Pay-to-Play: Impacting the potential of United States and New York City Soccer

Years ago I was with two friends kicking around on the Pier 5 soccer pitch at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Half an hour in, as we got in a groove, a referee walked up to us. “Do you have a permit?” he asks. We told him we didn’t. It was a public park after all. My friends and I quickly realized however there was no hope, as a sea of 30-somethings took the field with a pompous nature. What was taking place is a common occurrence in the New York City metro area: corporate-oriented recreational leagues, a positive entity on the outlook of American Soccer, but an incessant occupation of space to those around it. 

This event has happened more than our fair share of times before, it felt like rinse and repeat at that point. Did these guys do anything wrong personally? Not at all, they just wanted to get out during their time off. They paid for the permit and we didn’t, end of story. However, this sparks a point: There is a lack of channels for local youth to develop their skills regardless of socioeconomic background which is hastened by a pay-to-play style ownership of the fields.

With so many leagues that require payment taking up space on public space, how does the general public get their fair share? Where can kids who just want to improve go? And while location-specific in this case, how does it affect the game in terms of the broader country?

Lounging in the nearby park afterwards, we explored the concept of these leagues through this lens. Each of us, having grown up around the game, knew the importance firsthand of having the space to practice and develop. The metro area, and the United States, is a farm for talent in other sports. Other than popularity, what do these sports have that soccer doesn’t, in terms of individual growth? The National Team, a litmus test of our collective ability on the world stage, has obviously come leaps and bounds from 3 decades ago, the last time we hosted a World Cup. However, a year out from another World Cup in our backyard, what has hindered American soccer potential on the global front? 

That answer is a lack of parity and abundance. The counterparts aren’t perfect. After all, in most sports there are well documented issues in regard to economic barriers in modern times. However, a lot of these games are developed, and in many locations, there is for the most part, freedom to practice at least, with space in abundance. Soccer, lacking in this regard and facing similar financial obstacles, confronts a larger issue than its counterparts. 

When you strip that abundance from kids, it’s bound to create an impact. Consider the sport to be its own ecosystem, and when you enforce who can and can’t play at any given time, you strip said ecosystem of its diversity in favor of a more sterile and controlled space. It’s like turning a field of wild grass into a lawn. In this case, you’re prohibiting the unregulated flow of human interaction within recreational spaces. At the end of the day, it creates an artificial scenario designed for only a few key players to thrive. This factor hurts the game’s development, and when added to economic paywalls, it decimates potential ability. 

Soccer in New York City–and the country–has become the metaphorical lawn due to the bottom dollar fixated, pay-to-play system that our youth develop their talents in. In America, parents cough up thousands of dollars per-year, in some instances¹, for their children to gain exposure on regional and national circuits. Club team fees, additional college showcases, and travel costs all accrue significant charges. This causes significant detriment to those who don’t have necessary means. Scholarships benefit an exceptional few, but come few and far between. Colleges meanwhile, who are supposed to suffice for a lack of pro teams by taking on homegrown talent, recruit foreign nationals in high volume, putting short-term success and monetary gain first. This has further put strain on the game’s progression, as it leaves another hole in the developmental process. Consequently, for many who wish to impact US Soccer’s trajectory by giving greater exposure to their talents, evoking words of the late George Carlin, “It’s a big club and you’re not in it”.

Without sufficient abundance and greater economic equality, the sport may never truly flourish in the United States. This issue connects to our experience years ago, as it acknowledges the key issue: those who simply want to improve in their free time are forced to look for slim openings on fields yet to be occupied by permit-holding adult leagues. The existence of these leagues is far from the end-all-be-all problem, however, they are, definitionally, symptoms of the larger issue. From college spots being occupied due to margin incentives, to youth soccer’s practical wealth quota, down to payment-based recreational leagues occupying public spaces–It all plays a role in the hindrance of our potential national ability. 

In order to document the point at issue of public space, our photographer Beaufort and I headed to Pier 5 last week, to capture the form of pay-to-play in practice. Our experience, along with what others shared with us, confirmed our sentiment. Interviewing 4 people, they all held similar experiences in regard to being kicked off to make way for permitted rec-leagues. More importantly, they already understood this was only part of a larger matter. 

Anthony, a product of a prominent academy in the area, put it best when asked about the USSF, American soccer’s governing body’s effect on our national potential. Bluntly stating, “It’s all about money… Without pay to play we’d be great, we’re ass right now”, referring to the current ability of the USMNT. Comments like these underline the issue at hand, exemplifying the frustrations of those who have paid-to-play toward US Soccer. They see past their own exceptional talents and know there are so many others who go unnoticed. They understand the need for a larger national talent pool in a nation as populous as the United States. 

So, while Beaufort and I sat on a bench photographing the corporate-oriented rec-leagues, which would surely take up the field for the rest of that day, we saw a kid taking free kicks on an open goal. As he struck a few objectively excellent knuckleballs, a rotund member of the engrossing collective trotted on the field and screamed, “Get on out!”. 

It’s a miniscule detail, but it encapsulated the entitlement some of these individuals hold. Regardless of whether the child had been there 10 minutes or 3 hours prior, this gentleman was so condescending in his tone. It’s something that kills a tiny amount of love for the game in anyone. Ultimately, this guy brought the point home.

The New York soccer community is–and always has been–one of the finest. Locals will understand passion ahead of your ability, and boundless potential has and will come out of these congregations despite the matters at hand. Playing pickup games among those with higher ability, naturally improves one’s own, and footballers are resilient, they’ll keep getting better even if shooed off to a pocket or corner. The prevalent existence of pay-to-play however, attempts to destroy this progression. With nowhere to play, it’s no wonder American soccer has floundered on the Global registry.

1. Speaking to two friends who played in New York and Atlanta-Metro respectively, they both documented high costs. In ATL, charges were upwards of 800 per season excluding showcases which varied. In New York, prices ranged around the 2000 mark. ↩︎