What is recreational soccer?

Answer 1

The term recreational soccer is applied to soccer that is played "for fun" by a variety of players who may or may not have the skill and ability to move "up" to competitive play. It is soccer at the "basic" level where all of the same things applied in competitive soccer (i.e., coaching, team practices, match scheduling, etc.) are all in place to provide a platform for anyone to play the game. Recreational soccer is played in all age ranges and across a number of venues. It may be used as a "training ground" for younger players who, when they are motivated and/or "discovered" by someone, will move to a competitive venue where a more "sophisticated" level of the game is played. That is not to say recreational soccer has any less "status" than competitive soccer, but that it provides an outlet for someone to play without lots of practices and the blocking out of more time to train and improve personal and team skills. Recreational soccer deserves our full support in all communities. There is no doubt that there are recreational players who might not have the skills and ability to play at the competitive level, but it could be argued that recreational soccer is played in the "best spirit" of the game of soccer. And this because there is nothing "at stake" in a recreational game; it is played purely for enjoyment. And in that light, recreational soccer reaches more players than competitive soccer does. It is recreational soccer that clings to the heart of the true soccer fan because it is played by "everyone" and does not "lock out" players with less skill or athletic ability like competitive soccer does.