Nick Orlando

Social Media

4/30/15

K.U.

Web Article AssignmentPartner: Trevor Jahnke

E-How Article: How To Become A Genuine Soccer Fan

1. Describe Your Purpose : The purpose of our article was to inform our audience on what it takes to become a genuine soccer fan. Since soccer isn’t a popular sport in the United States, Trevor and I decided to provide others with the proper steps and ways to become involved in the great sport. Soccer fans are the most passionate fans in all of sports; they mainly are born into rooting for a specific team through their families. In addition, there’s nothing like cheering on your country during the World Cup and other International soccer tournaments. When it comes down to it, it’s all about the love for the game. We decided to go with the E-How format because it’s simple and easy for our audience to follow, that way they can take it step by step and begin watching soccer the right way – having some sort of knowledge while sitting in front of the TV. This format will help others on social media by being easy to access, post, share, and view through photos and even conversations – long time soccer fans guiding new-soccer fans on what the team’s history includes, who their best players are, etc.

2. Describe Your Audience: Our E-How article is geared towards people of all ages, from when they’re old enough to understand the game of soccer, until they are

confused as to what’s actually going on from old age. Soccer is one of those aspects of life that is shared throughout family households, social gatherings such as bars, parties, etc. and even in close relationships. There’s nothing better than spending time with your significant other while cheering on the team you both love and enjoy watching. The E-How article is relevant to whoever seeks it out; gender has nothing to do with “who loves the game more.” Some woman may find baseball boring since it isn’t timed, but passionate soccer fans who are female love the game just as much as men – maybe even more. When I go see NYCFC play, (New York’s new Major League Soccer team) I see grandfather’s taking their grandchildren to the games. Just like in any sport, that means something, even to the athletes. That’s where passion begins.

3. Describe your Competition : There aren’t many different sites or articles that show newly drawn soccer fans how to become genuine fans of the sport. One major soccer podcast that is available online is known as ‘men in blazers’ .com which offers daily talk and insight on what is going on in the soccer world, but doesn’t offer full ideas on what it means to be a passionate fan. The problem is, most sites and E-books contain information showing how violent passionate soccer fans are, especially overseas. These articles bash fans and call them racists, even showing false videos from Italy’s professional league, Serie A, where even the athletes are discriminatory towards each other. An E-Zine, or online magazine, would serve no purpose for someone looking for easy ways to get involved with a new sport. It would be too dragged out and boring. There isn’t any real competition for E-How; it’s the best and simplest way for our audience to capture and retain information, especially regarding sports they never watched or cared about.

4. Create One Sample Article in the Format you selected:

The following shows our E-How steps on how to begin your journey to becoming a genuine football (soccer) fan.

1. Pick a league- There are numerous soccer leagues through-out the world. Some are stronger than others, each with a rich history of successes and failures. Some are more competitive than others (ie: English Premier League, La Liga (Spain), Serie A (Italy), etc).

2. Research the teams- Most recognizable teams are over 100 years old and start out as social clubs that over time grew into large organizations worth multi million (sometimes billion dollars).

3. Watch their games- Don’t just watch the games, but study the way the game is played. Ask people around you to explain what is going on if you ever get lost. Learning involves asking what you aren’t sure of. And most of the games are exciting and ends in amazing ways!

4. Get to know the players- Players come and go due to the fact that isn't a salary cap. Players can not only jump teams but jump leagues as well.

5. Look the part- It's time to invest in clothing. Jerseys (aka: kits), scarves, t-shirts; anything you'd like. It's time to take pride in your team.

6. Know the culture- Teams come from all around the world, each league represents a different country or land. Whatever team you become adapted to or

begin to like, learn what it’s like for their fans in that region. They may love/hate certain things, which mean you must love/hate certain things. Know the background history of that specific team, when they were established, who their leading scorer was/is, how many league titles they’ve won, etc.

7. Learn the songs- What separates soccer fans from other sports fans is their passion. Soccer has two 45 min halves without commercial breaks and fans take that time to sing their team songs to provide momentum.

5. List and describe another 7 articles that you would propose for your series.

Some other articles we would propose for our series would include:

A) How to get into soccer shape : Soccer players are the most conditioned athletes on the planet, even more than track stars. They need to be in the most amazing shape possible in order to run up and down the field for 90 minutes, sometimes even longer. Our article would include what you need to do in the gym, what your diet must consist of, and how to amp up your endurance and stamina in order to keep up with the rest of your teammates.

B) Where to go for soccer pickup games: Most people think it would be easy to find others on the street and ask them to start up an easy game of soccer – but they’re wrong. You need to go to wherever there are turf fields with soccer nets, or even grassy areas and parks. If you go to a hardtop schoolyard, chances are you’re not going to find people looking to play soccer. And make

sure you arrive with at least 2-4 more people so the chances of playing full 11 on 11 games increase.

C) Beach soccer tips: Playing soccer on a beach is very different than playing soccer on grass or turf. The ball moves at a much slower pace, causing you to use more energy resulting in getting tired easier. Flatten the sand in the area before you start playing because sand hills will cause the ball to stop while you tap it with your feet – very frustrating. Also, you must be careful where and how you kick the ball – you don’t want to be hitting people blindsided, hurting them and getting in trouble. Look for an open area, and people on the beach are always down for playing some soccer!

D) Best tips for freekicks: When curving a soccer ball, you’ll want to use the inside of your foot combined with your instep, which will give the ball a greater curve. When wanting to get the ball in the air, you must strike the ball slightly below the middle. When you do so, lean back a little so your range of motion will cause the ball to rise in the air rather then deaden on the ground. This article will be popular for anyone who wants to improve his or her freekick techniques.

E) Top Rivalry Countdown: Provides our audience with the best pregame analysis of two rival teams going head-to-head. This would be good especially for those who don’t know any soccer rivalries or the history that connects the two. Whether it’s in Spain, Portugal, Italy, or even here in the United States, soccer rivalries are always a hot topic to discuss – we would place emphasis on the two team’s star players, injuries, predications, and management decisions.

F) Drills For Young Soccer Stars: Every young athlete wants the best coaching and training they can possibly get, especially with their father/mother. This article will provide the athlete with proper footwork, shooting, defending, and passing drills along with proper conditioning techniques. For those who have mastered these drills, their progress will show on the field. Also, most athletes have a weaker opposite foot that they forget to train and strengthen. The article will examine the proper points in order to use both feet on the pitch (field) successfully.

G) Top Soccer Stadiums in the World : From Camp Nou in Barcelona, to Estadio Olímpico in Mexico, we will show our audience the most beautiful and legendary soccer stadiums all across the globe. They’re definitely worth visiting at least once in our lifetime. Brazil alone has 5-7 major soccer stadiums, used for the 2014 World Cup last summer. History has been written in these special places and our article will demonstrate what it would be like experiencing it first hand, especially to individuals who have never seen the size of one. It’ll be an experience they’d never forget.