Soccer : da BEAUTIFUL game
I've been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. During this time, I've been kicked in the face, slammed into a goal post, and run over from stem to sternum. So at various points in my soccer career, the question has arisen: "Why? Why do I play soccer and subject myself to all this?"
Although there is the possibility that severe head trauma is responsible for my passion for soccer, I tend to think that I love it because the game, which can sometimes be brutal, and can also be beautiful.
I love soccer's lack of emphasis on authority and regimentation. It's one of the only sports I know where individuals do more than follow predetermined plays and listen to the sage advice of others. The speed of soccer requires that players, rather than coaches, be able to assess and address situations as quickly as they arise on field.
In soccer, being humongous, amazingly tall, or super fast is meaningless if one is not smart. As an athletic person who has been gifted with the short (heighted, sighted, and legged) genes, I find this inspiring.
I find soccer beautiful because it is "messy." Instead of just being about getting somewhere faster, it's about taking a longer road to get to a better place. Soccer players don't just want to "win at any cost"; they also want to look good, have fun and do it all in a way that has never been done before.
Soccer mixes up the utilitarian business of winning with artistry, entertainment and pleasure. Such a mixture isn't efficient. It can't be graphed or charted--it will never add up. In the end, the game of soccer isn't about statistics--it's about the beauty of people and their passions.
