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Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

the more i think about it the more i don't like the Euro model for sports. elementary school kids are too young to be groomed for professional athletics. high school kids shouldn't be more or less professionals. its sad enough how many kids are getting injured in the increasingly professionalized school athletics programs in US sports. i don't want to see American kids fall into pro futbol leagues. id rather US just not be as competitive.

jackie chan started training with the chinese opera when he was like 6. great violinists or pianists start training when they're about the same age-- earlier even. same with ballet dancers. gymnasts, fuggedaboutit.

6 is not a stupid age. your brain is ready to take on the whole world and learn, learn, learn. but too many 6 year old kids in america are stupefied by tv and potato chips. thank fuck for video games that at least teach eye-hand coordination.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...spoiled-rotten

anyway, this futbol learning doesn't have to be in an academy setting. a lot of poor and hungry 3rd world kids pick up these skills in the streets withouth ever seeing a trainer.

basketball or american football are easier to learn because they're played mainly with the hands. hands are used all day. it comes naturally to throw a rock, or a baseball, and to run.

but to control a fast large fast ball with the fucking feet is fucking unnatural. to run with a ball in front of your feet and dribble is also unnatural. it's not easy to learn. it can't really be explained-- it takes a lot of practice. but it's what many kids will do during school recess, and after school, and on weekends, all fucking day, in parks and streets and beaches and birthday parties. so kids who like to play get a ton of practice.

part of the problem in the US i think is that the street game gets taken over by moms and coaches. and the coaches are shitty-- instead of teaching them to stop the ball, and to control it, and to fool the opponents, they teach them to kick and run and kick and run. that makes for great runners!

moreover, instead of games being a place where you get away from school and teachers and parents (like street basketball is here), it's a fucking hellhole full of annoying helicopter parents. what freak kid wants to be supervised by adults all day? ufffffff! fuck that shit, ha ha ha.