Why Should Kids Be Encouraged To Play Soccer?

In today's media we are constantly being reminded of a health time bomb which is about to explode as children today are not active enough.

There are so many competing distractions for our children's attention, video games, endless channels to watch, these can all cause sedentary lifestyle if they are not kept in check.

Soccer is the beautiful game, played by millions of little girls and boys (aged six to 18) across many continents, whether it is on the beaches of Rio, the back alleys of a major city close by or perhaps the nearby park, you will find someone kicking a football around.

In today's society there has been a shift to more organised soccer practice for our youth players. Gone are the days of jumpers for goal posts, as streets are littered with automobiles and grass verges now have houses built on them.

Having a more structured approach is both a very good and a terrible thing; on just one hand young players get structured education and development through willing volunteers who show them how everything from how to warm up correctly, develop their technical ability with the ball right through to skill development and organised small sided games to wrap everything up together to make a complete learning experience.

Today time is limited and for that reason there could possibly be only one hour or even two devoted to structured soccer practice during the week, what happens when practice is over?

Getting your child to get involved in an organised soccer school or club is able to bring tremendous benefits to you as well as your kid.

Soccer is able to help boost your child's self esteem, which feeds their self talk which ultimately drives their performance. But soccer is not the only winner, quite often it can be seen that academic performance can increases to!

Research has shown that getting young children included in soccer at a first stage promotes a real healthy attitude towards this attitude and the game continues with them into adult life.

The main reason children play soccer is to have fun; if soccer is fun and enjoyable then players will have to go on playing. This benefits the overall fitness of theirs and reduces their health risks considerably.

Soccer is made fun by coaches worldwide who willingly quit their time voluntarily to organise youth soccer practice and coach teams.

Gone are the days when soccer, for the very young players, was an 11 a side game with offside rules and no touches of the ball for substantial periods of the game.

Youth soccer from the age of six to eleven is typically about having fun, playing small sided matches including four v 4 with no goal keepers, promoting lots of touches of the ball and player interaction on the pitch.

Through playing soccer and encouraging kids to take regular exercise many of the risk factors which are connected with heart disease such as diabetes and obesity might be reduced significantly. It is stated that childhood obesity has increased by at least fifty % after 1976, which happens to be a truly scary fact.

Having your kid involved in soccer does not just improve their health. We've talked about already the improvements at school.

Social benefits, like mixing with others, having to work as a team, contributing through individual effort to a collective goal, experiencing the highs and lows, picking each other up, competition, striving to be the very best, aiming to win as well as supporting and helping others are all by products of playing soccer.

Many of the life skills that the players learn through soccer are beneficial in life that is later, exactly how to develop and create relationships, developing a sense of co-operation, how you can lead individuals, how you can deal with adversity, what commitment means and punctuality, are all key qualities that will benefit the players in adult life.

If your child is already playing soccer, great. But what can you do if you wish to have your kid in the middle of a local soccer team? Here are 7 must ask questions that you and the child of yours should consider when trying to locate a suitable club...

One) What level of commitment is called for in terms of practice sessions and games at the weekend?

Two) At what time are the training sessions? At what time are games played, what is the format and just how much time will you have to devote?

Three) How far are you ready to travel to training and to matches? Some clubs will operate travel teams where distances can be extensive, including overnight stops.

4) What are the costs involved? Some clubs adopt a pay whenever you play, others a more structured approach. Probably the most expensive clubs aren't always the best, ask yourself is what your paying in the equivalent to what your kid is getting out?

Five) What do you and your kid want out of playing soccer? This needs to be lined up with the prospective clubs philosophy, is it about having fun or even winning?

6) How best will your child learn, develop and stay interested? Are they happy just to be involved or even would they thrive in a considerably more competitive environment?

7)What is the clubs constitution and philosophy to soccer, just how long have they been in existence, the experience of the coaches, location, facilities etc.

Once you've considered the above questions what are your next steps to finding a good club or perhaps soccer organisation for your child?

You can...

I) Get in touch with the local Soccer Association of yours by searching the internet or looking in yellow pages. They will be in a position to present you with a list of clubs and organisations in your local area.

ii) Ask other parents/guardians about local junior and youth soccer teams. You'll be astonished at how many adults or their kids are involved.

iii) Encourage you kids to question their school mates where they play their soccer. Knowing some of the team could be a serious advantage as players integrate themselves into a team.

iv) Ask your child's headmaster or form tutor if they know of any clubs or organisations. Many clubs have formed good relationships with the schools over the years.

v) Read the local papers or local news websites you will be amazed at how much coverage youth and junior soccer gets.

These 5 practical steps should enable you to get a club that meets yours and your child's soccer aspirations. But, if there still soccer news espn is not a club near you that can satisfy a need why not look to put up the own team of yours!