ORANGE, MA -- While on the sidelines of his daughters Pee-Wee soccer match last Saturday, Errol Knutsen stood in silence for nearly twenty minutes before he just up and yelled, "Jesus Christ! Out of bounds again!," and ran behind the bleachers to have a smoke.
The story seems hard for him to tell. A nearly imperceptible tremor flits over hid hand as he lifts a cigarette to his lips. He lowers his gaze in a bit of guilt. "I know it was bad form, but good god, they are terrible."
Charmaine, Knutsen's daughter is a pretty typical 7-year old. She says she likes Disney movies, games on the iPad, and My Little Pony. She and her 13-year old brother, Alejandro, watch My Little Pony every day. "How about soccer," I queried?
"It's alright, I guess." From the mouths of babes...
Soccer is, in fact, just alright. In 2008, PEW Research conducted a study of American attitudes toward the international game, and concluded that a mere 3 percent of Americans consider themselves "fans" of soccer. More strikingly, 94 percent of men 18-49 that self-identified as "sports guys" said that they've never actually seen a game, and if there's a soccer match on television, "They'd probably flip channels until the soccer came back around, then shut off the TV and go outside."
Errol himself is one of those "sports" guys. "I follow football - college and pro - pro baseball, college hoops. I'll watch the X-Games. Definitely Wimbledon. I golf on the weekends. I play fantasy baseball and football. I just cannot bring myself to give a fuck about soccer."
That apathy boiled over last weekend into something ugly. Something Errol himself finds hard to face. "I know I should have stood there repressing my frustration and rage. Worn the happy Dad face," he admits, "But between the incessant whistleblowing caused by the penalties and the out of bounds kicks added to the constant shrill squeals of glee and pain emanating from the field, it's hard to keep it together."
When confronted with his daughter's less than enthusiastic reaction to soccer, Errol "I know she's not into it. It's her mother. softened when he said, She thinks Charmaine has to play a sport to be well rounded. She also didn't take kindly when I observed that she never played a sport, so therefore, must not be well-rounded."
The story seems hard for him to tell. A nearly imperceptible tremor flits over hid hand as he lifts a cigarette to his lips. He lowers his gaze in a bit of guilt. "I know it was bad form, but good god, they are terrible."
Charmaine, Knutsen's daughter is a pretty typical 7-year old. She says she likes Disney movies, games on the iPad, and My Little Pony. She and her 13-year old brother, Alejandro, watch My Little Pony every day. "How about soccer," I queried?
"It's alright, I guess." From the mouths of babes...
Soccer is, in fact, just alright. In 2008, PEW Research conducted a study of American attitudes toward the international game, and concluded that a mere 3 percent of Americans consider themselves "fans" of soccer. More strikingly, 94 percent of men 18-49 that self-identified as "sports guys" said that they've never actually seen a game, and if there's a soccer match on television, "They'd probably flip channels until the soccer came back around, then shut off the TV and go outside."
Errol himself is one of those "sports" guys. "I follow football - college and pro - pro baseball, college hoops. I'll watch the X-Games. Definitely Wimbledon. I golf on the weekends. I play fantasy baseball and football. I just cannot bring myself to give a fuck about soccer."
That apathy boiled over last weekend into something ugly. Something Errol himself finds hard to face. "I know I should have stood there repressing my frustration and rage. Worn the happy Dad face," he admits, "But between the incessant whistleblowing caused by the penalties and the out of bounds kicks added to the constant shrill squeals of glee and pain emanating from the field, it's hard to keep it together."
When confronted with his daughter's less than enthusiastic reaction to soccer, Errol "I know she's not into it. It's her mother. softened when he said, She thinks Charmaine has to play a sport to be well rounded. She also didn't take kindly when I observed that she never played a sport, so therefore, must not be well-rounded."