soccer in spain

Today, Altan (13) and I collaborated on a report about soccer in Spain. This coming summer he will land in Barcelona and play soccer in Valencia. His mom said he should know something about Spain before visiting. So, I directed him to write about the history of soccer in Spain. He is an avid player. We used three internet resources, one of which had a photograph of the Barcelona soccer club founders.

This writing exercise emphasized point of view. A student writing at high school level must take a point of view and not just regurgitate facts from other sources. Altan will be entering high school at the end of summer 2022.

The report is short. I did minimal editing. As difficult as it is, a tutor must let the words and their flow come from the student. Extra credit would be to write more about the men who started the soccer club (in other places, soccer is called football) and add a metaphor and a vocabulary word or two from his grade list.

Spain and the Start of Soccer, by xxxxxx.

When you think of Spain, do you think of soccer? People who know the most recent history of Spain might picture La Sagrada Familia, the unfinished cathedral in Barcelona. However, what you do not know is the amazing story of how soccer started in Barcelona.

Team FC Barcelona was formed in 1899 as the popularity of soccer was spread to Spain by a group of young foreigners and local men. The organizers came from England, Switzerland, and Germany and recruited other rich, educated, single Catalonians. Barcelona is one of the four provinces of Catalonia.

Then a calamity almost happened. On May 31, 1906, King Alfonso XIII was almost killed by a Catalonian anarchist on the street during Alfonso’s wedding procession. Spain in the late 19th century and early 20th century was poor, and there was a war in Morocco. The war revealed the privilege of the rich and the disparity between rich and poor. Rich young men and their families could pay a fee to avoid war conscription. This caused rioting and culminated in the assassination attempt.

This is the amazing story of how, despite difficult circumstances facing the founders, soccer started in Barcelona. A great deal of turmoil gripped Spain. Against the odds, these men persevered and gave players today a great future.