Why Soccer Shots Is Here In Los Angeles

Hi, my name is Alyssa Heim and I’m co-owner, with my husband Rian, of Soccer Shots in LA. We are 4 years strong and getting stronger! We are in over 65 preschools in the Los Angeles area!  Someone recently asked us why we decided to make Soccer Shots our family business.  We both wanted to run a business together that impacted youth in our local community. I come from a background in teaching youth at risk and constantly am reminded of the importance of providing a strong emotional and physical foundation for kids.  We both hold a strong belief that socialization skills and group activity are a vital part of the development of our youth as they learn and grow.  And Voila!  Soccer Shots LA was born!

And now that we have a child of our own, it’s not just a business…it’s an adventure!  Ha ha, ok it sounds corny but it really has become a way of life for us.  And we try to maintain that consistency in our work and our home life.   Ever since becoming a mom, (just over a year ago) I have tried my hardest to provide all things healthy for Charlie, such as breastfeeding, making all of his pureed baby foods out of organic fruits and vegetables and continuing to feed him all of the top quality foods with variety and different tastes and textures.  This philosophy will then continue into his physical activity.  But for now it’s play dates, toddler classes and a lot of trips to the park.  In the future I look forward to signing him up for Soccer Shots classes, trips to museums and chasing him around the zoo!

And that future is coming quickly now that Charlie is starting to walk (with a hand or a walker…or anything that moves!) It is so much fun for me to watch his excitement in accomplishing such a minor task as walking up and down our walkway.  It’s obvious that he looks at us for approval and a clap or cheer.  He’s not able to kick a ball yet, but it’s coming soon!  The size 3 soccer ball is constantly being tossed and rolled across our living room though. We want to duplicate that same positive experience, that sense of achievement in our students!  So we train our coaches on role modeling positive energy and feedback and how to play non-competitive soccer games created to make the children feel excited and accomplished.  We really strive to create a healthy, happy environment for your children and ours!

2011 Soccer Shots Community Outreach Award

The Soccer Shots Community Outreach Award (SSCOA) is our way of giving back to the local community. In addition to our nationwide and worldwide efforts with our very own non-profit initiative Global Goals, we are also very much interested in having a positive impact on the underserved communities here in Los Angeles.

The SSCOA was created to do just that. To give back to the children here in our local community by bringing soccer directly to the schools and centers that serve these children. To accomplish this we are offering you an opportunity for your children to experience Soccer Shots at your school/site/program. This will be in the form of a 10 week season of Soccer Shots for all of your children ages 3-5. In the 2011-12 school year, we hope to give out a total of $10,000 in Soccer Shots sessions!

How does it work? We come to you, once a week for 10 weeks and offer a 30 minute soccer session to your children.

If you are interested in becoming one of the few selected schools to receive the SSCOA please complete the application process below.

Our application process is simple!

• Name of School/Site/Program:
• Mailing address:
• Contact person:
• Title:
• Phone:
• Email:
• Website:
• Number of children age 3-5:
• Mission statement:
• Tell us HOW Soccer Shots would benefit your children and WHY your school/site/program is deserving of the 2011 Soccer Shots Community Outreach Award.

To apply, please submit your application to Soccer Shots:
1) Email rian@soccershots.org
or
2) Mail to Soccer Shots, PO Box 5741, Playa Del Rey, CA 90296

Applications must be received by June 30, 2011.

Online: soccershots.org/losangeles
Blog: soccershotslosangeles.org
Follow Us: facebook.com/soccershotslosangeles
Reviews: yelp.com/biz/soccer-shots-los-angeles
(310) 857-6560

Celebrate Screen-Free Week: April 18-24

Soccer Shots Los Angeles is proud to be an official endorser of Screen-Free Week (April 18-24), the annual celebration where children, families, schools, and communities turn off screens and turn on life. What would you and your family do with an extra 20, 30, even 50 hours a week? Please visit www.screenfree.org to learn how you can get involved and join in the fun.

We all know that children spend far too much time with screens: an astonishing average of 32 hours a week for preschoolers and even more for older children. Excessive screen time is harmful for children—it’s linked to poor school performance, childhood obesity, attention problem, and the erosion of creative play.

Screen-Free Week (formerly TV-Turnoff) is a wonderful way to help children lead healthier, happier lives by reducing dependence on entertainment screen media—including television, video games, computers, and hand-held devices.  By encouraging children and families to unplug, Screen-Free Week provides time for them to play, connect with nature, read, daydream, create, explore, and spend more time with family and friends.  And, of course, Screen-Free Week isn’t just about snubbing screens for seven days; it’s a springboard for important lifestyle changes that will improve well-being and quality of life all year round!

Anyone can participate in Screen-Free Week simply by refraining from using screens for entertainment during the week of April 18-24, 2011. But experience tells us that it’s more fun – and more effective – to go Screen-Free with others. Since 1996, tens of thousands of parents, teachers, healthcare professionals, scout leaders and clergy have helped millions of children turn off screens and turn on life by organizing local Screen-Free Weeks.

Screen-Free Week organizers and their teams promote the week, reach out to community partners, get children and families to participate, and help them discover fun screen-free activities. You can organize a Screen-Free Week in a classroom, an entire school, with a scout troop, faith community, neighborhood association, at your local library or in any community or civic group. To learn how you can become a Screen-Free Week organizer, please visit www.screenfree.org.

Our Global Goals Pledge

We have pledged to donate $1 from every Soccer Shots registration to Global Goals (www.soccershots.org/globalgoals.html), which will benefit the US Soccer Foundation.

The U.S. Soccer Foundation is working to ensure that children in underserved communities throughout the U.S. have easy and affordable access to quality soccer programs that support their physical and personal development. The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are designed to keep kids active and healthy. They guide children away from negative influences by providing them with safe and healthy places to play after school – the most dangerous hours of the day. Players receive attention and support from caring mentors and coaches who work to ensure that they develop into healthy and successful young adults.

The new spring season kicks off next week at most schools. Register here, losangeles.soccershots.org. Thank you for signing your child up for Soccer Shots and for your support of the Global Goals campaign!

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