But D.C. United player Devon McTavish - a former James Wood High School and West Virginia University standout - knows the current numbers don't lie.

More school age kids in the area play soccer than any other sport.

In conjunction with the Riverfront Christian School in Front Royal, McTavish, now living in Arlington, came back home to promote the sport he loves to nearly a 100 players comprising the Rams youth soccer teams last Wednesday.

"I'm promoting the sport I love," said the 22-year-old McTavish, a second-year midfielder for D.C. United. "It's not as big as football, baseball or basketball, but there are kids that truly have a passion for it."

McTavish spent over an hour at Riverfront - a part of Riverton United Methodist Church - signing autographs, posing for pictures, answering questions and even taking a few shots on goal to the delight of the Rams JV and middle school girls' teams.

"This is a pretty amazing opportunity for us," said 14-year-old Kayla Babick. "It's just awesome that we could meet him."

Teammate Amanda Callihan, also 14, agreed. "This is really a good experience for us," she said. "Just answering our questions will make us better."

Riverfront Rams coach Todd Dodge thought the opportunity for his players to meet a professional player would give them insights on what it takes to succeed on the playing field.

"It shows local kids that they can succeed and become  pro athletes no matter where you come from," he said. "Hopefully this will give them a greater appreciation for pro athletes, and that they too can succeed if they have goals and continue to strive for them."

Having goals and acting on them is exactly what McTavish, the first local high school player to ever play professional soccer, stressed to his enthralled audience.

"I watched a lot of soccer when I was growing up," he said. "I was lucky enough to go to a lot of different summer camps and got different outlooks on the game."

McTavish said being a successful soccer player is more than just being a great athlete.

"Technical ability is a thing that is often overlooked, especially in this area," he said. "We don't have a lot of experienced coaches - although it's getting better. A lot of them think athletic ability is enough, but nothing replaces good technique."

McTavish said the difference between high school soccer, collegiate soccer and the pro game is astounding.

"In high school most people just play for fun," McTavish said. "The big difference [professionally] is overall technique and athletic ability all over the field. At the pro level if you're not performing you're out of a job. There's a lot more passion."

McTavish then answered a few more questions from the Riverfront players, such as:

"Do you know David Beckam and Posh?" Answer: "No." and "I saw her at a game once."

"What's the farthest you have ever traveled to play a game?" Answer: "Spain,"

After posing for some pictures McTavish jogged down to Riverfront's fields and fired a few shots at goal.

Like much of the day, his technique was perfect.

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