Why Soccer is the Most Beautiful Game

Soccer is the most creatively beautiful game in the world, with basketball and hockey being close seconds when speaking of team sports. Solo sports? MMA hands down, but that's for another conversation.

If you know soccer, names like Lionel Messi, Rhonaldinho, Neymar, Christiano Ronaldo all come to mind for good merit. These players, in particular, are all considered some of the greats because of their impact on the pitch (aka soccerfield), playmaking, and goal scoring ability, as well as many other important attributes. What interests me most is their individual style. More specifically the way they seem to turn the game of soccer, into a dance with the ball.

Dancing with the ball!? What ever do I mean, you ask? Let me explain! Soccer allows a creative expression very similar to a dance. At the very highest levels it is s a complicated symphony of art in motion. In my mind, there are 3 parts to this dance.

First, a solo dance. An interpretive dance, poppin and lockin, the weeble-wobble, the dougie, the worm...you get the picture. Basically, it's a dance by yourself. You and your own body. With your solo dance, you will need to find ways to contort and maneuver your body in order to create space. Doing this gives you an opportunity for better positioning to face your opponent, and transition to the next dance. I like to think of it as, the Waltz.

You're not solo anymore. Your partner is the ball. This is perhaps the most important dance. You must more specifically lead the ball with proper touch and grace to move it were you would like it. The dance with the ball is where I believe the true beauty of the game appears. With stride and step, an elegant touch and a dash of brilliance, art happens. At times the two dancers stay close, other times the dancers part, but only to meet further along their goal of taking space on the pitch.

Next, the dance with defenders. Once you've mastered your own dance with and without the ball, its time to dance with the devil...so to speak. This is the final test. Are you the maestro of your own game like Messi and Rhonaldinho. Can you cause defenders to weep, crumble and beg for mercy like Neymar? Have you developed a flawless offensive attack like Ronoldo? Will the symphony flow with flawless elegance? Will all the notes line up at the right time to create music sweeter than honey?

Soccer offers an outlet for creative expression more than any other sport. As humans we all strive to show our uniqueness and creativity. This is the reason I believe soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It plays to our inner most desire to express ourselves, while bringing joy to millions around the globe. So grab a ball and kick it. And parents, get your kids in soccer.

Yours truly,

-Mark