US Soccer Research Articles

Yellow card: U.S. Women’s Soccer seeks pay equity

Synopsis The Women’s US Soccer team in 2016 entered into the summer Olympics with a dark cloud over their heads, the lack of pay equity in the sport of soccer. Despite being heralded as the best female team in the world, the team’s compensation does not reflect their winning record or average work performance. Complex contractual negotiations and compensation intricacies surround this situation and the legal proceedings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that include discrepancies between gender preferences for compensation, benefits packages and terms of the overall collective bargaining agreement in a monopsony. The financial impact of lost wages and the role of the fan base are also examined. Research methodology This case has been created through the eyes of past and current members of the US Women’s Soccer team using scholarly and periodical sources. Relevant courses and levels This case is designed for upper level, undergraduate human resource management, labor economics and employment law courses, specifically, principles of human resource management, gender equity courses, business law, labor economics, law & economics.

Should heading be forbidden in children’s football?

ABSTRACTBackground: Football (soccer) is the most popular sports in children and adolescents worldwide. While it has been embraced as a low-risk-for-injury sport, discussions about potential long-term effects have emerged. As part of a legal settlement, the US Soccer Federation has issued a ban for heading in children aged 10 years and younger in 2015.Purpose: What is the scientific evidence for this decision and should other countries adapt it?Main findings: When reviewing the literature, it becomes evident that data on acute/persistent effects of heading and head-related injuries is inconclusive and hampered by limitations. These include recall biases, flaws in statistical analyses and inappropriate assessments of heading-frequency and head-injuries – mainly performed retrospectively via questionnaires. Epidemiologic data indicates that the majority of head-injuries is due to contact with other players (35–75%) followed by surfaces/objects (13–32%) and ball-contact (20–30%).Conclusions: Overall, current evidence seems insufficient to support a ban of heading in children’s football. Until more solid data is available, heading should not be started before children confirm to be ready to do so. Then, heading should be introduced stepwise and controlled using structured heading training focusing on technical aspects. Whether this should be at age 11 years or earlier needs to be determined.

‘Stick to Soccer:’ fan reaction and inclusion rhetoric on social media

In the wake of the United States Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide, social media reflected a range of support and dissent. US Soccer posted a photo featuring an eagle and the phrase ‘One Nation, One Team’ in rainbow font on their official social media accounts. This paper explores the reaction to those posts by social media users. We examined comments made about the post and, using elements of grounded theory, found five themes emerge: (1) resistance to the intertwinement of politics and sport and pushback to that resistance; (2) patriotism/nationalism; (3) the symbolic importance of out gay players, coaches and fans; (4) general negative comments; and (5) general positive comments. We contextualize these themes in light of (1) the tension around the role of politics in sports, (2) US Soccer’s historical heterosexism and its manifestations and (3) the changing landscape of women’s sports in regards to homosexuality.

Over compensation: the battle for training compensation and solidarity in United States Soccer

Training compensation and solidarity are two mechanisms in FIFA’s rules that are meant to reward clubs for developing players. In a nutshell, both entitle clubs to compensation for developing young players who later leave the club. Without both rules, clubs would have less incentive to spend on youth development because their players could leave for nothing. Despite developing numerous players who would entitle them to training compensation, solidarity or both, no United States youth club has ever received (or made) these payments. Domestically, US Soccer has refused to enforce either rule and, according to some, has pressured youth clubs to decline any payments from foreign clubs. But recently, the youth clubs have begun to push back. This article examines these efforts and US Soccer’s continued refusal to enforce either training compensation or solidarity. In particular, the article refutes US Soccer’s contention that the famous Bosman ruling by the European Court of Justice and US anti-trust laws justify its position.

US Youth Soccer Concussion Policy: Heading in the Right Direction.

