- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,207,056
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
The World Cup has been in the United States for over a month now, and with games taking place on our own country’s soil, it has everyone tuning in. From the oldest of fans to the youngest.
“One of the biggest things that I loved was seeing the small countries that you don’t usually see,” said 9th grader Emerson Preall. “They become fan favorites, like Cape Verde. I loved watching Vozinha. Especially as a goalkeeper myself, I loved seeing him.”
“I really liked watching all the different teams, not just Team U.S.A.,” explained 8th grader Maizie Birke. “Like all the small countries. Cape Verde was also one of my favorites.”
Emerson and Maizie are both on the Girls U14 Division 1 Victor Soccer Club team in the Rochester District Youth Soccer League, and they agree that watching the World Cup over the past few weeks has motivated their soccer journeys.
“I’ve always been passionate about playing soccer,” said Emerson. “But just seeing them makes me feel so inspired to become a role model for my teammates and to work even harder.”
The tournament taking place here in the United States has shown young athletes all over the country that the World Cup can be more than just something they watch on television.
“They see that its atainable,” said Ashley DiDia, the Victor Soccer Club Vice President. “They see that if you put in that work and listen to your coaches, you could play on that stage someday. Obviosluy its a lofty goal, but that’s what youth soccer is all about. It’s about breeding that dream.”
If we as a country want that dream to continue to grow, however, the effort must go beyond the final whistle of the World Cup.
“I think it really comes down to club levels,” explained Ashley. “I think club boards and coaches really need to build off this momentum to remember that we can improve upon to be that pipeline to get these kids to where they want to go. Finding those individuals that have that passion, and bringing them into those soccer communities, that’s how we’ll continue to build youth soccer as we go forward.”
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.
Continue reading...
