This is a great book that examines the life of soccer dad in suburban DC Area and the history of soccer in the United States. Since I am young professional who is nowhere near that part in my life I found the stories about youth sports quite boring. However, If you are in that part of your life of soccer practice, soccer games, carpooling, politics of sports, the money invested in the game then I would highly recommend that you read this book. I read this book primarily for the understanding of the Spread of the soccer game in the United states. Jim Haner does an excellent job of analyzing where the sport came from, immigrants of England and native Americans and Chinese. The latter of the two depends upon what you what you read.

The part that I found most fascinating was the story about Title IX. Since Title IV was established the woman's game is one best in the world. Remember 1999 with the Mia Hamm Team and the US women's team won the world cup in LA on PK's? Player took of her shirt and showed a sports bra? Which every man players does and every woman's player would have done the same thing!?

Haner talks a good deal about the impact that this had on youth players and sport. Hamm's number 9 is extremely popular. The interesting part of about title IX is that there a clause that demands the equal number of boys and girls sports. For example since there is no female equivalent of Mens football, Woman's Soccer grew exponentially because its cheap, most of the facilities are already in place and it is quite to easy to find the players. Here is the Hamm effect gain..

As a math major I just love numbers. Look at this

US Youth Soccer Annual Registration of Players

1974 - 103,432

1980 - 810,793

1985 - 1,210,408

1990 - 1,615,041

1995 - 2,388,719

2000 - 3,020,442

2005 - 3,050,465

2007 - 3,123,698

2008 - 3,148,114

2009 - 3,094,868

2010 - 3,036,438

2011 - 3,025,551

2012 - 3,020,633

Gender Breakdown (boys/girls)

1995 - 55/45

2000 - 55/45

2008 - 52/48

However, George Will the Great Baseball Author and Washington Post columnist disagrees because colleges and universities have cut other non revenue mens sports like Mens track and gymnastics.Now I will not get in the TitleIX debate in this review but its hard to ignore soccers impact with it.

Most of the superstars now and in the not to distant future are not from United States. Some of the it economics, some it if the just the popularity with the sport. Average median Age of people who watched 2013 all star game In New York was 55. Average age of people who watched the gold cup final? 40. That is quite the difference.

has an age problem similar to the population of Japan.

But Soccer doesn't have that age problem.