Since when did the postgame (or, in some cases, pregame and halftime, too) snack become the focal point of youth recreational soccer games? And when did it become the latest installment of "Keeping up with the Joneses"?

By Emily Cohen (from Soccer America's Youth Soccer Insider, June 19)

MLS clubs are buying into the notion that they can produce homegrown stars.

By Mike Woitalla (Soccer America Magazine, July 2008)

In 2007, the same year that MLS bet on David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco, it also mandated that its clubs field youth teams. Beckham and Blanco were safe bets: A pair of players with legions of fans in the USA and a history of giving 100 percent every time they stepped on the field. As expected, both boosted attendance, sparked replica jersey sales, and attracted sponsors for the league and their clubs.

But signing superstars is less complicated than venturing into youth development. There's no proven formula for turning young players into pros, no guarantee that investing in development programs will yield a return.

What makes the epidemic of sideline shouting particularly egregious is that the instructions are usually misguided.

By Mike Woitalla (Soccer America Magazine, June 2008)

What better venue for an endless array of amusement and bemusement than the youth soccer field? Much is predictable, like the adult sideline behavior, but the unexpected never ceases.

You're organized. You're a good communicator. You've run your school auction and served on a plethora of committees. Which is why your child's new coach has asked you to be the team's manager for the upcoming fall soccer season. "What do I need to do?" you ask.

Emily Cohen (from Soccer America's Youth Soccer Insider, June 19)

Soccer shed its reputation as a foreign sport thanks to the youth participation boom that started in the 1970s, but new waves of immigrants continue to enrich the game.

By Mike Woitalla (Soccer America Magazine, May 2008)