‘Here to stay’ – Fans react to the rise of soccer in the US
bbc.co.uk'Here to stay' - Fans react to the rise of soccer in the USThe BBC reports on growing soccer popularity in the United States as the 2026 World Cup draws large stadium crowds and widespread interest. Fans discuss whether soccer's rising profile in American culture represents a lasting shift in the sports landscape.✦ Read ad free and get the full MichaelFilter · $5.50Part of the MichaelFilter
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Unlock the full reading · $5.50 →The BBC reports on growing soccer popularity in the United States as the 2026 World Cup draws large stadium crowds and widespread interest. Fans discuss whether soccer's rising profile in American culture represents a lasting shift in the sports landscape.
Teaching:
• Use the World Cup momentum metaphor when students feel practice plateaus—sustained interest requires infrastructure (daily commitment) not just event excitement
• Address the 'legitimacy question' some students bring to Ashtanga (is this real yoga?)—popularity doesn't validate practice, but consistent showing up does
• Frame the six-day-a-week Ashtanga structure as building cultural shift in a student's life, not just trying a new fitness trend
• When students ask if Ashtanga is 'here to stay' in their routine, redirect to whether they're building the conditions (time, space, community) that make staying possible
Writing seeds:
• Essay on infrastructure vs. enthusiasm: why viral yoga moments don't build practices, but daily mats and teacher relationships do
• Shala Daily post comparing American soccer's legitimacy anxiety to Western yoga's constant need to prove itself—what if we just practiced instead
• Short piece on 'event-driven practice' (workshops, retreats, challenges) vs. the unglamorous daily work that actually changes you
• Post exploring how Ashtanga's 'here to stay' question is answered not by popularity metrics but by whether you roll out your mat tomorrow
Idea map:
• Systems literacy angle: sustained cultural adoption requires infrastructure (studios, teachers, daily access) not just interest spikes—same for personal practice
• Connects to his embodiment work: popularity is abstract, but showing up to the mat is concrete—practice exists in action not opinion
• Relates to attention economy critique: spectacle (World Cup) generates buzz, but practice happens in the boring repetition no one watches
• Echoes his 'practice as method' frame: legitimacy comes from doing the thing consistently, not from external validation or trend cycles
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c4gyy4r93g3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Teaching:
• Use the World Cup momentum metaphor when students feel practice plateaus—sustained interest requires infrastructure (daily commitment) not just event excitement
• Address the 'legitimacy question' some students bring to Ashtanga (is this real yoga?)—popularity doesn't validate practice, but consistent showing up does
• Frame the six-day-a-week Ashtanga structure as building cultural shift in a student's life, not just trying a new fitness trend
• When students ask if Ashtanga is 'here to stay' in their routine, redirect to whether they're building the conditions (time, space, community) that make staying possible
Writing seeds:
• Essay on infrastructure vs. enthusiasm: why viral yoga moments don't build practices, but daily mats and teacher relationships do
• Shala Daily post comparing American soccer's legitimacy anxiety to Western yoga's constant need to prove itself—what if we just practiced instead
• Short piece on 'event-driven practice' (workshops, retreats, challenges) vs. the unglamorous daily work that actually changes you
• Post exploring how Ashtanga's 'here to stay' question is answered not by popularity metrics but by whether you roll out your mat tomorrow
Idea map:
• Systems literacy angle: sustained cultural adoption requires infrastructure (studios, teachers, daily access) not just interest spikes—same for personal practice
• Connects to his embodiment work: popularity is abstract, but showing up to the mat is concrete—practice exists in action not opinion
• Relates to attention economy critique: spectacle (World Cup) generates buzz, but practice happens in the boring repetition no one watches
• Echoes his 'practice as method' frame: legitimacy comes from doing the thing consistently, not from external validation or trend cycles
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c4gyy4r93g3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
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