Intramural soccer interest growing at USD
On the final court in the University of South Dakota Wellness Center, nightly games of pick-up soccer host 10-20 people looking to play a sport that is not typically a popular American pastime.
With a mix of inexperienced students to former players, the games look similar to any pick-up sport hosted at the Wellness Center. Like other pick-up games there’s a sense of chaos, a few dominant players along with a mixture of competition on the court.
“For some people at USD, soccer is a great way to take a break from studying and participate in a physical activity,” said sophomore Alexander Savage. “I’ve found soccer to be a great way to meet new people.”
Savage has been playing soccer for 15 years. He said he participates once or twice a week in the pick-up games at the Wellness Center.
“I feel soccer is pretty laid back here at USD,” he said. “I do expect soccer to be a growing sport here.”
At the intramural level, the Wellness Center has seen rapid growth in just two years. In 2012, intramural soccer had 160 competitors. This year, 210 have already competed, and the season is not over.
Shawn Clark is the assistant director for activities at the Wellness Center. He said the growth in intramural interest is surprising considering most soccer in South Dakota is at the club level, not sanctioned in high school.
“Even though it is not a sport that’s popular for high school kids in the state of South Dakota, it can still be relevant here at USD,” Clark said.
He said the Wellness Center reinvented its soccer to 7-on-7 from the standard 11-on-11 and now the growth in teams has jumped from 10 to 22 since 2012. He said the growth comes from effective advertising and making it easier to field teams.
While the sport may be picking up at USD, it has also gained national attention after this summer’s World Cup.
During this summer’s World Cup, the United States’ 2-2 draw with Portugal scored a record 24.7 million views on ESPN and Univision across the country. And FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, said Americans bought more than 200,000 tickets to the summer’s World Cup – the second-most by any country, behind only host nation Brazil.
To keep the numbers coming, soccer is growing among younger people around the country, especially the college-aged demographics. Pew Research Centers reports 40 percent of Americans aged 20-29 were excited for the World Cup before it began, compared to 13 percent of those aged 50 and older.
Sophomore Dillon Jemmott has been a soccer fan since elementary school. Growing up overseas on a naval base in Japan, Jemmott isn’t just about playing pick-up and intramural soccer. He follows professional soccer and sits with viewing parties in the Muenster University Center often.
“Typically I find myself playing with many international students and watching games with them as well,” Jemmott said. “I really didn’t expect to find as many people enjoying soccer here at USD.”
Clark said soccer’s national fan base is helping soccer’s growth at USD.
“I definitely think the World Cup and soccer in general across America are becoming more popular,” he said. “I think the participants who play (intramurals) have a strong knowledge of U.S. soccer at the professional level.”
(Photo: Sophomore Ahmad Al Zuabi plays soccer at the University of South Dakota Wellness Center Sept. 25. Anna Glenski / The Volante)
