Published by The Believer
Words by Chris Feliciano Arnold
Illustration by Jude Weir
There are some incredible literary magazines coming out of America at the moment, and The Believer is consistently one of the best. This essay by Chris Feliciano Arnold is an example of what it does so well, offering an intimate glimpse of everyday family life that’s also a clever and critical reflection on national identity within the American machine. The beautiful game (or jogo bonito) is going to become much more American this summer, and this is what that version of football looks like.
Opened in 2020, the COPA Soccer Training Center in Walnut Creek, California, is a 117,000-square-foot, three-story-high labyrinth of sensor-enabled practice spaces where boys and girls ages one through nineteen can refine the individual skills necessary to attract scouts from major European clubs.
Perched above the glass entryway, a gargantuan soccer ball spins slowly like a planet. Seven days a week, morning, noon, and night, families from around the Bay Area orbit the drop-off/pickup circle. Young athletes in yellow-and-black COPA jerseys scan their membership badges at the front desk before reporting to the areas designated for their age group and skill level.