| The benefits for young boys and girls of
| |
| | mentioned already the improvements at
|
| playing soccer are numerous and the
| |
| | school.
|
| benefits can be seen both on and off the
| |
| | Social benefits, such as mixing with
|
| soccer pitch. From fitness to social
| |
| | others, having to work as a team,
|
| interaction and life skills soccer
| |
| | contributing through individual effort to
|
| provides an unusual, but ideal, training
| |
| | a collective goal, experiencing the highs
|
| ground for later life.
| |
| | and lows, picking each other up,
|
| In today's media we are constantly
| |
| | competition, striving to be the best,
|
| being reminded of a health time bomb that
| |
| | aiming to win and supporting and helping
|
| is about to explode as children today are
| |
| | others are all by products of playing
|
| not active enough.
| |
| | soccer.
|
| There are so many competing distractions
| |
| | Many of the life skills that the players
|
| for our children's attention, video
| |
| | learn through soccer are beneficial in
|
| games, endless channels to watch, these
| |
| | later life, how to form and build
|
| can all lead to sedentary lifestyle if
| |
| | relationships, developing a sense of
|
| they are not kept in check.
| |
| | co-operation, how to lead people, how to
|
| Soccer is the beautiful game, played by
| |
| | handle adversity, what commitment means
|
| millions of young girls and boys (aged 6
| |
| | and punctuality, are all key qualities
|
| to 18) across many continents, whether
| |
| | that will benefit the players in adult
|
| it's on the beaches of Rio, the back
| |
| | life.
|
| alleys of a major city nearby or the
| |
| | If your child is already playing soccer,
|
| local park, you will find someone kicking
| |
| | great. But what can you do if you want to
|
| a football around.
| |
| | get your child involved in a local soccer
|
| In today's society there has been a shift
| |
| | team? Here are seven must ask questions
|
| to more organised soccer practice for our
| |
| | that you and your child should consider
|
| youth players. Gone are the days of
| |
| | when attempting to find a suitable
|
| jumpers for goal posts, as streets are
| |
| | club...
|
| littered with cars and grass verges now
| |
| | 1) What level of commitment is required
|
| have houses built on them.
| |
| | in terms of practice sessions and games
|
| Having a more structured approach is both
| |
| | at the weekend?
|
| a good and a bad thing; on one hand young
| |
| | 2) When are the training sessions? When
|
| players get structured development and
| |
| | are games played, what's the format and
|
| education through willing volunteers who
| |
| | how much time will you need to devote?
|
| show them how everything from how to warm
| |
| | 3) How far are you willing to travel to
|
| up correctly, develop their technical
| |
| | training and to matches? Some clubs will
|
| ability with the ball right through to
| |
| | operate travel teams where distances can
|
| skill development and organised small
| |
| | be considerable, including overnight
|
| sided games to wrap everything up
| |
| | stops.
|
| together to provide a total learning
| |
| | 4) What are the costs involved? Some
|
| experience.
| |
| | clubs adopt a pay when you play, others a
|
| Today time is limited and therefore there
| |
| | more structured approach. The most
|
| may be only an hour or two devoted to
| |
| | expensive clubs are not always the best,
|
| structured soccer practice during the
| |
| | ask yourself is what your paying in the
|
| week, what happens when practice is
| |
| | equivalent to what your child is getting
|
| over?Getting your child to participate in
| |
| | out?
|
| an organised soccer school or club can
| |
| | 5) What do you and your child want out of
|
| bring tremendous benefits to you and your
| |
| | playing soccer? This needs to be aligned
|
| child.
| |
| | with the prospective clubs philosophy, is
|
| Soccer can help increase your child's
| |
| | it about having fun or winning?
|
| self esteem, which feeds their self talk
| |
| | 6) How best will your child learn,
|
| which ultimately drives their
| |
| | develop and stay interested? Are they
|
| performance. But soccer isn't the only
| |
| | happy just to be involved or would they
|
| winner, quite often it can be seen that
| |
| | thrive in a more competitive environment?
|
| academic performance can increases
| |
| | 7)What is the clubs constitution and
|
| to!Studies have shown that getting young
| |
| | philosophy to soccer, how long have they
|
| children involved in soccer at an early
| |
| | been in existence, the experience of the
|
| stage promotes a real healthy attitude
| |
| | coaches, location, facilities etc.
|
| towards the game and this attitude
| |
| | Once you have considered the above
|
| continues with them into adult life.
| |
| | questions what are your next steps to
|
| The number one reason why children play
| |
| | finding a suitable club or soccer
|
| soccer is to have fun; if soccer is fun
| |
| | organisation for your child?
|
| and enjoyable then players will want to
| |
| | You can...i) Get in touch with your local
|
| continue playing. This benefits their
| |
| | Soccer Association by searching the web
|
| overall fitness and reduces their health
| |
| | or looking in yellow pages. They should
|
| risks considerably.
| |
| | be able to provide you with a list of
|
| Soccer is made fun by coaches worldwide
| |
| | clubs and organisations in your local
|
| who willingly give up their time
| |
| | area.ii) Ask other parents/guardians
|
| voluntarily to organise youth soccer
| |
| | about local junior and youth soccer
|
| practice and coach teams.
| |
| | teams. You'll be surprised at how many
|
| Gone are the days when soccer, for the
| |
| | adults or their children are
|
| really young players, was an 11 a side
| |
| | involved.iii) Encourage you children to
|
| game with offside rules and no touches of
| |
| | ask their school mates where they play
|
| the ball for massive periods of the game.
| |
| | their soccer. Knowing some of the team
|
| Youth soccer from the age of 6 to 11 is
| |
| | can be a real advantage as players
|
| typically about having fun, playing small
| |
| | integrate themselves into a team.iv) Ask
|
| sided matches such as 4 v 4 with no goal
| |
| | your child's form tutor or headmaster if
|
| keepers, promoting lots of touches of the
| |
| | they know of any clubs or organisations.
|
| ball and player interaction on the pitch.
| |
| | Many clubs have formed good relationships
|
| Through playing soccer and encouraging
| |
| | with the schools over the years.v) Read
|
| children to take regular exercise many of
| |
| | the local papers or local news websites
|
| the risk factors that are associated with
| |
| | you'll be amazed at how much coverage
|
| heart disease such as obesity and
| |
| | youth and junior soccer gets.
|
| diabetes can be reduced significantly. It
| |
| | These five practical steps should enable
|
| is stated that childhood obesity has
| |
| | you to find a club that meets yours and
|
| increased by more than 50% since 1976,
| |
| | your child's soccer aspirations. However,
|
| which is a really scary fact.
| |
| | if there still isn't a club near you that
|
| Getting your child involved in soccer
| |
| | can satisfy a need why not look to set up
|
| doesn't just improve their health. We've
| |
| | your own team!
|
