{"id":167,"date":"2004-01-01T12:00:35","date_gmt":"2004-01-01T18:00:35","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-03-20T08:48:28","modified_gmt":"2015-03-20T13:48:28","slug":"use-of-brazilian-soccer-to-improve-childrens-school-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/use-of-brazilian-soccer-to-improve-childrens-school-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Use of Brazilian Soccer to Improve Children’s School Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
Submitted by: Antonio J. Muller<\/div>\n

In Brazil, often considered the premier country for soccer, soccer is a way of life for millions. The game exerts an immense influence within a social context.The way in which soccer is included in the program of Brazil’s schools, however, could be more appropriate. This paper looks at Brazilian\u00a0soccer’s social impact in an effort to understand its implications for schools.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Brazilian Soccer History<\/p>\n

The history of soccer in Brazil reflects the wider history of the people and helps explain, perhaps, Brazilian society’s appreciation for the game. A variety of people from different parts of the world helped build a unique Brazilian culture, which comprises the largest multiracial democracy on our planet. When the Portuguese arrived in what is now Brazil, a small native population scattered throughout the area was often enslaved. Other slaves were subsequently brought to the area from West Africa and\u00a0forced to work in mines and on farms. These slaves had metal-working skills that the native people lacked. African slaves also brought with them new music, dances, cookery, and martial arts. These contributed to shaping a lifestyle that all Brazilians now share. Most of the more recent European settlers were attracted to Brazil’s coffee-growing regions and to the growing industrial towns in the southeast. Brazil in fact has been occupied by “foreigners” for a much shorter time than most other countries.<\/p>\n

Soccer was brought to Brazil in 1885 by Charles Miller, an Englishman. The Portuguese called it\u00a0futebol, <\/em>and it was initially played in private clubs by young men of the elite class. This discrimination against poor people and black people in terms of soccer access persisted for decades but began to be transformed in 1933, with the advent of professional soccer. The game then became very popular in schools, factories, and clubs. Futebol<\/em> was practiced throughout the country, on beaches and fields, and the number of players grew quickly.<\/p>\n

It is generally accepted that to understand Brazilian soccer, one needs to understand Brazil’s people. Their diverse races and cultures\u00a0combined in a social phenomenon that is embodied in local and national soccer. Futebol <\/em>became popular in the low-income population, where blacks and mulattos were overrepresented. That there is a distinctive, footwork-intense\u00a0“Brazilian style” of soccer is, according to some authors, a legacy\u00a0of the endemic, music-accompanied\u00a0martial art capoeira <\/em>and the dance style samba, <\/em>both of which reflect African cultural development (Melo, 2000). Brazilian-style soccer is as much an art as a sport. The people who bequeathed it valued both complexity of rhythms and\u00a0creativity of choreography.\u00a0A nation of ex-slaves, they demonstrated great\u00a0capacity to overcome injustice–and plain\u00a0suffering–through imagination (Maranh\u00e3o, 2002). Brazilian fans today look for the agile “soccer-artist” to focus their interest and appreciation on.<\/p>\n

Another more practical aspect of soccer has\u00a0influenced its history in Brazil. That is, the game is easy to play, with simple rules and no requirement for elaborate equipment or special playing locations. It can be played on synthetic grass or on abandoned land; it is played on more than 2,000 beaches. It is even played\u00a0indoors in homes,\u00a0with soccer balls comprising folded socks, oranges, soda bottle lids, and other handy items. Moreover, people with various physical attributes can participate in soccer, meaning many\u00a0players, and the more players available, the more very talented players available. Soccer in Brazil is similar to basketball in the United States, in that the general cultural environment is characterized by extensive (and intensive) pursuit of the sport; people are shaped by their environments, in this case to want to play soccer and basketball, respectively.<\/p>\n

Brazil has more professional soccer teams than any other country in the world. A wealth of players and a passion for play led the Brazilian soccer team to become the first ever to win the World Cup five times (in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002).<\/p>\n

