How far has American soccer come in providing opportunities for young Latino players?
“Financially, it’s a struggle,” says Paul Walker, the founder and president of Southern California youth club Barcelona USA. “But I come from the point of view of being the underdog. I don’t know why, it’s just the way I grew up. I took on all challenges.” Nearly 90 percent of Barcelona USA’s 500 players are Latinos. That many can’t afford the high costs of American youth soccer is no surprise. In the world of paid coaches and tournament travel, it can cost more than $20,000 annually to run a competitive team of 15 players. Three years ago, when the U.S. Soccer Federation commissioned an extensive participation study, one of its conclusions was that, “Among whites, the higher the household income, the higher the likelihood of playing soccer. Among Hispanics, just the opposite is true.” Because there’s no shortage of non-Latino players whose parents can afford elite youth soccer, and these players have become increasingly better, it would be tempting for youth clubs to ignore low-income
