American Soccer: History, Culture, Class

This narrative of U.S. soccer’s history and present-day status addresses the issues of socioeconomics. Emphasizing the differences between social classes in U.S. soccer past and present, as well as those between American soccer and international football, this work analyzes the role of class in American soccer’s failure to carve out a more prominent place in the sports landscape. Contemporary soccer is explored from its beginnings in informal Parks and Recreation leagues to the development of formal club programs, and university, professional, and U.S. national teams. In recent decades, Hispanic leagues formed primarily by Mexican and Central American immigrants have reinforced the theme of a class-based, exclusionary space in U.S. soccer. A personal perspective based on the authors’ experience coaching soccer at the informal level broadens the book’s appeal.

Gregory G. Reck is a professor of anthropology at Appalachian State University. His publications include numerous articles, and book chapters. He lives in Boone, North Carolina. Bruce Allen Dick is a professor of English at Appalachian State University. He publishes in African American, Latino, and film studies. He lives in Boone, North Carolina.