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Soccer is arguably the physical activity that teaches the participants the most physical literacy.  This includes agility, balance, and coordination.  Also to be considered are that participants are actively engaged in running, making quick decisions and anticipation. (Grove, 2014)  Soccer is also a sport that, when compared to football, hockey or baseball, does not require potentially expensive equipment.
Essentially, anyone can play soccer.  No matter how tall or short an individual may be, some of the world's best soccer players come in a wide range of height and build.

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Inner-city: The usually older, central part of a city, especially when characterized by crowded neighborhoods in which low-income groups predominate.

Urban: Of, relating to, or located in a city.

Youth:  the quality or condition of being young, immature, or inexperienced.

Physical activity: Any body movement produced by muscles that results in energy expenditure.

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To establish a general foundation of knowledge pertaining to the development of soccer in United States, further research with regard to the history of the sport must be explored. This includes a brief chronicle of events highlighting some of the principle occurrences in the history of the sport in the United States.

Potential research into the parallels of professional soccer leagues and specific historical events in United States must also be explored.

Qualitative and quantitative research at a yet to be determined inner-city could also be completed.  This would include the development of a study to evaluate the specific effects of providing access to soccer for inner-city youth in at least one urban setting.

Also for consideration is how media perception of the sport has changed since the middle of the 19th Century when the first soccer game was played in the United States.

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Presently, there is a dearth in the research pertaining specifically to the effects of soccer on inner-city youth.  The articles that do exist found that the effects of providing soccer access to urban youth were overwhelmingly positive on improving cardiovascular fitness and weight (Madsen, Thompson, Adkins, & Crawford, 2013) as well as character development (Cryan & Martinek, 2017).

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The focus of the study is to examine and evaluate community partnerships as a vehicle to increase access and opportunities available for urban youth to play soccer.

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Meet Jeremy, a success story from America SCORES

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"There is no right or wrong in poetry, as in soccer." So says the most articulate and credible spokesperson America SCORES could wish for: sixth-grader Jeremy, from New York. He is one of the more than 10,000 students across the United States who benefit from the imaginative educational programme from this Football For Hope-supported institution.

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A quick look at the America SCORES NY 2016 Summer Jamboree at Central Park in New York City.

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Inner City Baseball and Education Program and Effects on Youth

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Inner City Baseball and Education Program and Effects on Youth

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Marion Military Institute Baseball Fall Practice

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Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center

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Dundon Berchtold Institute for Moral Formation & Applied Ethics

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Educational Sports Institute works with inner city youth pushing education and baseball

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Educational Sports Institute a non-profit works with inner city youth teaching and pushing education, health, baseball, softball, discipline, goal setting. ESI has many partnerships with major organizations help by becoming a part of the solution

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Effects of tennis program on inner city youth

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Effects of tennis program on inner city youth

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Congress Former Basketball Star Inspires Inner City Students

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Congress Inner City Youth Football Program

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Tennis program changes lives of inner-city youth

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Unused tennis courts in the middle of public housing projects in Brooklyn are now active thanks to one man's dream to teach the sport to kids in the neighborhood. Vinita Nair reports.

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Soccer Shots is a leader in youth soccer development for children ages 2-8. Our nationally recognized program offers a high energy, fun, age-appropriate introduction to the wonderful game of soccer. Our innovative curriculum emphasizes both soccer skills and character development. Our goal is simple: to leave a lasting, positive impact on every child we serve.

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This study would be significant for urban youth to assist them to discover access to engage in soccer.  This opportunity would expose the youth to specific character development such as developing a hard work ethic, being selfless, teamwork, setting goals, discipline and both getting and staying in shape (Cryan & Martinek, 2017).

The study's anticipated findings are positively comparable to studies already completed for other physical activities such as tennis, swimming (Power, Sheehan, McCarthy, & Carnevale, 2010), dance (Kirschman, Roberts, Shadlow, & Pelley, 2010)  and baseball.  Research has shown that when inner-city communities work together in order to provide access for youth to engage in  physical activities, the effects have been conclusively beneficial to those involved.  It is believed that foreseen findings for providing soccer access for youth in the inner-city would be similar.

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Soccer has never been a popular sport for inner-city youth.  The reasons for this potentially stem from historical, social, economic, political and cultural truths that have colluded to limit access and opportunities for inner-city youth to play the sport.

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James R. Shoopack
Drexel University, Ed. D. student
e-mail: jrs538@drexel.edu
Shoopack, wife Shannah, as well as Snitches & Sadie.

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Inner-city youth, in particular those in low-income areas, face a higher rate of physical, mental and emotional challenges.  Research shows that part of this is due to the lack of structured activities and availability to safe park and recreation areas.  Due to higher rates of crime in their neighborhoods, many underprivileged urban youth have a significantly reduced chance of engaging in physical activity (Gomez, 2004).  Physical Education and Health programs at many low-income urban school districts have been eliminated, thus further reducing the opportunities to engage in physical activity (Sabo, 2009).  In some cases, many urban youth will resolve to a sedentary lifestyle, playing video games and watching television.  The literature shows that a sedentary lifestyle, as well as poor eating choices can lead to obesity and other health challenges including diabetes, anxiety, depression and suicide (Merkel, 2013).  This research examines the effects of providing access and opportunities to play soccer for inner-city youth.

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Bringing opportunities to play soccer to inner city youth (Stream 2 -...

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Bringing opportunities to play soccer to inner city youth (Stream 2 -...: Bringing opportunities to play soccer to inner city youth

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1.      Why have inner-city communities not provided access to soccer for youth?

2.      How can existing organizations working with youth and recreation provide opportunities for youth to engage in soccer?

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Soccer Opportunities for Inner City Youth