Heroes and Illusions<\/p>\n

It has been argued that Brazil’s soccer culture possesses more influence over Brazilians’ lives than even aspects of politics or economics (Maranh\u00e3o, 2002). Media coverage plays a role, and so does the myth of the rags-to-riches soccer star. Such media idols are much imitated by children, many of\u00a0whom–like Pel\u00e9, Garrincha, Zico, Rom\u00e1rio, and Ronaldo themselves–learned to play soccer in the dirt, under conditions of harsh poverty. Soccer here is a mix of joy in playing and suffering in being poor. In Brazil’s streets the boys of the nation, particularly boys from ethnic minorities, kick a ball and\u00a0dream of becoming media idols themselves. This dream motivates millions of children: Soccer is their only hope of a\u00a0\u00a0future outside of poverty. Every time a poor kid succeeds\u00a0through futebol,<\/em>\u00a0Brazil’s national soccer culture becomes even more deeply ingrained.<\/p>\n

According to Teich (2002), a number of players on Brazilian national soccer teams have followed a common path. Very poor and having limited schooling, they became more than idols: They became owners of surprising wealth. They pursued their soccer playing intensively and the skills they developed strengthened soccer in Brazil, adding to its worldwide fame. They believed in soccer as their way up, economically and socially. There is a commonly held idea in Brazil that for the poor, especially the dark-skinned poor, social mobility can come only through soccer, music, or drug trafficking.<\/p>\n

Would-be soccer stars without world-class talent grow up to be motoboys,<\/em> delivery boys on motorcycles, or perhaps van drivers, if they do not die first\u00a0in confrontations with police or drug dealers. In Brazil the realities of race and power, which translate into realities of opportunity and ability,\u00a0have long histories that boil down to nonwhites’ deprivation of health, education, work, and income (Graham, 1990). This is why, Arbena argues (1988), for Brazil’s poorest children and teens, soccer’s importance to daily life transcends simple recreation.<\/p>\n

To say that becoming a professional Brazilian soccer player guarantees wealth is not entirely true. According to the Brazilian Soccer Association, only 4.3% of professional players receive over US $1,350 in pay each month (4,000 Brazilian reais<\/em>). The great majority of players, 83.4%, earn less than US $120 monthly (“Sal\u00e1rios,” 1998).<\/p>\n

Soccer, School, and a More Inclusive Society<\/p>\n

Despite the great importance of soccer to Brazil’s culture, the positive social\u00a0impact that could result from the game’s careful use in Brazilian schools typically has been neglected. Transforming the schools into places that generally please children would stimulate learning. Brazil’s children play soccer before, after, and yes, during, school. Adults, however, have not capitalized on soccer’s youthful popularity\u00a0\u00a0to improve social integration. They have not even approached\u00a0soccer as a tool for enhancing school attendance and thereby promoting learning. Surely one solution to school failure, including\u00a0dropping out, would be organized soccer. School must be connected to students’ local culture, which represents what they have already learned. As Freire (1992) explained, children\u00a0take to school with them\u00a0an understanding of their world (the place of their origin and the culture it supports) that is in fact the beginning of all other knowledge they obtain over time. Because they know soccer so well, the sport\u00a0offers nothing less than\u00a0a means of knowledge development and resulting liberation, if it could be strongly connected to what the children are asked to learn at school.<\/p>\n

The schools belong to society. Society should move to promote opportunity for all Brazilians by putting soccer to work in its schools. For a few, it might turn out to be the dream come true of soccer stardom, but with a complete academic education, even for the many, economic\u00a0opportunity will begin to expand.<\/p>\n

References<\/p>\n

Arbena, J. (Ed.). (1988). Sport and society in Latin America: Diffusion, dependency, and the rise of mass culture<\/em>. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.<\/p>\n

Sal\u00e1rios dos jogadores no futebol profissional brasileiro [Players’ salaries in Brazilian professional soccer]. (1998, February 14). Folha de Sao Paulo<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Freire, P. (1992). Pedagogia da esperan\u00e7a <\/em>[Pedagogy of hope]. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra.<\/p>\n

