Why Soccer Looks Like Play (Because It Is!)

If you’ve watched at least one Tiny Troops Soccer class, you’ll have noticed something right away. You’ll see kids pretending to be various animals. They’re running through an obstacle course. They are foxes trying to catch the chicken. Sometimes they’re avoiding sharks or collecting berries. At first, you might wonder what’s going on. However, for toddlers and preschoolers, learning through play is the best way to learn.

Young Kids Learn Through Play & Repetition

Children under the age of five don’t learn best through drills or long lectures. They learn best when they use their imagination, move around, explore new activities, and play fun games. For example, when Tiny Troopers pretend to be cars in traffic while dribbling the ball, they’re learning ball control and coordination. When they run through the obstacle course at the end of class, they practice ball and body awareness and shooting on goal. It may look like play, but a lot is happening beneath the surface. In early childhood development, learning through play allows kids to build skills in ways that feel natural and exciting.

Many of the same activities are repeated week to week or month to month. Repetition is another way that toddlers and preschoolers learn best. By repeating the activity, they are being exposed over and over again to the underlying skills. They are able to build up confidence, which leads to success.

Play Builds Important Skills

Our games are carefully designed to build skills. These include dribbling, trapping the ball, changing direction, kicking with control, and listening and following directions. We teach these skills in ways that feel fun and exciting. When Tiny Troopers are having fun, they stay engaged longer and learn more naturally. There have been many times when Troopers have requested a favorite game, like Hit the Coach or Foxes and Chickens, because they find it so much fun to play, and underneath, they are getting opportunities to practice dribbling and ball control.

Fun Builds Confidence

One of the biggest goals in Tiny Troops Soccer is helping children feel confident. For our youngest players, confidence doesn’t come from being the “best” player on the field. It comes from trying new things and feeling safe enough to make mistakes. it comes from hearing encouragement from fans and enjoying the experience. When soccer feels like play, kids are more willing to try new things. They don’t even realize that they are also learning important skills.

Play Keeps Kids Moving

Toddlers and preschoolers have short attention spans. If an activity lasts too long or feels too serious, it can quickly lead to frustration or a meltdown.

Toddlers and preschoolers have short attention spans. Activities that last too long or feel too serious can quickly lead to frustration. We make sure that our coaches know to keep game introductions short and to the point. We also make sure that they are able to be a big kid at heart and have fun with each of their Tiny Troopers. Our classes also include short activities and frequent transitions. We make sure there’s plenty of time to get lots of touches on the ball. Our games let Tiny Troopers use their imagination and move around all over Soccer Island. This helps our Tiny Troops stay focused and excited throughout class all while learning through play.

Learning Without Pressure

At this age, the goal isn’t to learn skills perfectly. Our goals include enjoying being active, learning to follow directions, and building up coordination. We are also working with Tiny Troopers to develop social skills and build their confidence. We are building the foundation for not only soccer, but also other activities in the future. As your child learns and grows with Tiny Troops Soccer, you’ll find them to be more confident when they eventually age out of the program and move on to the next level.

The Big Picture

So if your Tiny Trooper’s class looks a little silly or playful, that’s a very good sign. It means that your child, and the others in their class, are learning the way children learn best. They are learning through play and repetition. They are using their imaginations. Most importantly, they are having fun and building a lifelong foundation for success in soccer and beyond.

Are you ready for your little one to join us on Soccer Island? Click here to learn more about our program.