"And parents who don't want to put their kids in demanding, competitve situations."
You wouldn't say that face to face with my sons and the fellows they grew up with. All three of my boys played soccer in the competive Nothern Virginia leagues. They all crewed on varisty eight teams. And they played some basketball and tennis. All are well adjusted young men now. One is an Infantry Officer and Army Ranger.
I won't denigrate football or any of the other sports but my guys did just fine with the sports they did participate in.
Trust me, he/she wouldn't say it to my nephews' faces either.
I wasn't talking about the players, I was talking about the parents who put their kids in soccer programs because it's an easy sport for a youngster to play with either limited athletic ability or limited athletic ambition. Whatever you did for your kids is fine with me. You obviously raised them with something other than soccer alone.