Soccer academies a building block to early child development

Soccer Academies: A Building Block to Early Child Development Studies have shown that introducing a child to sports programs at a young age goes a long way to improve their health and fitness. When parents give their children the opportunity to supplement the standard physical education classes they receive in school with an after school soccer training program, they are giving their children a chance to improve both their physical and mental well being.

In this day and age, most children are prone to spending lots of time indoors playing with the latest must-have electronic and technological advances in computers and video games. Many health and fitness experts have emphasized the importance for children to step away from such inactive playing activities and choose to make room for more physical activities to promote a healthier and more active lifestyle.

One of the best ways for a child to get in shape is to participate in a soccer training program. The average player runs about seven miles throughout the course of a game, mixing sprinting with endurance running to develop long and short muscle fibers and also aerobic and anaerobic capabilities.

Throughout the course of a soccer season, a participating child will see an improvement in their

flexibility, cardiovascular capacity, and body composition (lowering the percentage of body fat while increasing muscle mass.) Best of all, soccer does not jar the body the way rugby or basketball does.

Participating in a soccer training academy also helps improve a child's sense of self confidence by helping them develop their social skills. Playing on a soccer team allows a child to interact with other children in ways they cannot learn in school. Children will learn at an early age that there is no "I" in team, as they have to pass the soccer ball around and communicate on the field, to win as a team and lose as a team.

Soccer training academies help children create a balance in their life. They learn to set up schedules around their school work and daily lives, allowing them to learn how to prioritize. Studies have also shown that children who participate in soccer training academies and competitive sports perform at an above average level in school.

Soccer can be a strong social tool for a child, as it brings together children from different ethnic, cultural, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds to learn to communicate together both on and off the soccer field. Children exposed to such diverse social environments at an early age may develop a stronger sense of self-confidence that will go a long way as they develop and grow into their school age years.

Children, ages two to nine years old, in Bristol have an excellent opportunity to work with professionally trained and experienced soccer coaches who have a minimum of 500 coaching hours with this particular age group. About 400 children per week attend Bristol's largest private soccer/football academy.

Most classes and training sessions are held at various locations in the Bristol area throughout the week after school and on the weekend, again allowing a child to learn to develop a routine to balance both their school work and everyday lives. Parents can even arrange for their child to have two free trial sessions to see if attending one of Bristol's premier soccer academies is right for them.

However, before it can be determined if attending one of Bristol's premier soccer academies is right for their children, parents have one of the most important roles in introducing children to participating in sports and physical activities. Running, jumping, throwing, catching, and kicking are among the basic elements of sports, and it is very important that parents teach their children these skills at an early age, if their children are going to successfully participate in team sports, such as soccer academies.

Children should be taught that participating in physical sports activities, such as running, jumping, throwing, catching, and kicking, can be fun and exciting. Demand and stress have no place in these physical activities. If a child begins to lose interest in participating in physical activities, the child should not be pressured to continue, just reminded how fun such activities can be. ===================== First Steps Soccer 29 Parkstone Avenue, Horfield, Bristol BS7 0BX Phone: 07825994671

Email ID:- markandjoe@firststepssoccer.com Firststepssoccer@hotmail.co.uk Website: http://www.firststepssoccer.com