British Expatriate Network

Here in Canada there is not the football/baseball/basketball activities in High School that seems to absorb US schools.

In fact the most popular sport with both boys and girls in High School is soccer. I think it's because it allows more participation and is also so much cheaper for school budgets. There are more soccer fields than baseball diamonds in Ottawa.

Hockey however is still the most popular, but is played by leagues rather like the UK system. It's also played a lot in the street all year around.


Whats popular in your area.

Pretty much how you described it Keith - football, then basketball and to a lesser extent, baseball at high school level. Soccer is fairly popular in my area but mostly for younger kids and girls.

Prior to that, children rely on things like YMCA or Boys and Girls Clubs that have organised leagues for basketball, football, soccer and baseball. The schools don't seem to offer sports before high school level, due to cutbacks etc.

Footy's popular in schools here but not for spectators. It's the Friday night lights that get people out of the house. I have been to basketball and 'soccer' games and they couldn't dream of getting the same crowd as the gridiron teams.

I wonder if it's a generational thing. I wonder if when these kids grow up, they will go watch a game of soccer cos they played it as a kid. The game is so alien to people 30 and up in the US it may as well be blurnsball.