A Former ATR Contributor Enjoys the World Cup -- ATRadio

(ATR) Going to the World Cup can be a logistical challenge and a life-culminating goal for many football fans.

Norman Li has managed to make it to his third World Cup, although his time in Russia was purely as a fan. Li previously covered the 2010 and 2014 World Cups for Tencent, the Chinese media outlet. It was through this position that he became a contributor to Around the Ringsand remains a friend of the website.

Li is now an Assistant Professor in Sports Management at St. Ambrose University in Iowa, where his research focuses on the nexus of social media and sports. Li sat down for a discussion to provide some insights into how the World Cup was going in Russia, and some stories from watching matches in Moscow and visiting St. Petersburg.

"I really enjoyed my experience in Russia this time because I don't have to work!" Li said of the main difference between his experiences. "I have met a lot of great people, and the most important thing is to see how soccer has the power to unite the whole world together."

Russia's organization has been smooth according to Li, but the sheer size of the country may have dampened a little of the enthusiasm with fans having to juggle logistics to follow their teams. Listen below for the full episode of ATRadio:

Written by Aaron Bauer

For general comments or questions, click here .

25 Years at # 1: Your best source for news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com , for subscribers only.