Football is an excellent activity for getting your toddler excited about sport and enjoying physical activity. Here, we will take you through what to expect from your toddler’s first football class.
Physical activity is really important for toddlers. It helps them to develop their motor skills, their cognitive skills and their social skills. It helps them in a physical way but it will also be highly beneficial for their mental health and confidence.
But, before you sign your toddler up for any type of class, you want to know what to expect. Within this article, we will talk you through what to expect at your toddler’s first football class.
You Will Be Involved Throughout
With all of our classes, whether your child is 6 months old or 5 years old, you will be a part of your toddler’s football classes. When they are younger, you will be like their personal coach, helping them to do the activities.
As they get older – aged 3, 4 and 5 years old – we will begin to encourage cooperation and begin teaching them about teamwork but you will still be a part of the class and playing an active role.
Having the parents play an active role is important because it will help to increase your child’s confidence and self-esteem, whilst strengthening the emotional bond that you share with each other.
So, no matter what age your toddler has their first class with us, you will play an active role which will be a benefit to both you and your toddler.
Training From Professional Coaches
Now, although you will act as a sort of personal coach to your toddler, all of our classes are still run by highly experienced and professional coaches.
All of our coaches are:
- DBS qualified
- UKCFDS qualified
- First-aid trained
- Fully insured
You will be guided through the activities so you can help your child to the best of their ability by our coaches. Your child will be in safe hands from their first football class.
An Individual Approach For Every Child
From your toddler’s first football class, they will receive an individualised approach to their coaching. All of our classes are designed to be appropriate for each age group. Our classes are designed to help your child steadily develop their skills as they grow and learn with us.
But, all children are different. Some will find some activities and skills easy, others will find the same activities and skills challenging. This is why we take an individual approach to each and every child. We want every child to feel confident in all areas so we will take time to help them overcome any parts that they are finding more challenging, as well as helping them to celebrate all their successes.
Fun From Start To Finish
Your toddler’s first football class (and all the football classes with us after) will start with 5 minutes of free play. There will be kid-friendly music on whilst the equipment is set up and everyone is greeted by the coach.
Then, we will sit in a circle and do a quick little intro where everyone introduces themselves and we learn all the toddler’s names.
Now, we are ready to begin. We will do a warm up, using a bean bag, to another kid-friendly song.
Next, we are on to the actual football training in which your child will do activities using domes, skittles, balls and more bean bags.
Depending on the age of your child, your toddler’s first football class will last 35 to 45 minutes and then they will be ready to cool down and to close. Closing requires everyone to sit in a circle again as we go over what each child remembers from the session.
And then every child comes up to the front for a sticker and a round of applause!
As we said, fun from start to finish!
How To Prepare Your Toddler For Their First Football Class
There are some ways to get your toddler ready for their first football class. Within this section, we will look at some of the ways you can prepare them.
Buy Them A Football
One of the best ways to prepare your toddler for their first football class is to buy them a football. Start with a small football as this will help them get used to it and it will help you to see if they are truly interested in football. Size 1 is the ideal size for toddlers under 5 years old. You can buy a Size 1 Socatots football in our online shop.
Once they have their own football at home, you might find yourself surprised by how quickly they begin playing with it.
Get All The Family Involved
Psychologists have always known children learn by imitating adults. It is part of the child development process and it is even more prevalent with their parents and older siblings.
If your child sees you kicking a football around or having fun having a mini football match in the back garden, they will want to join in and copy you.
Make sure you give lots of praise at every opportunity. Receiving praise and seeing their family having fun with them will help them to associate football as a positive experience.
Watch Some Football With Them
Once you have established that your child does indeed enjoy football, a great next step would be to watch some football with them
If you can, take them to a live game. This doesn’t have to be a huge Premier League game, a local football team playing in your local park will be the perfect. They will get to see what happens in an actual match and football is very fun to watch live.
Watching a football match on television is also a great way to introduce them to football as a whole. Sit down and watch a game on television with them, explaining what is going on and answering any questions they might have.
This will feed their interest and help to get them excited for their first football class.
What To Expect At Your Toddler’s First Football Class
Your toddler’s first football class will be an exciting time for you both but, if you don’t know what to expect, it could also be nerve-wracking.
At our football classes, you toddler can expect fun, some excellent coaching, being guided and helped in a way that suits them and you! You will play an active role in your toddlers first football class. And all the ones that follow after. This helps to stop your toddler from feeling scared or overwhelmed and it gives them more confidence.
We hope this article has eased any worries you may have had and that you are as excited about your toddler’s first football class and they are.
If you would like to enroll your toddler in their first football class, please click here to find your local class.