Project Overview
Soccer is more than just a sport in St. Louis; it’s a tradition, a community identity, and a reflection of the city’s deep cultural history. While cities like Los Angeles, New York, or Atlanta have made recent headlines in the soccer world, St. Louis has been quietly but powerfully shaping the American game for over a century. Known for its deep connection to immigrant communities, Catholic schools, and working-class neighborhoods, St. Louis has long been considered one of the most important, and often overlooked, cities in the development of soccer in the United States.
This project, Soccer Roots: Mapping the Legacy of St. Louis Soccer, aims to explore the historical and cultural impact of soccer in the greater St. Louis region using a StoryMap, a digital storytelling tool that allows for the combination of maps, text, and media. By identifying and presenting seven key locations connected to St. Louis’s soccer legacy, the project will not only trace the city’s contributions to the sport’s past but also highlight how those foundations continue to shape its present and future.
The locations chosen range from early immigrant neighborhoods where soccer first took root, to high school and college programs that produced national talent, to professional venues like CityPark, the home of the city’s new MLS franchise. One of these locations is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), whose men’s soccer program has played a significant role in developing local talent, including myself, as a current player. Through a mix of personal perspective and historical research, the project emphasizes how St. Louis functions as both a historical center and a living system that still nurtures soccer culture today.
The decision to use a StoryMap as the project tool was based on its ability to blend geography with narrative. Soccer in St. Louis is tied deeply to specific places, church fields, local stadiums, city neighborhoods, and understanding its development requires a spatial lens. Rather than writing a traditional research paper, this project allows users to interact with each site and see the broader network of influence through mapped storytelling.
The information in this project draws from a combination of primary and secondary sources. A key primary source is the match report and historical coverage of the 1950 FIFA World Cup, in which five St. Louis players helped the U.S. team defeat England in one of the most famous upsets in tournament history. This moment has become a cornerstone of the city’s claim to soccer greatness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v_England_%281950_FIFA_World_Cup%29
A valuable secondary source is the Wikipedia article “Soccer in St. Louis,” which provides a comprehensive overview of the city’s soccer history, including the development of amateur and professional teams, notable players, and the city’s influence on the national soccer scene.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_in_St._Louis
Additional details and current perspectives are also drawn from the official website of St. Louis City SC (https://www.stlcitysc.com), which provides information about the club’s foundation, goals, and community engagement efforts. This source reflects how professional soccer is now returning to the city with long-term infrastructure, fan support, and youth investment.
Together, these sources help paint a full picture of soccer’s past and future in St. Louis, from church leagues to World Cup glory, and now to professional stadiums in the heart of downtown. The interactive nature of the StoryMap will allow viewers to engage with each story geographically and historically, seeing how the culture of soccer is spread across the region and continues to grow.