Graham, R. (1990). The idea of race in Latin America, 1870<\/em>\u20131940<\/em>. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.<\/p>\n

Maranh\u00e3o, C. (2002, July). O pais do futebol [Soccer nation]. Revista Veja, 1758A<\/em>(26A), 48\u201352.<\/p>\n

Melo, V. A. (2000). Futebol: Paix\u00e3o e pol\u00edtica <\/em>[Soccer: Passion and politics]. Rio de Janeiro: DP&A Editora.<\/p>\n

Teich, D. (2002, July 17). De onde eles vieram? [Where did they come from?]. Revista Veja<\/em>, 28A,<\/em> 36\u201342.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Submitted by: Antonio J. Muller<\/div>\n

Brazil is considered the premier soccer country. Soccer is a “way of
\n life” for millions of Brazilians and exerts an immense influence in
\n a social context. <\/strong>However, soccer could be used in a more appropriate
\n way by its inclusion in Brazil’s schools. The purpose of this paper
\n is to understand the unique characteristics and social impact of soccer
\n in Brazil. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Understanding the History of Soccer in Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[290,295,291],"tags":[59,27,60,8],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-2H","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/alabama-high-school-soccer-undergoes-eligibility-rule-changes\/","url_meta":{"origin":167,"position":0},"title":"Alabama High School Soccer Undergoes Eligibility Rule Changes","date":"February 11, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Dr. Joe Manjone, Dean of Student Services, Continuing Education & Distance Learning, USSA Changes in the penalties for Alabama High School soccer players receiving misconducts have had very little effect on the numbers and types of cards issued during the 1997 and 1998 Alabama high school soccer seasons.(note:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":104,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/british-soccer-superhooligans-emergence-and-establishment-1982-2000\/","url_meta":{"origin":167,"position":1},"title":"British Soccer Superhooligans: Emergence and Establishment: 1982-2000","date":"February 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: By defining match days and football grounds as times and places in which fighting could be engaged in and aggressive forms of masculinity displayed, the media, especially the national tabloid press, played a part of some moment in stimulating and shaping the development of soccer hooliganism (p. 122).\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3770,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/new-york-cosmos-twice-in-a-lifetime-a-new-business-look-at-a-legendary-sports-franchise\/","url_meta":{"origin":167,"position":2},"title":"New York Cosmos: Twice in a Lifetime; A New Business Look at a Legendary Sports Franchise","date":"May 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Sarbjit Singh* Sarbjit Singh is Assistant Professor, Sport Management, at Farmingdale State College in New York *Corresponding Author: Sarbjit Singh, MBA\/JD Farmingdale State College 2350 Broadhollow Road Farmingdale, NY 11735 singhs@farmingdale.edu 631-794-6212 ABSTRACT The New York Cosmos were the dominant professional soccer franchise, on and off the field, during\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","img":{"alt_text":"Table 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Table-1-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7046,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/the-effect-of-competition-level-on-penalties-and-injuries-in-youth-soccer\/","url_meta":{"origin":167,"position":3},"title":"The Effect of Competition Level on Penalties and Injuries in Youth Soccer","date":"May 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Stephanie Walsh, Nicole Walden, and Tamerah Hunt Corresponding Author: Tamerah Hunt, Ph.D., ATCDepartment of Health Sciences and KinesiologyPO BOX 8076Statesboro, GA 30460thunt@georgiasouthern.edu912-478-8620 Stephanie Walsh, BS, ATC is a 2nd year master\u2019s student in the M.S in Kinesiology, concentration in athletic training at Georgia Southern University. Nicole Walden, BS is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Figure-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":37,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/menaces-to-management-a-developmental-view-of-british-soccer-hooligans\/","url_meta":{"origin":167,"position":4},"title":"Menaces to Management: A Developmental View of British Soccer Hooligans, 1961-1986","date":"February 11, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: A.J. Haley, Ph.D. and Brian S. Johnson Abstract: In their longitudinal examination of local and national newspaper reports of soccer hooliganism in Britain Dunning, E., Murphy, P. J. and Williams, J. 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