With the 2010 FIFA World Cup starting last week, the global version of the Super Bowl is sure to spark the interest of fans and players from countries everywhere; but what will that translate to in a U.S. market which caters more to baseball, American football and basketball?
According to Don Wetmore, vice president of sales and marketing at Kwik Goal, “It helps our business that the U.S. team is not only participating in the World Cup, but has a strong chance of doing well.”
More or less, soccer in the U.S. has always been thought of more as a children’s game. However, recent trends have discovered evidence to the contrary. In a recent release, the SGMA revealed that 28% of nearly 13.7 million outdoor soccer players in the U.S. are over the age of 24. The release indicates 47% of all outdoor soccer players are in the 8th grade or lower, while 60% of all outdoor soccer players are under the age of 18. The total participation number ranks soccer as the third most popular sport in a country where the game is often regarded as an afterthought. In addition, the U.S. has 4.9 million indoor soccer players, a sport which continues to gain support throughout inner city levels of play.
What’s significant about soccer is the high percentage of players who are what the SGMA would consider ‘core’ participants, i.e. those playing the game 26 days or more a year. In the U.S., 46% (6.3 million) of all outdoor soccer players and 33% (1.6 million) of all indoor soccer players participate on a ‘core’ basis.
According to SGMA, wholesale sales of soccer balls, uniforms, cleats, goals, and accessories were $710 million in 2009.
