Poking around the Detroit Historical Society’s online archive for soccer material, I found intriguing footage of racially diverse young boys and girls playing a game in North Roseland Park. It’s from September 1985.
This Greens vs. Blues match between what appear to be 8-9 year olds is quintessential recreational soccer. They move in packs. The most daring among them dribble for dribbling sake. Technique is mostly an abstract concept. Goalkeeping resembles outfield play in Little League baseball. The ball ends up in the back of the net a few times, though the youngsters don’t seem to care about that as much as their parents do. The referee dad loves blowing his whistle. And just like today, coaches and parents shout “advice” and encouragement from the sidelines. It’s great to see gender integrated teams at play, though I did wonder why most players shunned shorts.