This Viewpoint provides an overview of US Soccer’s initiatives to improve concussion awareness and management. On November 9, 2015, the US Soccer Federation, US Youth Soccer Association, American Youth Soccer Organization, US Club Soccer, and California’s Youth Soccer Associations (collectively referred to hereafter as US Soccer) issued a joint statement1 announcing the soon-to-be-released comprehensive campaign for safety in youth soccer, a sport that has grown dramatically in the past 4 decades. The sweeping initiative comes on the heels of a 2014 lawsuit, eliminating heading soccer balls for youth players younger than 10 years and limiting the practice of heading for children ages 11 to 13 years... Language: en

Comparing the practices of US Soccer against a global model for integrated development of mass and high-performance sport

This study examines the current state of soccer in the USA against an ideal-type model for developing high-performance sport integrated with mass participation. A questionnaire was developed for the following elements of the model: talent identification and development; advanced athlete support; training centers; competitions; intellectual services; partnerships with supporting agencies; and balanced and integrated funding and structures of mass and elite sport. Survey questions were validated by 12 international experts including executives from sport governing bodies, soccer coaches, academicians, and administrators. To determine the areas for improvement, 125 coaches completed the questionnaire. Additionally, possible advancements were identified through semi-structured discussions with seven top soccer administrators. Results suggest possible enhancements at the macro-level (e.g. integrated partnership efforts particularly among sport governing bodies, governments, and lotteries), meso-level (e.g. comprehensive coach education and community training centers), and micro-level (e.g. uniform national conditions for long-term athlete development).

Promoting women’s soccer through social media: how the US federation used Twitter for the 2011 World Cup

This study examines the coverage given to the US women’s national soccer team by its governing body, the US Soccer Federation (USSF), immediately before, during and immediately after the 2011 World Cup. Content analysis of two of the USSF’s Twitter accounts showed that although the differences in both quantity and quality of coverage between men’s and women’s soccer are not as great as those detected in traditional media between men’s and women’s athletics, a gender gap remains. Similar to traditional media, the USSF framed the women’s team as less important than the men’s, even though this study was purposefully conducted at a time when female soccer was supposed to be prominent because of the international schedule.

What women’s soccer fans want: a Twitter study

In 1999, women’s soccer proved that it can attract an audience in the USA. It was not able to take advantage of the momentum created by the World Cup, though, and was quickly forgotten. But times have changed: since then, the development of the Internet has given new hopes for women’s athletics to break through in the sports industry. The goal of this study is to determine some characteristics of the women’s soccer Twitter audience. Characteristics was divided in four concepts: motivation, involvement, Twitter usage and demographics. Findings reveal that most people follow women’s soccer for hedonic motives. Social motives were not as significant as hedonics or the sense of self-identification when it comes to deciding whether to follow women’s soccer or the United States Women’s National Team, but they seemed to influence involvement in the sport, or at least US Soccer merchandise ownership, much more than any other factors.

Interview with Jon Lewis, Corvallis, Oregon, September 21, 2008

In this interview Jon Lewis reflects on his period as editor of Cinema journal and discusses changes in the historical-critical emphases at play in the field of film and media studies as it begins to engage more directly with the claims of television studies and the emerging field of new media studies. He further discusses the shifts he has observed in film and media studies as an area of academic publication, over the course of his academic career, noting the impact of the current context of more limited or competitive publication possibilities on younger academics hoping for a career in the profession. Finally, he discusses his own recent research and publications, and speculates on two further, ongoing areas of research: his work on HUAC, and even more specifically his work on the memoirs of HUAC survivors; and his involvement with research into the place of soccer in US sporting and cultural life.

Piggery and Predictability: An Exploration of the Hog in Football’s Limelight

Piggery and Predictability: An Exploration of the Hog in Football’s Limelight

Oncolytic Viruses: Now Interviewing for the All-Star Game

With the start of the 2010 soccer World Cup imminent, things are a little tense at home. My son, born and bred in the United States, wears his “USA” jersey every day. In retaliation, I wear a replica of the jersey worn by the English team that gloriously won the World Cup in 1966. Our problem is that the United States will play England in June—and one of us is going to be sulking for some time to follow.

Sources of stress and coping strategies of US soccer officials

AbstractStress from officiating has been found to have a profound impact on official's mental health, attentional focus, performance, satisfaction with their profession and dropout intentions. Although some studies have been conducted regarding the frequency and intensity of the major sources of stress experienced by sport officials, no research has attempted to determine how sport officials cope or attempt to cope with these stressors. Through a national soccer official organization, questionnaire packets were administered to over 200 officials. Questionnaire packets included sources of stress and ways of coping questionnaires. The top sources of stress experienced by the officials included ‘conflict between officiating and family demands,’ ‘making a controversial call’ and ‘conflict between officiating and work demands.’ The top acute coping strategies utilized by the officials included ‘thought hard about steps to manage’ and ‘asked fellow officials what they did’ (problem‐focused strategies). Other results indicated the importance of officials' learning and implementing numerous stress management interventions, including time management, restructuring unproductive thoughts, physiological relaxation techniques, communication training and mental skill training techniques such as imagery, relaxation breathing and self talk. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

