They play faster, make more decisions and spend more time on the field than any baseball or football player in North America. Still, soccer players are at the bottom of the pay scale when it comes to professional sports. But then, there is more to life than money, right?
Chuck Murr of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) discovered soccer the hard way. "I grew up with baseball, and I admit it is still my first love, so the first time I was offered soccer tickets I refused them," he says.
"Now that I've come to know the sport, I can't get enough. As a sportswriter, I cover everything from hockey to football, but soccer is the most exciting game I cover."
Soccer is definitely growing in popularity. It's doing very well, considering its age. "Here in North America, soccer is a very young sport," says Gordon Jago of the World Indoor Soccer League.
"It really began in the early '70s, but now the people who learned to play as kids are old enough to be running teams. Just wait two more generations and the sport will really explode."
O'Neill Brown is one of those kids who grew up with soccer. He is a defender on an indoor soccer team. "I started at a grassroots level and continued to play throughout high school," he says.
"I got a scholarship to play at Durham College, and from there I was drafted into the NPSL."
During the season, Brown spends part of every weekday in the gym and on the field practicing. "If we don't have a game at night, I just relax, watch a movie, just do stuff regular folks do."
Sometimes he and his teammates will have a promotional appearance where they sign autographs and get their pictures taken with fans. "You get to meet a lot of new people and rekindle old friendships. I also love working with kids and being around kids."
And the feeling is mutual. Kids love soccer. It's the most popular organized sport with young girls and boys all over the country.
Learning the rules of the game is just the beginning for anyone who wants to play pro soccer. "During the game," says Brown, "you have to react and think quickly because the game is always changing. You have to observe something and adjust to it quickly."
Jago says a quick brain is especially essential for a soccer player because it is the only sport where the players make all the decisions on the run. "Unlike football, there are no planned plays in soccer. A coach's job is done during the week, because once the players step over that white line, they're on their own. There are no time outs, and no one shouting advice from the sidelines."
Murr says that many teams use a little mind trick to teach themselves to think fast. "They set up two extra goals on the field. This forces the players to think and move even faster because they have twice the number of goals to watch and protect. Playing this way makes a normal game seem calm, almost slow."
In addition to a quick mind, a fit body is also important. "Our players run an average of seven miles in a game," says Murr. "You need to be physically fit to make it through a game."
Helping the team stay fit is the job of a trainer. Rebecca Spiers is the assistant trainer for a soccer team. "I help with injury prevention, injury assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. I also work with the team on the field with warm-up and stretching," she says.
"To be good at what I do, you must have a good knowledge of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and strength and conditioning. You also have to be able to work with people. You have to be able to adapt to your situation either with the area you are forced to work in or the type of equipment that is supplied to you."
Right now Spiers is in school working on a bachelor of physical education degree. She met the head trainer during a clinic and talked him into a little on-the-job training.
"When I don't have class, I spend two to three hours in the clinic with the athletes, then I go to practice and do some preparation, taping, stretching, massage, etc. I am at the practice center for four hours, then I get to go home."
Even with Spiers and other trainers working on prevention, sometimes a player does get hurt. "That's a big negative with this job: injury and lack of security," says Brown. "Your evaluation is based on recent performance. It's a 'what have you done for me lately?' type of job."
But Brown is lucky. When he can't play anymore, he has a college education to fall back on and lots of jobs inside the pro soccer organization to choose from.
Jago has set up a number of pro soccer teams. "All teams need managers, marketing and promotional people, a sales staff, PR people, coaches, trainers, equipment managers and even scouts who look for new talent. If you love soccer but you aren't good enough to make the team, there are lots of jobs available."
That is, if you have an education, Jago warns. "In other parts of the world, kids are drafted into soccer teams before they even finish school. This can be a problem. I've seen where a boy of 13 doesn't pay attention in school because he wants to play soccer. Even if he makes it, he may be washed up at 23, then what?" he points out.
"They end up as taxi drivers because they have no education. Here in North America, we're very lucky to have the opportunities for education and we encourage all our players to finish college before coming to us. This way, they're prepared when they can't play anymore. Take our ex-goalkeeper -- he's now the marketing director for the Dallas Mavericks."
So whether you start out as a player or a fan, an interest in soccer can really take you places. And how many people can say they get a real "kick" out of their job and truly mean it.