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Parenting

Little Kickers

10 replies

AliceAnneB · 29/05/2015 12:08

Anyone have experience with this toddler football?

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dylsmimi · 29/05/2015 12:16

We took ds1 when he was around 3 I think. He seemed to enjoy it but dh felt they weren't progressing them too much and just lots of games with footballs. I thought that was fine as I am not wanting ds to be a professional footballer just simply have fun!
Other friends had their children at another location and all loved it so it can depend who you get. We never got the advertised free kit.
was there something particular you wanted to know? What age is your dc?

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TheVeryHungryPreggo · 29/05/2015 12:34

I took DS for a few rounds of it. It's games and drills, mostly teaching them co-ordination, skills and following instructions/waiting their turn. DS used to go absolutely hyper and try to run out of the hall, DH refused to go alone with him so it would take DH standing with him during the games and me standing in the entrance ready to block his exit. It was a struggle as DS was not a placid child and would not listen - we'd always have a couple of moments where one of us had to carry him off to a quiet corner facing away from the other children and speak softly but firmly about needing to listen and do as he is told etc etc.

The coaches were friendly and knew their stuff and were good to help the children - we didn't have the same drills over and over, they were all slightly different. And the organiser in my area seems like a lovely woman.

I think the activity didn't suit DS as he got way too overexcited and DH got too stressed to bring him so I had to haul my pregnant bulk up and down off the floor with all the other dads!, but I can see a lot of my friends' children got more out of it.

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AliceAnneB · 29/05/2015 13:12

My son is 3 and he's in the 2-3.5 age group. We've only done three lessons and so far he likes it. There is a fair bit of chaos though and it's mainly due to the huge developmental difference between 2-3.5. I wish it was 2.5 at the youngest. There isn't much actual football going on either. Has anyone done the next age up? I'm willing to stick it out if in the next group there's more football and less games.

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Thurlow · 29/05/2015 14:27

We've been going for a year, DD loves it. I agree that sometimes the mixed ages can make it a little difficult, though I suspect that might depend on the parents and the coach. Our coach is lovely but does encourage parents to try and keep their kids in relative order during certain points. The kids respond really well to him and it is normally a well behaved class.

We were talking about whether to move DD up to the 3.5+ class, which worried me a little because as much as she loves the class, she is definitely not good at football The coach said that there isn't really any playing of football until they are 5ish, it's more games, goals and the like.

Is it that you think your son doesn't enjoy the class and wants to play actual football?

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AliceAnneB · 30/05/2015 07:02

He does enjoy the class so we will stick with it. However, he does keep asking why they aren't playing more football! He's seen his older brother play and obviously it looks like a proper game. I'm just trying to get a sense of the overall program and how it progresses and perhaps alternatives?

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patchesmcp · 15/06/2015 14:13

DS is 4 and started when he was 3.5 I think. He enjoys it, but it isn't really football as they tend to just play games, quite a lot not even involving a football. He's happy though so that's all that matters. Not sure if we'll keep it up when he starts school in September or not. We travel about a 30 mile round trip to do it and we don't live in a rural area.

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Hardtoknow · 17/06/2015 22:39

DS has just turned 3 and has been doing it since 2.5. It is the highlight of his week. I was a bit surprised the first week as I had expected them to play football but, given the fact that few toddlers are any good at sharing, playing games where they each have a ball makes much more sense. As well as improving his co-ordination, it has helped DS learn to sit down and listen to instructions, wait his turn and speak to other adults. Whilst I am in the room with him and, for the first few weeks at least, would do it with DS, I now sit at the back and watch him for much of the session just getting involved when they do "skills" like headers and need someone to partner with.
Whilst 2.0 - 3.5 is a huge age bracket in terms of average skills, the guys who run DS' session group differentiate quite well. In the group activities, there is usually a more advanced version of the activity for the older/sportier children and when they do the races in groups of 4 DS will generally race against boys of a similar speed (who may or may not be a similar age).

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KingscoteStaff · 19/06/2015 20:32

My (now 13) DS started Little Kickers at 2.5 and it ignited a massive love of sport that means that he now plays 2 sports at County level and I spend my weekends driving him to matches or watching him play. Be careful what you wish for!

Seriously, though, we did it from 2.5 til 7 and it was fantastic. The skills are brilliantly taught and the basics are really well embedded. To be honest, most boys aren't ready to play a 'proper' match until they're 7 (and some not then!).