Premier Soccer Academies and the Good World of Soccer

Early on we posted about Eurosport's Passback program. Simple, effective, awesome.

I used to get three or four soccer catalogs growing up as a young footballer: Acme Soccer and Widget Works, TSI, and of course Eurosport, which has outlived the other two and a slew of competition, rightly earning its url (www.soccer.com). They've succeeded strategically and along the way done some good with a awesome program that rounds up used gear from footballers (who seriously love their gear) and gives it to kids who need gear.

It won't be the last time we post on the good business side of soccer. The Beautiful Game lends itself to a spirit of giving. A few potential reasons: 1) the truly global nature of the game, which fosters an ambassador-y attitude among those who love it and a cultural kinship between soccer (futbol, etc.) lovers everywhere 2) the underdog position of the game in this country, which maybe motivates companies to support the sport as though it were a charity 3) growing recognition of soccer as a quintessential learning experience for kids: multicultural, team-oriented, fitness-intensive 4) the great, giving personality of those who love the game (an admittedly biased option.)

Whatever it may be, here's another example: Lorain (OH) Morning Journal writers Jennifer Bracken and Alan Ingram cover the opening of the new $8M Premier Soccer Academies in Lorain, Ohio, which is going to be a life-changing experience for a diverse group of young student-athletes.

The Great Lakes town, known for sailing, Ford, and iron ore-receiving near the end of the St. Lawrence Seaway, may not have been where you'd expect to hear about of one of the most deluxe soccer academies to be established outside of Florida's IMG Academy or The David Beckham Academy at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles- until you realize that Brad Friedel, one of the United State's most accomplished international soccer players, a longtime fixture of our national team and the goalkeeper of Blackburn Rover in the English Premier League, grew up just up the road in Bay Village.

To bring it full circle, Friedel's Premier Soccer Academies are supported by Star Trac, CenturyTel, adidas, and the Cleveland Clinic, further perfect examples of strong corporate support for the Beautiful Game.

BONUS: A phenomenal book about soccer as a reflection of nationalism, religion and culture all over the world: How Soccer Explains the World, by Franklin Foer. It's as rich with world history as it is with history on some of the international game's most legendary clubs.