​ANDERSON — With the World Cup in full swing, soccer’s popularity in the United States continues to surge. A clear example is unfolding this week at Anderson University, where a youth soccer camp drew more than 400 participants. While most attendees came from within Indiana, players from ten other states joined in, underscoring the sport’s expanding footprint across the country.
The current spike in American soccer interest can be linked to the United States hosting the World Cup this summer and the men’s national team’s performance, which won three matches and advanced to the Round of 16 — the deepest run since 2002. Yet the sport’s appeal runs deeper than a single tournament; according to The Economist, soccer now ranks as the third most popular sport among Americans, behind only basketball and football. The momentum surrounding the home-hosted World Cup has further energized the domestic scene, while the U.S. women’s team has cemented its status as a global powerhouse, claiming World Cup titles in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019 and Olympic gold medals in 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024. With World Cup and Olympic events staged every four years, soccer’s profile in the United States continues to rise.
Local enthusiasm, fed in part by international success, sustains the sport’s growing presence nationwide. AU’s annual summer soccer camps highlight the sport’s rising popularity, drawing attention and participants year after year. The camp’s history speaks to the sport’s enduring appeal: Ravens men’s soccer coach Scott Fridley established the AU camp 32 years ago after his own time on the university’s field. In that inaugural year, just 26 youths took part; over the ensuing decades, the program has welcomed about 15,000 participants. “We’ve sold out for 10 years now,” Fridley noted, adding that his goal is to improve, expand and grow soccer in the surrounding area.
Among the campers is eighth-grader Adela Hernandez of Fortville, who has played since she was six. “I really love the people,” she said. “They’re so nice and supportive. I’ve teamed up with many of the same teammates for a long time, and they’re such an amazing part. It makes coming to practice so much more fun.” This year marks Hernandez’s first at the Anderson Soccer Camp, and she already plans to return next year. Also returning is Aiden Elmore, a Centerville High School alumnus who has attended the camp for five years as a participant and now serves as a camp counselor. “I like teaching the kids how to play the game, and getting to coach and have kids look up to me now,” Elmore said. “It’s pretty cool.” Both Hernandez and Elmore agreed that the World Cup’s presence this year and the United States’ progress in the tournament have inspired younger generations to give soccer a try.
As the players practiced on Tuesday afternoon, chatter about the World Cup filled the field, with many students checking scores from the Argentina–Egypt match being played in Atlanta at the time. Fridley emphasized that the current international success and ongoing national interest are helping to lift the profile of soccer across the country, while the AU summer camps continue to illustrate the sport’s rising popularity. With events like these informing and energizing a younger generation, soccer’s momentum in America shows no signs of slowing.