Your 2-year-old is an active child who enjoys running around and kicking a soccer ball. Is there a good age for her to start soccer? You can use this post to decide the best time to enroll your child in organized soccer.
The following thoughts are based on my experience coaching children’s youth soccer for almost 30 years, including owning my franchise. Using this article as a guide, you can determine what age your child should start playing organized soccer.
ARE TODDLERS TOO YOUNG TO PLAY SOCCER
No, most 2 years old is ready to play soccer. To get a complete answer, read on for the more important question.
You should ask yourself whether you should enroll them and pay for an organized soccer season. Kids who haven’t turned two aren’t old enough to play soccer. Your son can kick the ball as when your son can stand alone without falling. Encourage him to continue if he is having fun.
Developing gross motor skills leads to developing fine motor skills. Besides developing balance and foot-eye coordination, he is also learning to judge speed and anticipate. You can quickly progress by creating a makeshift goal or using a pop-up net.
Whether or not you want them enrolled in a soccer league is the question you need to answer. What are the benefits of youth soccer leagues for your child?
I can tell you that my youngest child enjoyed dribbling around with decent skill when he was just two years old. But, of course, having older siblings to watch him play gave him an advantage. As a result, it was only natural for him to want to copy the activities of his older siblings and play too.
Early in the 1990s, toddlers and preschoolers had no access to organized programs in towns and counties or children’s soccer coaching businesses like today. In addition, the popularity of soccer for kids was just beginning to grow. So here’s the good news: You have various options on the type of soccer program to start with for your child.
In your area, youth soccer has exploded, and there are several venues to choose from. However, determining whether your child will benefit from playing organized soccer with other children and following coach instructions is challenging.
THE 5 DETERMINING FACTORS
These are the five considerations your child should consider, in detail, before enrolling in an organized soccer program or kicking it in the backyard with dad.
1. Maturity and interest of your young player
In many ways, your child is unique. Some kids are “ready” early, and others aren’t. Their skills, interests, abilities, and motivations change as children grow. If you ensure it’s mostly a positive experience, exposing them to new experiences is generally a good idea.
Using threats to force participation is not a good idea. Encourage others positively. The best thing you can do for a child is to tell them they will have a great time. You can ease your child’s anxiety by explaining what may happen.
There are mixed feelings in terms of awarding “prizes” for participation. With this choice, you should follow your parenting philosophy. Some parents find rewarding their children for participating fully in soccer activities each day beneficial.
Related blog post: Benefits of Playing Soccer For Youngsters
2. YOUR SOCCER GOALS
Choosing an age-based soccer program should be based on your goals. If you’re the parent of a young soccer player, this doesn’t have to be a formal written plan.
We sent our preteen kids to a high-end, prestigious soccer camp when they were preteens. Their level of interest in soccer was a bit too serious and intensive. Fortunately, it didn’t discourage them from playing, and they continued to do so throughout their high school career. However, they weren’t motivated to become ultimate level players-they just liked playing soccer.
Soccer is one of the best sports to choose if you are looking for a way to give your child fun and exercise at the same time. In addition to traditional sports, many of them require more developed fine motor skills. For example, when your child can walk, they can learn basic dribbling in soccer.
3. CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOCCER PROGRAM
Your child should start soccer at the right age, and you should find the right location and program for their needs. Across the country, there are many kiddie soccer programs. Depending on your child’s age, the following categories may have a soccer program for kids:
- There are franchised programs like SuperBestFriends, i9 Sports, Happy Feet, LilKickers, and Mighty Kicks.
- Organize a recreational league in your city.
- Playgroups organize their soccer sessions.
- They are designed to develop elite players, a private club.
If your child doesn’t enjoy it after two or three weeks, ask for a refund. Whenever a parent doubted their child would participate, I told them to enroll without paying tuition. Most youth soccer companies may not allow this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. As a result, I could collect tuition money a few weeks into the school year without my parents feeling pressured.
4. SCHEDULE FOR SOCCER PLAY
One of the mistakes I made was on the timing of one of my soccer programs for kids ages 3-5. Unfortunately, the timing of our soccer class coincided with nap time for a few of the parents I surveyed at the end of the year.
The kids would fall asleep in the car on the way to soccer practice. For many parents, adjusting their child’s emotional state upon being woken up for soccer practice is challenging.
You should be aware of your child’s nap needs and timing and avoid soccer practices disrupting their sleep. It’s also important to remember your schedule. If you’re overly rushed in getting your toddler to soccer in time, it may also affect your mental state.
Your young soccer player can get “negative vibes” from mommy or daddy when a hectic schedule stresses them. Unfortunately, that can affect the overall experience of participating in youth soccer.
5. TRAINER
Coaching quality is probably the most critical factor for your young child to get the most out of their soccer experience. A soccer coach must possess 5 qualities to coach your preschooler or toddler.
- ENERGETIC AND ENTHUSIASTIC
The attention span of kids (and some adults) is short. So when kids are just starting with soccer, coaches need to maintain a high energy level.
- PATIENCE
The truth is out there. You can’t always expect your children to behave perfectly. For example, new soccer players typically hold the ball when traveling off the field or continue to dribble it.
- EXPERIENCE
Coaches new to the profession have little experience dealing with new situations. Coaches with more experience can handle toddlers and preschoolers, unique age groups. - SILLINESS
Testing a coach’s ability to act silly is one of the things we’d do before hiring them. Yes, really. The coaches who worked weird, gestured funny and made silly animal sounds were the ones who captivated the kids’ attention.
Can high-level soccer players be good coaches for young children? Young children should be introduced to soccer as soon as possible. A child’s character traits are essential.
Despite some soccer coaches’ impressive credentials and accomplishments, this does not necessarily translate into being a great coach for very young children. Soccer coaches, I hired with little or no experience came to work for me.
Conclusion:
Please let me know if you found this article on the best age to start soccer helpful. Of course, soccer age depends on your child and the factors we discussed above. However, children as young as two can play soccer and have fun if they follow a few simple guidelines.
Having a soccer ball in their hands as soon as they can walk is a great way for kids to have fun and develop their motor skills. Shin guards and goalie gloves aren’t necessary at first.
Initially, they don’t need to enroll in a paid youth soccer program to kick the ball around. The younger a player, the younger they start, the better their chances of success. It is true that the more you play something, including sports, the better you get at it. Children who attend preschool have a more leisurely start to a school than those who start kindergarten for the first time.
Fun should be the number one objective of any soccer program. Having fun will encourage your child to play regularly, leading to more growth as a player and individual.
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