Fresh Air & Green Fields!
Get Out Your Soccer Ball & Let’s Play
Do you hear it?! The chorus of voices coming from the sweet green grass of the midfield… Getting louder and louder, strong and joyous… a call and response we all know…
Gimme an “S”
Gimme an “O”
Gimme a “C”
Gimme another “C”
Gimme an “E”
Gimme an “R”
What does that spell??!?!?
! S O C C E R !
What did you say?
! S O C C E R !
One more time!!
! S O C C E R !
Yes! It’s time to play soccer again! The parks are open, the fields are ready, and the benefits to our minds, bodies & spirits are endless. Movement and exercise are so essential to maintaining our physical and mental health. And playing soccer hits all the right notes. Plus, when you play soccer, you are in the company of millions of people all over the world! It’s one of the most popular sports played in over 200 countries worldwide.
While there are really so many advantages to playing soccer, we’ve narrowed down the list to the 7 we think are especially important.
7 Incredible Benefits of Playing Soccer
1. Improves coordination & flexibility.
To move forward & backward around a field fluidly while manipulating a soccer ball takes great agility & skill and only gets better the more you do it.
2. Improves gross motor skills & balance.
Kicking & running are skills that require practice & repetition, and soccer is one of the best ways to work on leg & foot manipulation and balance.
3. Encourages visual-spatial awareness, focus & attention.
Eye-foot coordination is a visual-motor skill that develops through experience and exposure to soccer.
4. Enhances social connections, interactions & working together as a team.
Soccer is a team sport, and even if you are doing drills on your own, your teammates are doing them alongside you, giving the opportunity for positive social interactions.
5. Builds self confidence.
Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes, and we all feel better about ourselves and our abilities when we practice & see improvement.
6. Promotes cognitive development & problem solving skills.
Soccer balls move quickly! Playing the game and doing drills enhances the development of our capacities to see, think & respond swiftly. These abilities aid us in all aspects of our lives.
7. Helps students perform better in school situations
Studies & research continue to illuminate the positive relationship between participation in sports & physical activities and academic performance. Overall, children that engage in physical exercise are not only healthier but also often perform better academically.
Plus, and this may be the most important point, playing soccer is really FUN!!! Here in NY, we are now allowed to run our outdoor, in-person soccer program, and it’s so exciting to be on the field again! We have adapted our classes to follow all CDC, state & local safety guidelines including smaller class size, the use of PPE, regular hand sanitation, and temperature checks. Come join us in one of our Fall Season 1 classes! Registration is open. To learn more and to register, click here.
Have you been missing playing soccer? Do you notice a difference in your child’s focus & spirit when s/he gets to play outside? Drop us a note below or share a photo of your child playing soccer! We’d love to hear from you.
Thanks!
Super Kickers.