Ask a Coach: Should I Practice Soccer at Home?

Coach Rachel here, and I’m back to answer another parent question: Should I practice soccer with my toddler between classes? The answer? Absolutely, as long as your child is interested. However, there’s no pressure to practice if your family doesn’t have time or the extra space.

At Tiny Troops Soccer, we know our families have busy schedules.  Work, school, and everything in between means there may not be a lot of extra time to practice skills from weekly soccer classes. The good news is that your Tiny Trooper doesn’t need a detailed lesson plan to continue the learning. If your child enjoys kicking a ball around at home, here are some ways you can work in quick activities.

Keep It Fun

Toddlers and preschoolers learn best through play, so find ways to turn kicking a ball into a game. No need for formal soccer drills here! Don’t worry about correcting skills if they are done incorrectly. The point is to enjoy time together while playing with the ball. Here are some easy ways to do this:

• Shark vs. Minnow (or any other characters they can come up with!): Your Tiny Trooper is the minnow and has the ball. They dribble it around. The goal is to keep the ball away from the Shark. Switch roles as necessary.
• I’m the Coach!: Your Tiny Trooper is the coach, and teaches you any skills or games they remember learning in class. (This game is a favorite of my own kids)
• Score a Goal: Set up 2 cones (or other objects) to mimic a goal and take turns dribbling and scoring.

Follow Their Lead

Let your Tiny Trooper take the lead on how to play. They may want to switch often between games, or they may want to only play one the entire time. Allow them to explore and make choices. Ask they if they know other games to play, or want to make up their own. You might be surprised at what they come up with!

Repetition Builds Confidence

It’s been stated many times before in other Parent Playbook posts, but toddlers and preschoolers learn best through repetition. Repetition gives them plenty of chances to practice a skill. The skill or activity may seem scary at first, but the chance to repeat it over and over helps your Tiny Trooper become more comfortable doing it. This is why our classes use the same skills and games throughout. It’s also why every class plan has a set routine that the coaches follow.

You might have seen the same at home. So if your Tiny Trooper wants to score goals over and over again or play Shark vs. Minnow, that’s completely fine!

But They Don’t Want to Practice

It happens, and it’s perfectly okay! Your Tiny Trooper may love going to soccer class each Saturday, but have no interest in playing soccer at home. Or they might really be into practicing one week, but not the next. It’s normal for this age. Offer the opportunity, and move on if the answer is no.

Play in general is how your toddler or preschooler learns best at this age, and they will be able to practice many of the same skills they’ll learn on Soccer Island. They might want to walk on a curb and practice balancing or play tag instead.

Spending Time Together

The most important thing to remember is that whether or not your Tiny Trooper wants to practice soccer at home, they love when their grown ups spend time playing with them. You don’t need advanced soccer drills or to worry about whether they are making growth. Celebrate their play, laugh and be silly, and let them show you the world through their eyes. The best kind of soccer for toddlers and preschoolers is the kind that feels like play. And of course, your child’s coach is looking forward to the next class on Soccer Island!

Ready to play on Soccer Island? Find your nearest class and join us today!