Soccer - Hisory of a Popular Sport

Soccer began in England in the early 1830's as a popular sport for the working-class community. It was seen as a way ofkeeping the children out of trouble around the house and while they were in school. They could relieve frustration andlearn to work as a team, important concepts to help them

grow and adjust to life as adults.

In 1857, the first clubs were formed in Sheffield. Within 

10 years, the clubs had enough of a following to form their 

own association, the Football Association, around 1867.

After the first matches between associations such as the 

Sheffield Football Association and the London Football 

Association, the clubs decided that official rules were 

needed that could be followed by clubs.

The groups got together and began trying to establish rules 

that everyone would approve, but there were many issues that 

could not be resolved. Although they eventually came up with 

rules, part of the group branched off and created the Rugby 

The Football Union.

Although in America, the sport is called soccer, throughout 

much of the rest of the world it is known as football, and 

what Americans know as football is called American 

football.

Soccer first entered the United States through the upper 

class; it was played by schoolboys and college men, but 

there was not a formal soccer club until 1862 when the 

Boston Oneida soccer club was formed.

Generally, this is considered the first club to carry a 

regular roster, because until this time pick-up games were the norm. The club was an elite subsection of the population that would play against pick-up teams. Throughout the four-year history of the Oneida Soccer Club, they never lost

a game.

Beginning in the 1920's, soccer really began to gain a 

place in America. The American Soccer League was founded in 

1921, guaranteeing that the game was here to stay; it was 

almost as popular as the National Football League for a 

time.

Eventually, the game and the clubs began to be available 

to children and adults from the lower socio-economic 

classes with the formation of a new league termed the ASL. 

Since this formation, soccer has become an increasingly 

popular sport throughout the United States.

Today many people around the world stop everything during 

the World Cup Finals to watch the game and cheer for their team

. If you want to know more about soccer, search the 

Internet or visit with someone from your local league.

Darcy Yarnell describes herself as a Soccer Mom. Dedicated to the sport, Darcy contributes to YN Soccer [http://ynsoccer.com], offering free information and connecting you to resources related to soccer. Darcy's interest in soccer extends to other sports. Visit YX Sports [http://yxsports.com/] and Row Z Baseball [http://rowzbaseball.com] for additional articles.