National Sports and Other Myths: The Failure of US Soccer

Despite its undisputed popularity as the world’s number one sport and despite recent successes, soccer in the US remains in the minor leagues. Notwithstanding the growth of the US soccer market since the 1994 World Cup, the US Major League Soccer (MLS) teams continue to struggle despite their anticipated market potential. The economics of professional sports has much to do with this failure. Without a large fan base, the MLS cannot secure the broadcasting fees necessary to escape its conservative economic model. How will a large and loyal fan base for US soccer emerge? The recent emergence of 14‐year‐old Freddy Adu as the youngest professional player in soccer history, however, may prove to be helpful in helping to create a star system within the US soccer world. One cannot overlook, however, the powerful draw of nationalism that sport evokes. The popularity of baseball, basketball or football in the US has much to do with how these sports have come to be identified with being American. This essay reviews the recent history of soccer in the US and analyzes several cultural and economic factors in order to argue that for the next foreseeable future, soccer in the US remains problematic.

Can European football spur interest in American soccer? A look at the champions world™ series and major league soccer

This essay seeks to study media and fan reaction to the Champions World™ series, a sequence of exhibition soccer games featuring the world’s leading club sides organized by Champions World™, a New Jersey based company specializing in sports marketing, to judge its overall efficacy in promoting soccer in the United States. It argues that while the Champions World™ series does not really represent an obstacle in the way of soccer in the US, it has in no way been helpful in increasing the profile of Major League Soccer, which is essential in establishing soccer as a major sport in the US sporting pantheon. It suggests that in order to be successful in the United States, soccer must have a professional league. Finally, it contends that though the Champions World™ series might never have any perceptible impact on the future of US soccer, it is, given its financial lure, likely to become a staple of the summer sports season in the United States.

Athletic and Pain Coping Skills of Olympic Developmental Soccer Athletes

1512 The ability to cope in critical sport situations has received much attention from the research community. Although US soccer has become one of the fastest growing sports among adolescents, limited research efforts have been directed toward quantifying coping indices of performance in US youth soccer. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine athletic and pain coping skills of Olympic Developmental Program (ODP) soccer athletes. METHODS: Following written informed consent, 70 adolescent males (mean age 14.3 ± 0.7 yr) were administered the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory [ACSI; Smith et al., 1995; coping with adversity (COPE), peaking under pressure (PEAK), goal setting/mental preparation (GOAL), concentration (CONC), freedom from worry (FREE), confidence and achievement motivation (CONF), coachability (COAC), personal coping resources (PCR)] and the Sports Inventory for Pain [SIP; Meyers et al., 1992; direct coping (COP), cognitive (COG), catastrophizing (CAT), avoidance (AVD), body awareness (BOD), total coping response (TCR)]. Data were analyzed by competitive level [under 14 yr (U-14), under 15 yr (U-15)], and skill position (defense, forward, goalkeeper, midfielder). RESULTS: MANOVAs indicated a significant main effect across competitive level (Wilks' Lambda F12,57 = 2.27; p = 0.20; n-β = 0.915) but no significant effect by skill position (Wilks' Lambda F36,163 = 0.889; p = 0.651; n-β = 0.817). Subsequent ANOVA indicated that U-15 athletes scored significantly higher in CONC (9.6 ± 0.3 vs. 8.4 ± 0.3; p = 0.01) and BOD (16.1 ± 0.4 vs. 14.7 ± 0.4; p = 0.03), but significantly lower in AVD (11.8 ± 0.5 vs. 13.6 ± 0.5; p = 0.01) than U-14 competitors. Although nonsignificant, differences between skill positions collectively revealed more positive ACSI and SIP responses among goalkeepers than other positions as observed in the PEAK, GOAL, CONC, and CONF scores. Midfielders tended to respond higher in COPE, FREE, COAC, and lower in AVD and BOD than other positions. CONCLUSION: Significant athletic and pain coping differences exist between competitive level, but not between skill position at the U-14 and U-15 ODP level of play. These athletes, however, exhibit similar profiles observed in other adolescent sport populations.