Rowdies turning World Cup moment into youth soccer movement

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The World Cup gave us the moment. And now soccer enthusiasts are trying to sustain that interest.

The Tampa Bay Rowdies kept it going with a series of youth clinics. Capitalizing on the World Cup popularity, the Rowdies showed off their sport.

“The excitement was everywhere,” said Rowdies forward MD Myers. “You could feel it around our games, especially. So we’ve got to build off of that. We’ve got to keep soccer growing in this country, and I think this is a great way to do it.”

A couple of soccer balls. Some nets. And lots of running room. These kids went through a variety of drills aimed at showing them the basics of the sport. And also, getting them excited about soccer.

Eleven-year-old Major Jones had never played soccer before. But the sport caught his attention during the World Cup. And this Tampa Bay Rowdies clinic provided the opportunity to try it out.

“What I’ve done so far, it seems very fun,” Jones said. “It might be a sport I want to do in the future.”

Sometimes, that’s all it takes. An opportunity. A chance to try something new. To light a spork and see what it ignites in these young athletes.

“Get these kids going as young as they can,” Myers said. “Because there is a lot of competition with different sports in this country. And I think a lot of kids are going to love soccer once they get out here.”