Maybe Los Angeles is getting a bad rap.
The city of Los Angeles is often dismissed for its seemingly laissez-faire attitude and viewed more as a destination for fun than a foundation for family yet one very prominent and new Angeleno said it was the very place to bring his brood.
"I think it is the right place to bring up children and raise them. That is very important to us as parents," Beckham said. "We believe that we've always made decisions that were good for our children as well. (L.A.) is a great place to bring up kids and a great place for us as parents and for us as well."
Beckham and wife Victoria, the former Posh Spice, have garnered tremendous attention, both individually and as a couple, for a glamorous lifestyle that has taken them around the world and recently landed them in a Beverly Hills mansion.
But the region's latest superstar said he'd just as soon take a dip in his swimming pool and wear a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops as he would wear a tailored suit and be treated as a sensation like he was Friday at his introductory press conference.
"We are from working-class families and we've been brought up in the right way, I believe," Beckham said. "We don't look at ourselves as any different from any other person in this room or around us. We've always treated people with respect and we've always done that with our children. We're very aware of obviously the money that we've gotten out of our careers and we're very thankful of that."
Beckham and his wife have three boys, Brooklyn, 8, Romeo, 4, and Cruz, 2.
The future: With five years to play out his contract with the Galaxy, Beckham has time to make a decision about where his career will lead next but he's certain it will not lead into team management.
"I'll never become a manager, believe me," Beckham said. "I've been in different situations with different managers and different pressures but my future will not lie in management."
When his playing days do come to a close, Beckham said he'll work with children and he already has a head start with The David Beckham Academy.
"I am very passionate about working with children, boys and girls of all ages. That is why I started my academy, which is for kids ages 8-15," Beckham said. "It is not about the kids that have all the talent in the world. It is about kids just coming out and enjoying themselves and being in a safe place."
The academy has two locations, Los Angeles and London. Three- and five-day programs are offered in L.A. while one- three- and five-day sessions are available at the London facility as well as after-school programs.
"There are so many distractions in the world that are dangerous for kids around the world and that is why I started my academy because children are the future," Beckham said.
Se habla espanol: In his five seasons with Real Madrid, Beckham was able to pick up a little Spanish and is able to conduct a basic conversation in the language.
The Hispanic community is significant in the greater Los Angeles area and presents a large fan base for soccer in the region. Beckham said he's looking forward to reaching out to this group.
"I think the Latin community is huge on the soccer side in Los Angeles and in life," Beckham said. "It helps that I can speak a little bit of Spanish and understand more than I can speak but it is something that I want to get involved in and something that I'm interested to get involved in because the Latin community in America is huge."
Honorable duty: Beckham was captain of England's national team for nearly six years, making 58 appearances.
After losing his spot on the squad after the 2006 World Cup, Beckham was reinstated and made clear his intentions if he should get another opportunity to play for England.
"Without a doubt. If I'm called up to play in a friendly. If I'm called up to play in a qualifier. If I'm called up to play any game possible for my country I'll be there," Beckham said.
Name tags: Beckham met his new Galaxy teammates prior to his press conference Friday and related this one exchange with a player.
"I said, 'Nice to meet you,' and he said, 'Nice to meet you, too. What's your name?' It was a good start and a good icebreaker. It was good to be part of a room with a lot of characters and you could see that."
Mike Scarr is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
