While we may not all grow up to become the next Lionel Messi or to play for the England women’s football team, there are plenty of good reasons to learn about our national game from a very early age.
As a leading provider of bespoke football training sessions for children in London, SoccerKidz can see the benefits of encouraging youngsters to take up sport, and football in particular. Here we look at six of the principal advantages that regular activity sessions can offer.
Better Health
It goes without saying that it’s better for youngsters to be outside taking part in a physical activity than sitting at home playing on their computer console, but there is now strong scientific evidence that sport in general reduces the risk of many conditions, including heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancer, whatever age you are. And now a study from Copenhagen University has suggested that football may be better than other forms of exercise, such as weightlifting or jogging because the stop-start nature of the game helps long-term fitness and burns fat.
As well as the physical health benefits, being outside in the fresh air, not worrying about the stresses and strains of every day life has huge benefits for our mental health as well.
The Importance of Teamwork
While sport develops an individual’s skills, football is ultimately a team game. By playing regular football, children learn the importance of passing the ball to a better-placed team member, instead of going for goal themselves. They will soon come to realise they are more likely to win if they operate collectively rather than individually.
Learning how to use teamwork encourages children to put personal differences aside and to work together for a common goal. They also they learn how to communicate effectively with friends, teammates and coaches.
Making Friends
Playing football gives youngsters an opportunity to socialise and meet new people outside of the home and classroom. This socialisation is particularly important if your child has just moved school, or your family is new to the area. It can also help your child settle into a social group and make friends with a common interest much more quickly. This shared love of football is likely to develop into other social events too.
Bonding with Parents
It is not always the case that parental involvement in sport and football can be a bad thing. Parents can play a pivotal role in helping their child improve at any given sport. Football especially can improve a child’s relationship with either parent as it can be a sport you both learn to love and play it together.
Learning Through Play
As well as learning about the importance of teamwork, children can also build up an individual skill set in any given sport. Their self-confidence will grow rapidly as they begin to achieve success on the football pitch or sports field, which will help enable them to keep losses and other problems off the field in perspective.
Having Fun
Having fun is one of the major benefits of youth football and the primary reason we play sports in the first place! Whatever the age, size or skill level of a child, at SoccerKidz, we put an emphasis on the enjoyment of the game over everything else. We teach children the basics of football, but also change the skills taught in our sessions frequently so they are constantly facing fresh challenges.
SoccerKidz offers a range of top-class football courses for children in London, Enfield, Essex and Hertfordshire. We coach boys and girls of all abilities aged between 3.5 and 14 years old. Our fully-qualified coaches can also provide one-to-one outfield and goalkeeping coaching and invitation-only elite sessions.
We offer primary schools PPA cover, including breakfast clubs, lunchtime activities and afterschool clubs, as well as multi-sports lessons for nursery children up to and including year 6. SoccerKidz also offers football-themed birthday parties.
For more information on our range of courses and services, please get in touch today using this contact form.
