I am aware that the US has little but suspicion and disregard for its younger adults, but I will call them adults regardless

I will say that Tommy Smyth has set the game back 20 years, simply by his presence on ESPN. The US has the dregs of the soccer broadcasting world for the most part (though the Fox Soccer Report ladies are easy on the eyes and suprisingly knowledgeable). Hopefully Andy Gray will improve things to just south of mediocre over the next month and stick around.

I did find a statistic that says 17 to 18 million people in the US have played it at least once recreationally in the last year, but that only half of those played it regularly. I then found a statistic that said 78% of the playing was under 13. So that is 22% over 13. You have to take at least a few more percent (say 10%) off that to get to even the 16 mark. So say 12% are between 16 and 65 and only 9 million play regularly. That means maybe a little over 1 million adults play regularly, and that's assuming the percentage who plays regularly is evenly distributed, which is unlikely considering the SAY Soccer is where most of the youth play and they would be the bigger set of regular players over all. So, out of 1 million regular players in a nation that loves football and basketball and baseball/softball you really think we are going to find that much talent. Most of the talented soccer players in high school are lured over to football with the best strikers and goalies becoming placekickers and punters, the best half backs and full backs becoming your defensive line, and the best of the rest of the offensive front line become your offensive tackles.

@Oct - it isn't suspicion and disregard. Legally, they are *not* adults. Our education and legal systems give them more time to mature. If you are a youth of 16 or 17, then I understand your insistence that a youth is an adult, but it doesn't mean you are right. I'm 44. When I was 16, I thought I knew it all and when I was 17 I thought what's the difference between 17 and 18, but by the time I was 25 (after 2 years of marriage), I realized I was still and idealistic and rash youth at 16 and 17 and glad I wasn't supposed to be responsible for myself back then. Trust me, a 16 year old is *not* an adult.

@Draugnar There must be ridiculously large/fat soccer players in your neck of the woods.

And on those statistics we will disagree. From immigrants alone you are almost certain to have a good million regular football players, surely?

Eh well hwo is the united states scouting system anyways?

Personally I don't consider someone an adult as long as they are living with their parent's support, which for many means after college. Until you work to earn your own money and pay your own way, you are still a kid because you haven't had to face the real adult world.

16-17 adult? Only the rare person that age has adult responsibilities.
18-21 adult? Only because they got sent to war and you can't send kids to war so *poof* legally they are adults. But most are not really.

No, they just beef up when they move over to football. Or they learn to catch (goalies are good for this if they are fast runners) and become receivers.

@Draungnar
And at the age of 60 I dare say you'll look back at you now in disbelief of all the foolish decisions you're making. Just because many 16 year olds do not have the experience to make the best choice should not make us not call them adults. I know (well... at least knew) quite a few people around the age of 16 who were far more adult in their actions than a lot of people in their 30s or 40s. Come to think of it, when someone should be considered a man would make an interesting forum topic....

@Oct - I agree that at each step along the way as we age, we look back and say "I was a total f'ing idiot!" The key is where we start making decisions in every day life about the important things that are well thought out and make rash decisions about the trivial. It 44, I don't do things like quit a job because my manager just pissed me off. I have responsibilities and know that it is easier to find a job when you already have one. I also don't burn bridges when I leave because you never know when you'll need a reference. The typical teen working at a fast food joint or at the mall is more likely to walk out and say "f'off" to their manager and even at 19 if they are on their own, they will wait until they have the new job, then say something that guarantees they will never be able to use that job as a reference. This is just one example. Teen and college drinking and driving as well as binge drinking are much higher, percentage wise, than in an older populace. This is not to say there aren't drunk drivers over a certain age.