If your kid is interested in soccer, you may be wondering how to develop his hobby. You’ll have to consider his age. Here are a few ideas.
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Age 3 to 5 Years
If your child is young enough to fall in this age group i.e. preschoolers, it’s best to play only at home between you and her. Preschoolers actually don’t need to wear uniforms or club memberships.
In fact, club affiliations should be avoided at this age because they add far more structure than may be good for spontaneous learning and exploration, and of course fun, which is characteristic to this age.
Apart from a soccer ball and other accessories, you can also buy toys online Australia from Step2 Direct for your little prince so that he can choose between them and you can check whether he is truly interested in soccer.
If you play soccer with her at home, you may soon find that she is a lot of happy to kick the ball around just with you.
And besides being developmentally perfect, it can also be a great bonding time between you two. Plus, you don’t have to be a skilled player, but just a willing player.
Age 5 to 7 Years
This is a pretty crucial age in which you can try to understand your own child better.
If she has already been playing in school or has gained some basic knowledge about soccer at home, and is asking to play, she might be ready to register with your local soccer association.
However, if she has only a little or no experience of soccer, and if she is shy or hesitant in a group setting, it may be apt to register for an introductory soccer program.
Such programs typically place way less emphasis on competition and they give more importance to fun and basic learning for beginners.
Once your child completes such a program, she can give you a clear indication of whether she wants to join a youth soccer club and continue with the game or not.
This may be a time when you can buy her a soccer ball and budget-friendly kids soccer net at Step2 Direct to further encourage her.
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Age 7 to 12 Years
If your child is showing interest in soccer at this age, you must seriously look for registering him with your local youth soccer association.
There are high chances that he has played quite a bit during his school’s recess or with neighbourhood friends, and has a good idea of what he will be getting into.
The setting of a formal club should provide him with quality training and a high level of experience in the sport.
If possible, research about your local youth clubs and compare them with each other regarding the quality of training they provide.
Yours and your child’s goal should be learning soccer skills rather than formal league competition and trophies.
Even if your child wants to play soccer only for recreational purpose, you should encourage her because soccer is a great game for that too, as it helps develop all-round physical literacy, teamwork, friendships and love for play.
