HOT TOPIC: World Cup Soccer
Volume 2, Issue 38 - June 11, 2006"This week a group of South American soccer fans were interviewed by an American sports reporter about the World Cup soccer tournament. “What is the biggest event in sports?” he asked. “World Cup!” the group gleefully cheered. How about the Olympics?” the reporter countered. “No, no, World Cup is it!” they replied in unison. “The Super Bowl?” the reporter queried. Waving their hands in disgust, one man in the group retorted, “Why don’t care about the Super Bowl at all.” Such is the state of sports in today’s world. Nothing compares to the interest and excitement of soccer (known as football everywhere but in the U.S.) and the World Cup tournament, in particular.
When you think about it, soccer/football makes sense as a world game. It doesn’t require expensive equipment or a specific climate, it can be played on any flat service you can find, you can excel regardless of your physical attributes, and it requires more team work and cooperation than star power and one-on-one competition. In an age where we all just need to get along in this ever shrinking world, soccer allows all peoples to find a level playing field on which to practice this ideal. Not that nationalism and competition don’t come into play, but the game itself is all about working together to achieve a common goal.
The World Cup is just underway, and it will continue through July 9th. Like the Olympics, it offers all kinds of opportunities to make connections across the curriculum: health, PE, social studies, math, science, language arts. The Web provides the content to make it all happen. I hope you’ll find this week’s D12 of value as you plan to bring the World Cup into your classroom!"
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