Our Kickstart group is for childing in reception and Year 1. They train at Horcott on Sunday Mornings. 

These mini sessions are conducted by Paul and Andy.

In this, the pre-foundation phase (4 to 6 years old) the emphasis is on developing the children’s ABC’s- Agility, Balance and Co-ordination. ABC’s can also be referred to as athleticism. Unfortunately, today’s children are not as active as previous generations, and the opportunity to develop and tune their motor functions are not as prevalent.

Repetition of movement or actions is also important in this phase. Repetitive actions lead to coating of the neural pathways. This process is called myelination and the coating acts as an insulator allowing messages from the brain to be sent more speedily and precisely to our muscles to perform an action or skill. The thicker the myelin sheath, the more accomplished you will be.

Football is a fantastic sport with regard to developing a young child’s sporting potential. The games and practice, which feature all the above components- ABC’s and repetition will get a child off to a great sporting start. Most of these skills are transferable skills that will be used in other sports.

The one thing that does get overlooked is that football is also one of the most creative sports a child can play. It offers lots of decision making and the play is 360 degrees. What you can do and where you can pass and run is endless, and later on team strategies come into the equation. Football really is the’ beautiful’ game. It is more than just kicking a ball about.