Play the Soccer Shots Tunnel Game at home with your child! It’s fun and easy as well as encourages active play while creating a bonding experience.
(Guest post from Soccer Shots Franchising)
Soccer Shots is a youth soccer program for toddlers to elementary school children where we use soccer to teach more than just fundamentals of the game.
We do this through fun, noncompetitive games that use imagination and creativity.
As a leader in the field of soccer for toddlers to 8-year-olds we know the importance of continuing children’s physical education at home and want to share a game that parents can do with their children. This at-home game will help your child not only learn to pass the ball with control but will also get them running around and having fun.
Passing is a basic skill that is simple to learn and practice. First step is to dig out a soccer ball (or one of similar size) and show your child that when passing, it is best to use the inside of your foot. Doing this allows for a straighter, more controlled pass. If you kick with your toe, there is less of a chance the ball goes where you intended because you have less control.
The idea is to have your child properly pass the ball between your legs, or “the tunnel”. Once they pass it, it’s their job to run past you to retrieve their ball and do it again. You can vary the distance depending on your child’s ability and make sure they continue to use the inside of their foot. You may also try using the other foot too, that way they start learning to use both feet.
Take turns with your child so you can be the passer too.
(Guest post from Coach Matthew at Soccer Shots Los Angeles)
One little girl spent an entire season sitting on the sidelines. In fact, she would complain of being too tired to play and ended up lying down most of the class. I had a meeting with her teacher and discovered this behavior occurred in class as well.
Along with the Director of the school, we spoke to the parent as to our concerns of her daughter’s well-being. We suggested that she first have her daughter checked out by her doctor.
After finding out that she had no physical issues, we all encouraged the mother to enroll her daughter the following season of Soccer Shots.
I reinforced that children learn and engage differently and this is not a reflection of her parenting. I remained very patient and gave her the space that she needed while continuing to offer encouragement.
This little girl ended up being the first to volunteer in every class. She was fully engaged and we could not get her off the soccer field after class ended.
Coach Matthew, SSLA
(Guest post from Coach Jenn at Soccer Shots Los Angeles)
I had an “Aha!” moment last week in regards to how to get the kids engaged and enthusiastic about what we’re doing at Soccer Shots. At the school where I’m teaching, I had a short meeting with the principal to talk about the children’s progress and behavior. We identified some of the kids that were getting out of hand and those that were not engaged in the games we were playing. She gave me some tips on how to handle them. Coaches, don’t be afraid to ask for advice!
The students were more engaged and paid better attention as well as behaved better as a group. I was also able to give them more attention instead of chasing them to keep them present.
Also there was one boy in the class who was always quiet, reserved, tended to wander off. This week he happened to be the only boy in the class. All of a sudden he was excited, coming to me to make sure I saw him score a goal. He took it on himself to help set up the cones for the games we were playing. The dynamic was very interesting. He took on a more alpha role since there were no other boys in the group.
I suggest that coaches mix up the classes if you can. Parents, experiment during your play dates with different mixes of ages and gender. Observe how your child reacts. If you can manage it, watch when he thinks you’re not there vs. when he knows you’re watching. You’ll be surprised by the results!
GJJRPQPGE4V9
Parents! Check out our new video demonstrating one the important skill of “dribbling” like turtles and rabbits. Watch as Coach Carly demonstrates how you can practice the “dribbling” like a turtle and rabbit with your child.
We wanted share this article from Parenting Magazine which says that parents may want to re-think their approach to re-hydrating this children.
Throughout the year and especially with the hot summer months approaching it is so important to stay hydrated. Please encourage your kids to drink a lot of water!
According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, “Rigorous review and analysis of the literature reveal that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents. Furthermore, frequent or ex- cessive intake of caloric sports drinks can substantially increase the risk for overweight or obesity in children and adolescents.”
Here is the link to the full report.
(Guest post from Miranda at Soccer Shots Franchising)
If you’ve got little ones in your life, you are familiar with this scene: A beautiful dinner that has been prepared for your family with both love and pride is plated up and presented to your child, only to hear the dreaded, “I don’t like that,” spoken with a nose scrunched and mouth turned down. As the mom of a 4-year-old who is such a picky eater that we’ve visited a food specialist, the version I’ve heard over and over is, “I don’t ‘yike’ it!” Determined to be smarter than the preschooler, I’ve developed and fine-tuned a recipe to both hide and entice my little stinker, oh, I mean, my son (and husband) to eat all kinds of vegetable, and even “yike” them.
The “Sam-burger”: There’s lots of pureeing recipe books out there, but I’m a working mom and that extra step rarely happens, so here’s my basic recipe for my “Sam-burgers” which can be followed and adjusted anytime you use ground meat in your cooking.
1) You need a food processor, mine is a “mini” version that takes up little count space and is easy to clean (they cost around $15).
2) Pick at least 3 veggies that can be cooked. Really, you can’t mess this up. My go-to combo is onion, red pepper, garlic and carrot. Other suggestions are squash, pumpkin, tomato, kale, spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
3) The ratio that you want to shoot for is to have your mound of ground-up veggies to be about ¾ the size of your mound of meat. Worried that you over did it? No worries, just add more breadcrumbs.
4) Ah, yes, the bread crumbs! While you’re at it with the processor, throw in slices of some good quality whole grain bread, and some stale crackers (or those health-food ones that you bought thinking you’d get your kid to eat flax). Go for a mound of breadcrumbs that is about half the size of my lump of ground meat and then adjust as you start to mix.
5) Spice it up! Throw in a big hand full of ground up fresh parsley, and then any other fresh herbs that you have on hand or growing in the garden are fair game to mix in. Have fresh cilantro? Cool, make mixture Mexican inspired with green peppers, onions, squash, cumin, paprika… you get the idea. Make the spices match up with the herbs that you add to the mix.
6) Now you just simply bake them up. Switch it up from personal sized meatloaves (they cook way faster than one big loaf) to hamburgers, to meatballs to using it to stuff manicotti or cabbage. Serve it with everything from rice, to pasta, to just a bun with some ketchup. You know all the goodness that’s in there, so side dishes can be simple, and nothing to stress over if they don’t get eaten.
7) The leftovers burgers/balls/loaves can be frozen, and pulled out later for a quick microwave meal when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Parents! Check out our new video demonstrating one of the skills that we teach in Soccer Shots, the important skill of “dribbling” is used in the “volcano game”. Watch as Coach Jason demonstrates how you can practice the “dribbling” with your child.
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.
Parents! Check out our new video demonstrating one of the skills that we teach in Soccer Shots, the “pull back move”. Watch as Coach Jason demonstrates how you can practice the “pull back move” with your child.
Soccer Shots is owned and directed by Rian Heim and his wife Alyssa. Their passion for soccer and working with youth was their motivation for bringing Soccer Shots to Los Angeles. 2011 marks the fourth year that Rian and Alyssa have been running Soccer Shots here in Los Angeles. Together they make every effort to deliver a solid program that children, parents, and schools will benefit from and enjoy. They currently live in Playa Del Rey with their one year old son Charlie and dog Buddy.
Soccer Shots Los Angeles Blog