Lakewood Ranch soccer community says sport's popularity on the rise

Nick Leduc and his brother, Nathan Leduc, knew instantly that things could go one of two ways. 

On Nov. 21, they found themselves in Ye Old Mail Coach, a tiny pub that has been serving beer in Conwy, Wales, since 1520. They were there out of tradition.

Every four years — the time between FIFA World Cups — the Leduc brothers travel to a country the U.S. Men's National Team is playing in the World Cup, to watch the team from another country's perspective.

They've done this since 2010 and experienced a lot of fan shenanigans in those years. When the Leducs walked into the pub just before the Group Stage match's kickoff and saw a sea of dark red, the Welsh team's primary color, they knew their presence and their American cheers would either be fondly embraced or rejected, perhaps sternly. 

On that night, it was the former. 

"It was honestly one of the four or five best nights of my life," said Nick Leduc, the Braden River Soccer Club academy director/coach and a teacher at Barbara A. Harvey Elementary in Parrish.

File photo

It likely helped that the brothers bought those in the pub a round of drinks, but they and the Welsh soccer fans did not bond solely over drink, but also over a passion for the game. Leduc said the game, which ended 1-1, gave him a chance to celebrate the United States' improvement on an international stage while also taking in the spirit of a country where soccer is the only sport that matters.

Leduc said the pub patrons did not just sing their own national anthem, they screamed it, and they did not just high-five when Wales scored to tie the game, they reacted like their world had just been saved from destruction.

Of course, there was some friendly trash talk between the patrons and the brothers, but there was always a warmth in the room. There were real, human connections made in that pub that will likely never extend past that night, but were important nonetheless. 

Leduc was particularly struck by something a man named Martin — no last name given — told him while walking down the street and chatting after the contest. 

"I actually wrote it down, because I knew I would forget it later," Leduc said. "Martin said, 'If this isn't what it's all about, then it's all about nothing.'"

This brand of friendly but ultra-passionate soccer fandom is not limited to Wales. According to a 2018 Nielsen survey, 43% of people 16 or older worldwide consider themselves soccer fans. But in the United States, the sport still finds itself lagging. A Morning Consult report released April 12 found that just 32% of Americans consider themselves soccer fans, and 25% of those people said they were "casual fans," not "avid fans." Those numbers rank soccer seventh in popularity among U.S. sports, behind football (the leader at 67%), baseball (55%), college football (52%), basketball (46%), college basketball (43%) and hockey (38%). 

Despite trailing behind other sports, soccer's popularity in the U.S. has been on a steady climb for decades, coinciding with the National Team's improved performances at events like the World Cup. Soccer's fans tend to be younger, which has earned it the nickname of "the sport of the future." This is true of the country in general, but also in the Lakewood Ranch area, where youth clubs like Braden River Soccer Club and the Lakewood Ranch Chargers have experienced growth in recent years. 

Chargers U10 boys soccer Coach Eldin Hadziabdic said the club had nearly doubled the amount of players at its competitive-level tryout this season compared to last season. Hadziabdic said it is difficult to pinpoint one reason for the sport's growth in the area, but having a place to play like Premier Sports Campus helps. The facility hosts Chargers practices and games but also larger events that attract teams from across the state and beyond. People moving to the Sarasota-Bradenton area see the quality and size of the facilities and can't help but be impressed, Hadziabdic said. But the success of the National Teams, men's and women's, also has an impact. 

Photo by Ryan Kohn

Hadziabdic said his current crop of players have been talking about the World Cup nonstop at practice, and they emulate not only American players, but players from other countries. 

"Having (games played between countries) makes soccer more interesting," said David Simonov, a 9-year-old on the Chargers. "I like to watch how they play (differently). And it's fun. Sometimes you get sad and sometimes you get excited."

Chargers teammates Fahd Khair and Jack Goehring, both 9, said they have noticed a few people — non-soccer fans — talking about the World Cup in school. Not as numerous as the people who talk about football or basketball results, but a few. Goehring said he hopes those people decide to give soccer a try once the World Cup is over. 

"I think if people try it, and try their best, they will realize how fun it is," Goehring said. 

Players from Braden River Soccer Club agreed. Daniel Gallaway, 10, said soccer is a great sport for kids to play because you're always doing something while on the field. That constant action is engaging and could attract kids who aren't having as much fun in other sports — if they're willing to give it a shot. Sky Commissar, 11, said she thinks the World Cup's ability to bring people together with a rooting interest is one reason some non-soccer fans have checked out the sport this year. When a team is representing your country, you feel more connected, she said. Commissar said she hopes those people still follow and like the sport once the World Cup is over. 

As many steps as the U.S. has taken internationally, there is still a ways to go, as shown by the team's 3-1 elimination loss to The Netherlands on Dec. 3. Hadziabdic said in order to develop players on the level of other countries, the U.S. needs to create more competition at the youth level. His U10 team is an example of what Hadziabdic thinks is possible. Despite being U10, the team plays in a U11 division, giving them tougher tests. The Chargers have passed those tests and as of Dec. 1, the team had only lost one of its seven games. 

"Make it fun for them," Hadziabdic said. "You don't want them to feel too much pressure. But we have to get more competitive." 

Whenever top-tier success arrives, the passion has to come with it. In the U.S., hardcore fans of teams often throw parties in the streets when their team wins a league championship. Nick Leduc does not think that would happen if the U.S. were to win a World Cup — but he believes, and hopes, that type of unrestrained passion may come to the country someday. 

Once people see what it's all about, Leduc said, it will be hard to let go. 

"Our brand of soccer is getting better and better," Leduc said. "I don't think people realize it yet, but soccer is an addiction. It's a sickness. It's a game you can play or be a part of for your whole life. I would not be the person or the teacher or the friend I am today without this game."