Just kickin’ it
http://www.michronicleonline.com/articlelive/articles/2830/1/Just-kickin-it/Page1.html
Leland Stein
By Leland Stein
Published on 06/25/2008
It is kind of American that the entire world regards soccer as the No. 1 sport on the planet, but in the United States, it is an afterthought to a half dozen other sports.
Nicholas Scott Chastine
It is kind of American that the entire world regards soccer as the No. 1 sport on the planet, but in the United States, it is an afterthought to a half dozen other sports.
Russia, China, Italy, Africa, France, England, the Middle East, all of South America and Asia consider football (soccer) the sport of sports. In the U.S., football is football, and along with basketball and baseball, it is king.
“In America they call soccer by the wrong name,” said Nicholas Scott Chastine, 17, one of the best African American high school soccer players in Michigan. “It is misrepresented, because the world calls it football. It is an international sport, but the American media will not elevate it like it deserves.”
Chastine did not follow the expected pattern of what sport an African American should play as he followed his own path and decided that soccer was it for him.
Many minorities expose their children to soccer as youths, but as soon as they near high school age, most kids switch to the so-called glamour sports of basketball and American football.
Not Chastine.
“I was 5 and I was watching the World Cup, and I just dug the sport,” Chastine said. “I told my mother that I wanted to play that game. She said. ‘Let me figure something out.’
“I did a lot of different sports. I played football and basketball . . . everything. But soccer was the game that had honor as its foundation. You can’t hide on the soccer field.”
Added Wendy Williams, Chastine’s mother, who, along with his father, Michael Chastine, has lugged him all over the country in pursuit of his dream: “I must admit I did not think it would hold his attention like it has. For many years, he was the only African American on his travel team and the only one we would see. But his passion for it never stopped. We used it (soccer) as motivation to keep him engaged in the classroom. It’s just gravy that he has earned a scholarship to play at a great college.”
Chastine, who just graduated from Thurston High School in Redford, was a three-year All-Conference player in soccer and was MVP of his team as a senior.
“I played the center-mid position,” he said. “It’s like a safety in football; I have to sweep and clean-up behind everyone else. On offense, I’m like the quarterback; I start our plays and action.”
Although his high school years were fruitful, he credits playing club soccer with Waza Flo as giving him the edge that thrust him to the level that made him believe that he could play at the college level.
“I went to Japan with my club team for 21 days and they love soccer over there,” Chastine said. “I learned a lot about myself and that is where I first felt I could do something beyond high school.”
Apparently, Chastine knows himself well. He was awarded with a scholarship to play NCAA Division I soccer at SMU (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas, Texas.
“High school soccer is cool,” Chastine said, “but you have to play on a club team to really get the best competition. My club team has coaches from Italy, the Middle East and Jamaica. They know the game of soccer and we play teams all over the country. The downside for most is that it is expensive to be on a very good club team. My mother told me she was going to make it work and she has.”
In the fall, Chastine will be joining an NCAA program that has one of the most renown soccer coaches in the country – Schellas Hyndman, who is entering his 25th season as SMU’s head coach. Hyndman has produced a winning season each year, and according to NCAA statistics, he ranks second in victories among active men’s Division I soccer coaches.
“I’m going to a very good program at SMU,” Chastine said. “There will be a lot of competition, but I plan to work hard, learn as much as I can and stay in the best condition.”
Perhaps it is sad how the entire world embraces soccer, yet a large part of the American media ignores the sport.
Perhaps, too, urban America needs to find a way to provide more opportunities for its youth to expand their athletic gifts to soccer, wrestling, tennis, golf, and, in today’s society, baseball.
If it ever happens, there will be many more student-athletes like Chastine earning NCAA Division I scholarships.
It is kind of American that the entire world regards soccer as the No. 1 sport on the planet, but in the United States, it is an afterthought to a half dozen other sports.Chastine earns soccer scholarship to SMU
Nicholas Scott Chastine
It is kind of American that the entire world regards soccer as the No. 1 sport on the planet, but in the United States, it is an afterthought to a half dozen other sports.
Russia, China, Italy, Africa, France, England, the Middle East, all of South America and Asia consider football (soccer) the sport of sports. In the U.S., football is football, and along with basketball and baseball, it is king.
“In America they call soccer by the wrong name,” said Nicholas Scott Chastine, 17, one of the best African American high school soccer players in Michigan. “It is misrepresented, because the world calls it football. It is an international sport, but the American media will not elevate it like it deserves.”
Chastine did not follow the expected pattern of what sport an African American should play as he followed his own path and decided that soccer was it for him.
Many minorities expose their children to soccer as youths, but as soon as they near high school age, most kids switch to the so-called glamour sports of basketball and American football.
Not Chastine.
“I was 5 and I was watching the World Cup, and I just dug the sport,” Chastine said. “I told my mother that I wanted to play that game. She said. ‘Let me figure something out.’
“I did a lot of different sports. I played football and basketball . . . everything. But soccer was the game that had honor as its foundation. You can’t hide on the soccer field.”
Added Wendy Williams, Chastine’s mother, who, along with his father, Michael Chastine, has lugged him all over the country in pursuit of his dream: “I must admit I did not think it would hold his attention like it has. For many years, he was the only African American on his travel team and the only one we would see. But his passion for it never stopped. We used it (soccer) as motivation to keep him engaged in the classroom. It’s just gravy that he has earned a scholarship to play at a great college.”
Chastine, who just graduated from Thurston High School in Redford, was a three-year All-Conference player in soccer and was MVP of his team as a senior.
“I played the center-mid position,” he said. “It’s like a safety in football; I have to sweep and clean-up behind everyone else. On offense, I’m like the quarterback; I start our plays and action.”
Although his high school years were fruitful, he credits playing club soccer with Waza Flo as giving him the edge that thrust him to the level that made him believe that he could play at the college level.
“I went to Japan with my club team for 21 days and they love soccer over there,” Chastine said. “I learned a lot about myself and that is where I first felt I could do something beyond high school.”
Apparently, Chastine knows himself well. He was awarded with a scholarship to play NCAA Division I soccer at SMU (Southern Methodist University) in Dallas, Texas.
“High school soccer is cool,” Chastine said, “but you have to play on a club team to really get the best competition. My club team has coaches from Italy, the Middle East and Jamaica. They know the game of soccer and we play teams all over the country. The downside for most is that it is expensive to be on a very good club team. My mother told me she was going to make it work and she has.”
In the fall, Chastine will be joining an NCAA program that has one of the most renown soccer coaches in the country – Schellas Hyndman, who is entering his 25th season as SMU’s head coach. Hyndman has produced a winning season each year, and according to NCAA statistics, he ranks second in victories among active men’s Division I soccer coaches.
“I’m going to a very good program at SMU,” Chastine said. “There will be a lot of competition, but I plan to work hard, learn as much as I can and stay in the best condition.”
Perhaps it is sad how the entire world embraces soccer, yet a large part of the American media ignores the sport.
Perhaps, too, urban America needs to find a way to provide more opportunities for its youth to expand their athletic gifts to soccer, wrestling, tennis, golf, and, in today’s society, baseball.
If it ever happens, there will be many more student-athletes like Chastine earning NCAA Division I scholarships.