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About |
Step Up To Soccer is the only soccer program that has been designed
based on the developmental needs of young children. A group of parents and early childhood educators started Step Up To Soccer in 1991. We believed, and still do, that early childhood is a critical developmental period.
Our experience over the years has added depth and practicality to these principles. Over the years we noticed that the children could be grouped into three basic stages of development: young preschool, preschool and school age: Young Preschool: Generally ages 3 - young 4's. Children at this young age are like molecules - they shoot off in different directions based on what attracts their interest. Their attention span is short and they cannot grasp the complex rules of group games. So we keep things simple. Every child has their own ball so they get lots of touches. Lots of movement and no waiting in line! We set up supervised activities where each child is free to move within a structure at their own pace. And we use lots of physical props and materials that the children can see and touch as they play. Our obstacle course is an excellent example of a game designed for young preschoolers.
Preschool: A dramatic cognitive change takes place in young children between the ages of 4 and 5 and a half. They can focus longer and understand the rules of group games, which they now prefer to going off on their own. Their imaginations flourish. And their coordination improves enough for them to learn basic soccer skills such as dribbling, kicking and trapping. To keep the learning process fun, we teach these skills through imaginative group games. For example, Owls and Rabbits is a playful way to practice soccer while pretending to be animals. We also take traditional group games, like Ships Across the Ocean, and adapt them to building soccer fundamentals.
School Age: At this stage, children are both cognitively and physically more mature. They can observe and imitate the demonstration of proper technique. And they like to apply their developing skills and measure their ability in game like situations, or scrimmages. This is NOT the same as being competitive in an adult sense of that word. Scientific studies have proven that until the age of seven, children are not primarily motivated by competition. Thrown prematurely into scrimmages, children just chase the ball around in a pack. We prepare children to scrimmage by progressively adding defenders, goalkeeppers and teamwork into the fun group games. When we scrimmage, the focus remains on having fun and skill development in a team context. It is ironic that our approach, born out of opposition to the methods used in competitive athletics at the older ages, is in fact the best way to develop successful competitive athletes! Please read this story about the youth hockey leagues in Canada from our 1998 newsletter: Soccer: A Game (not yet) in Crisis The developmental nature of Step Up To Soccer has set it apart. As a result, the program has grown dramatically from a pilot project at one center to over 900 children at more than 50 childcare centers.
Girls and Sports: In 1973, Title IX became law. It required equal opportunity to participate in athletic programs regardless of gender. Progess has been made, but reality still lags behind the legislation. (See article referenced below) Scientific studies have shown that prior to puberty, boys outperformed girls in only 1 of 20 studied movements (throwing). The unavoidable conclusion is that differences in athletic performance are primarily due to environment rather than biology. An important step toward equality is for girls to build athletic self esteem during their formative early years. Step Up To Soccer offers non-competitive and structured athletic training. This is an excellent situation for young girls to have a positive first experience with organized team sports.
If this topic interests you, please read our story about the 1999 Women's World Cup and Title IX: The World Cup and Young Girls
How It Works Children's Learning manages the soccer program in cooperation with the staff at your child's center. The children remain under the licensed care of the center - like a field trip. We will play at a park or playground within walking distance of your child's center. The coach brings all the balls and equipment with them to the class. The children just need comfortable loose clothing, tennis shoes and socks. We carefully recruit out coaches, looking for people with educational or group experience with young children who share our developmental principles. We provide each coach with age appropriate curriculums that have been field tested over ten plus years. We view the relationships our coaches build with the children as vital to the success of the program.
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