.
With all due respect to Mr. Wells (a fantastic music teacher, by the way), his ingenious strategy from 30 years ago wouldn't get past these guys. Not without a bunch of Longview kids getting really hurt.
