I think it was the 2011 Womens' WC when Japan made the final against the US and one of the pre-game stories was about a Japanese player who grew up playing with boys until she was much older b/c there was not soccer for girls at the kid/youth level in most of Japan. I remember girls playing soccer in the 80's in the US, even in Texas where football was king.

Kevin Frazier is spot on. The way colleges now recruit, does playing club even matter anymore? Seems like all you need to do is go to those ID camps and do well.