The Idea of the Free Beer Movement

U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati speaks to U.S. supporters

(including the American Outlaws) in Chicago. He might have been taking about this....

The idea is simple: invite your friends to a soccer game, buy them a beer. There... you've done it! You're now a participant in the Free Beer Movement.

You watch soccer at home, in bars, at the stadiums, you might even have enough physical stamina to play the sport itself. Now it's time to take what you already do and share that love of this sport with others.

In the United States, for a number of Americans, the verdict is still out on soccer. We have no doubts of our own passion for it, but for millions of others they remain underexposed to the sport. Rather than have Jim Rome's and other old-school soccer-hating media-types define OUR sport to others, we must become the voice for soccer. We are ambassadors of our sport.

There are many ways one could do this, but the Free Beer Movement subscribes to the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) philosophy of life. What's more simple than a free beer?

Use your passion, use your knowledge, above all use free beer and expose the underexposed to soccer. Once they're in the door of the bar, the gate of the stadium, or just the comforts of your hope you've got ninety minutes for soccer to entertain and for you to educate that newbie.

Will every person you bring into your soccer home (be it your actually home or pub or stadium) become an instant fanatic? Probably not. The point isn't to indoctrinate these "soccer newbies", but to introduce them to what you love and help them develop and nurture an appreciation for the sport.

Beer and soccer. Looks pretty good together, huh?

Consider this: if each Free Beer Mover (that's you!) brought ten people to various games throughout the year and bought them free beer, that is most definitely ten people that would not have watched a second of soccer otherwise. If even one of those people became a true-blue soccer fan, that's one more person to be added to the rolls of the soccer faithful that would have NEVER touched the sport before if not for your free beer intervention.

It is a win-win situation for all involved! You're already watching and going to games (and probably drinking beer), so why not have some more company? We've all seen or been to games with either empty seats or them filled with too many of our opponents. Now is our chance to fill them with future fans.

A silly idea leads to serious economic support behind American soccer. More fans in the seats means more cash on hand for clubs to invest in marketing, stadium improvements (or building one!), academy programs, and player signings.... all things that increase the quality and attractiveness of our domestic league.

Being a soccer fan and supporting the game is nothing to be ashamed about. Too often, we soccer fans, are content with being that sporting outsider, supporters of a niche American sport. Outcasts among the ignorant. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY! Soccer is the world's game and the fastest growing sport in the United States. We have a viable domestic league, an exciting National Team headed to this year's World Cup, and fans as dedicated and passionate as any other sport in this country.

The Free Beer Movement is not only a philosophy for growing the game, but an organization that wants to empower American soccer fans to take pride in their version of the global game.

Being a soccer fan does not have to be solitary life. Show your colors, define your passion, share it with friends over free beer and grow the sport in this country to where it is on par with the rest of the world.

"Invite your friends to a soccer game, buy them a beer".

It's a simple idea with big implications.

Help build American soccer one beer at a time.

And it starts with you.

Support the Movement. Get the Free Beer Movement T-Shirt. Only from Objectivo.com