Soccer Shots is proud to partner with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and its Soccer For Success program, an after-school program that aims to fight childhood obesity and provide positive social benefits. Check out this video from a Soccer For Success event in Los Angeles last month, which two Soccer Shots Co-Founders (Jason Webb and Justin Bredeman) were able to attend.
“It’s about building the whole child. Soccer is just the hook.”
-Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director, President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition
On November 2, 2011, Soccer Shots and its nonprofit arm, Global Goals, got to officially convert their fundraising efforts to real, live, positive impact. Soccer Shots franchisees nationwide raised money through Global Goals over the past year in order to install a SportCourt – a multi-use athletic court – on the asphalt grounds of Avon Avenue Elementary School in Newark, NJ (see Jason Webb’s recent post with more information on the installation and the impact it will have on the school and community).
Check out our video HERE of Jason Webb, Soccer Shots Partner and Co-Founder, speaking to Dominique Lee, Founder & Executive Director of Avon Avenue Elementary School, about the exciting news!
We are extremely pleased to announce that Paul is now the West San Fernando Valley Director! For the past two years Paul has coached and managed the Soccer Shots program in the San Fernando Valley at an extremely high level. He truly represents the absolute best of what Soccer Shots is all about. Kids, parents and the staff at our schools all love Coach Paul!
Check out Coach Paul in action as he leads a group of 30+ kids with creativity and imagination! The kids have a blast using their giant bucket of water (soccer ball) to put out the fires (cones) as they fly (dribble) around the field in their helicopters!
Paul brings 25 years of experience working with children in sports and recreation for organizations including non-profit organizations, public schools and with the Disney Company. Additionally, he also operates a robust children’s party entertainment company with his wife. During Paul’s career his certifications have included youth sports coach and personal trainer and his lifetime of experience coaching youth soccer for preschoolers and older children began in 1986!
After the birth of his second son five years ago and following the acquisition of two additional party companies, Paul resigned from his role as an Executive Director with the YMCA to spend more time with family and with the family businesses. With his youngest son beginning kindergarten he took on a part time management role as Coordinator of the Topanga youth sports program in 2009 involving 200 children ages 3 to 13 in various sports including a rapidly growing soccer program in which he continues to coach several teams each season.
With a diverse and enriching body of experience well suited to coaching and working with young children, Paul began coaching for Soccer Shots at the beginning of 2010. His experience with sports and working with children has been a great match!
“Coaches are, first and foremost, teachers; they are among the most influential people in a young athlete’s life. Because coach’s are such powerful role models, young athletes learn more from them about character that about athletic performance.” – Unknown
In addition to teaching basic soccer skills, our newly designed curriculum places a high emphasis on character building and even offers a Character Word Of The Day. In this short clip Coach Alyssa demonstrates her creativity in reinforcing the “word of the day” as part of the team cheer at the end of the session.
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.
Our curriculum also works on character development such as teamwork, and appreciation plus physical development like coordination and motor skills.
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.
Now it’s game time! Here’s a simple exercise to help your child practice their passing: Tunnel Game.
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.
Spending time playing with your child is quality time that is more meaningful and profound than you may think. Beyond bonding, you will be instilling the importance of an active lifestyle plus, we bet you’ll have fun too!
We believe that soccer, the world’s greatest game, can be introduced in really creative and exciting ways to kids ages 3-8.
Kids who play soccer are exposed to great fitness habits like running, character forming lessons such as teamwork and tons of fun.
We teach the beautiful game by mixing skills with games, so kids have a great time every week at their park, club or preschool soccer class.
Soccer Shots offers a variety of games that give kids a chance to show off what they’re learning. The “Shooting Stars” game allows kids to demonstrate their new-found knowledge of dribbling, control, and shooting. Their mission is to dribble around the area, control their ball next to a cone, and knock it over by shooting the ball. To make the kids focus even more on their dribbling and control, the instructors will act as aliens to try and defend the cones, forcing the kids to try and avoid obstacles in order to knock down all the cones.
Playing soccer based games with kids is a great way to let kids be creative, use their imagination, and have fun as they pretend to be spaceships shooting soccer balls at asteroids and aliens in outer space. If you want to do this in your own backyard, cones can be found at your nearest sports store. They’re inexpensive and a worthwhile investment as you help your child enjoy soccer, the world’s greatest game!
All too often, I’m shocked when reminded of the current need to get kids off the couch. Whether it’s reading a news story about the government’s “Let’s Move!” campaign or hearing a “Play 60 a Day” ad, it’s hard to believe that we have to beg children to play. When I was young (and I’m not that old!), it was as if my parents had to pull teeth to get my sisters and I to STOP playing and come inside for dinner. In fact, finding us outside was such a chore, that Mom and Dad attached a rope to the large iron bell in the cupola on top of the garage and rang it when and it was time to come in. We spent hours in the woods building forts, in the creek catching crayfish, or even just in a neighbor’s yard, making up dances to the latest Madonna song.
Most of these memories took place a little more than two decades ago, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says in just the past 20 years the prevalence of children who are obese has doubled, while the number of adolescents who are obese has tripled. So how does that translate into actual numbers? The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found nearly one in three children and teens are overweight and one in six are obese. Some may argue that BMI, or Body-Mass-Index, isn’t the “best” way to determine whether or not someone is overweight, but consider this: Kids between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours each day using entertainment media. According to the Let’s Move campaign website, this includes TV, computers, video games, cell phones and movies. Although some may blame modern technology for making these activities more prevalent and more accessible, we can all agree being sedentary is a huge health risk.
On a daily basis, when I get to leave the office and head out to a Soccer Shots site to coach, I feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair and the mud beneath my shoes and I feel like the luckiest person alive. I get to revert back to the times when I ran around the neighborhood laughing and burning energy. I get to be a kid again. I get to play! Better yet, I experience the feeling that our organization is making a difference. If the little ones we work with associate a positive feeling or a sense of joy with physical activity, we are on our way to reducing health risks associated with childhood obesity. I’m proud that my job allows me to teach kids to play a game that doesn’t involve a controller.
My hope is that the activity doesn’t stop when kids leave our preschool soccer classes. It is my hope that kids share the games we play and parents see the activities we demonstrate in our webisodes. Just a few minutes each day being Cookie Monster or a Rabbit or Turtle could really get parents laughing…. and kids playing!
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.
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 is a leader in youth soccer development for children ages 2, 3-5 & 6-8.
Offered at preschools, daycare centers, and parks, our nationally recognized non-competitive skills program offers a high energy, fun, age-appropriate introduction to the wonderful game of soccer.
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. 2012 marks the fifth 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 two year old son Charlie and dog Buddy.
Soccer Shots Los Angeles Blog
