Drive by an area recreation park field on weekday evenings or on Saturday mornings and you are likely to see kids kicking soccer balls.

The world's most popular sport has been steadily gaining popularity in America. In fact, according to Chris Ivan, president of the Jim Thorpe Youth Soccer Association, soccer has replaced baseball, football, and basketball as the most popular youth sport in this country."We alone have experienced a 30 percent increase in enrollment during the seven years I have been involved with the JTYSA. We field 220 kids from ages four through 15, making us one of the largest youth soccer programs in Carbon county."Ivan contends that media coverage of professional soccer and the recent women's World Cup team's championship has definitely caused an increase in the number of both girls and boys who want to play soccer."There's no doubt in my mind that TV and professional soccer are making the game more popular as a spectator sport, which then makes kids want to play," he says. "And when our kids are asked what uniform numbers they want, many will say the numbers of players from the World Cup team."Ivan recalls the days when soccer was stigmatized as a sport kids played if they weren't good enough to play football, basketball, or baseball."In the 1980's," he says, "a recreation soccer program attracted 1,000 kids in Pittsburgh where I grew up, but many would then move onto playing football, basketball, or baseball. It's not so much like that anymore today."Ivan brings up the point that soccer requires a unique skill set. Players have to run longer and faster than in other sports and can only use their feet and their heads to move the ball, making it difficult to master. Nonetheless, his Jim Thorpe program continues to attract kids. He says that they will soon be adding a 17U level too."Sixty kids tried out for the Jim Thorpe High School soccer team and many got cut so we want to provide an opportunity for them to continue to play the sport they love."The proof in the effect the World Cup team has had on youth soccer is evident when kids ask for Alex Morgan's number 13 or Carli Lloyd's number 10. Boys ask for these numbers too,Chris Allen, president of the Towamensing Soccer Club has seen his enrollment double in three years to where he now has 390 players in his program."I definitely feel that professional and World Cup soccer has influenced the popularity of youth soccer. I coach a 15U team with only two girls on it, When the boys kid them about boys being better than girls, the two girls will say, "We won the World Cup, didn't we?The TSC has a partnership with The Philadelphia Union, a professional soccer team that gives away free tickets, and allows the kids onto the field and into the locker room. Allen says that this affiliation has also helped his program numbers grow.Soccer is no longer just something to do to pass the time."You can see the love of the game on the kids' faces when they finish playing. Many go onto play travel soccer and I also get to watch some of our program kids play for Palmerton High School."Sherry Meckes, a board member, vice president, and coach for the Carbon United travel soccer program, also has noticed an increase this year in the turnout for the U9 to the U14 levels."We field about 150 kids in our program with more in the fall than in the spring," she says. TV coverage of soccer and our World Cup team have most definitely had a big influence. Kids come to us wanting Real Madrid's Christiano Rinoldo's number seven, and then we get a lot of requests for the numbers worn by Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly and Alex Morgan from the World Cup team."Ivan adds that due to the recent concern about football related concussions, parents have told him that they would rather have their kids play soccer, adding to the spike in enrollment.Meckes points out, however, that soccer is a very aggressive sport with a lot of physical contact that includes head butting between players who wear no padding with the exception of shin guards.Nevertheless, Ivan claims that both parents and their kids are discovering the advantages of playing soccer."Over time, kids realize that the game teaches life skills, Soccer players learn discipline and teamwork, camaraderie, and social skills."Other than having fun, these are added benefits from what more and more kids are getting in return for playing soccer.