Getting your kids into football

[Arky_R]

Signed my boy up to his first football session for the beginning of next year! He'll only be 18months but i'm super excited and i'm i'll be extremely proud. My dad wasn't around when I was younger so missed out on a lot of this so obviously super keen and the kid is a little obsessed with footballs - always tries to wriggle away from you when he see ones out and about. I may well have encouraged it with the 8 or so balls around the house! Wife loves it of course (stop kicking those balls against the sofa) Going to get him a little goal for Christmas along with his first replica kit - happy days.

Interested to know how you guys have faired with getting your kids into football? Any tips for the years ahead?

Would be nice if Wolves status has improved by the time I take him to his first match.

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

Used to run kids Football de salao at Wolverhampton Sports Arena. Started taking them about age of 5. Check it out if it's still running.

Would also start with a few pre-season games.

 

[Deleted member 4594]

Signed my boy up to his first football session for the beginning of next year! He'll only be 18months but i'm super excited and i'm i'll be extremely proud. My dad wasn't around when I was younger so missed out on a lot of this so obviously super keen and the kid is a little obsessed with footballs - always tries to wriggle away from you when he see ones out and about. I may well have encouraged it with the 8 or so balls around the house! Wife loves it of course (stop kicking those balls against the sofa) Going to get him a little goal for Christmas along with his first replica kit - happy days.

Interested to know how you guys have faired with getting your kids into football? Any tips for the years ahead?

Would be nice if Wolves status has improved by the time I take him to his first match.

Getting my son into football at a young age was the best thing I ever did.
Find a good club when he's 5/6, with a good enthusiastic coach. Not sure where you're from but there's a lot around Wolverhampton and the Black Country. The mini soccer (as its called) is brilliant. It's 5 a side for the first few years and the kids get load of touches of the ball and really feel like footballers.
It will then go from 5 a side to 7 a side to 9 a side to 11 a side. My only advise as he gets to 10 or 11 would be to be honest about your lads ability level and make sure he's in a team which is relevant to him. The one thing you will find is many Sunday morning coaches get massivly carried away with winning!
Most of all, make sure he enjoys it. Iv got loads of happy memories of my son playing, we still talk about games he played in years ago and I still love watching him play now he's grown up!
You sound like a great dad mate, good luck with it.

 

[Tring Wolf]

Can only echo what's been said above. Finding a good club really helps. I coach my son's Under 7 side (we currently have 53 6-year olds turning up every Saturday morning!) and they've just started playing matches on Sundays which is a real joy to watch.

Brightside is right though in that some parents are obsessed by winning even at that age, which is crazy. You can visibly see some of the kids getting disheartened by it so try to resist any urge you may have to shout out to your kid to 'get stuck into them'

One other thing I would suggest is if you can afford to buy a mini-goal for the garden, do so as kids love nothing more than just kicking a ball into the net. The best goals are made by a company called Samba and they can be assembled and taken down really quickly.

And finally, my boy is absolutely obsessed by Match Attax, which is a bit like Top Trumps for footballers. Only has Premier League clubs but a sneaky way of getting them interested in Maths as well as football!

 

[Deleted member 4309]

My son is 8 and plays for the old wolfrunians trains on a Saturday and plays a game on the Sunday. Loads of teams are scouting him he has a very good left foot but can use both. He absolutely loves it.

 

[Arky_R]

Cheers for the info guys - some great advice.
I live up in south Manchester but i'm aware of my local teams. Theres a fair few dads on my estate with lads a bit older so can probably gauge their opinions when the time comes.
Also know the coach for one local team as his wife actually child minds my lad

Can tell you all get a lot of joy from seeing your kids play

 

[Deleted member 3518]

Got both my lads into football early and they both ended up playing rugby, so best not take advice from me!!

 

[Deleted member 4594]

Cheers for the info guys - some great advice.
I live up in south Manchester but i'm aware of my local teams. Theres a fair few dads on my estate with lads a bit older so can probably gauge their opinions when the time comes.
Also know the coach for one local team as his wife actually child minds my lad

Can tell you all get a lot of joy from seeing your kids play

I have no idea what I'd talk to my son about if it wasn't for his football!!

 

[Deleted member 3518]

I have no idea what I'd talk to my son about if it wasn't for his football!!

Hopefully he watches, learns and bases his game on Mr Stearman.

 

[QB Wolf]

My lad started at little kickers at 4, did that for 2 years and is now in his first season at under 7s. Not sure I've any tips, I have to keep reminding myself to not put any pressure on him & I know I need to button my lip, apart from words of encouragement, on the sideline.

All I want id for him to enjoy it and develop,

 

[Deleted member 4594]

Hopefully he watches, learns and bases his game on Mr Stearman.

He passed Stears ability level when he was 12

 

[Dan G WWFC]

One thing I'd say is. When he's coaching. Keep quiet. Have positive body language. But leave the coaching to the coach. Kids most often pay more attention to their parents then the coach.

The amount of times a parent says somthing that takes away the point of the session is silly. Might not happen as much at that age mind.

 

[QB Wolf]

Must admit, even though we've got a great set of kids and parents, some of the things the parents shout drives me mad, get rid of it, run with it, get it forward etc.

 

[reanswolf]

Best thing I have ever did was get my kids onto the South bank aged 4.

Explain to them what the single and double finger salutes mean, and how to blow kisses to the opposition by shaping your thumb and the next finger into a circle. Explain to them what "you're **** aaaahhhh!!!!!" means.

They don't have to understand football, just stand around by the bars under the stand in Stone Island gear after half time, enjoying the smoky natural eromas that convey a sense of relaxation, and if you just hang whilst everyone returns to their seat for the second half, they can enjoy copious amounts of free lager left in plastic glasses.

Oh the luxuries of life and of being a Wolves oik.

Best thing I ever did.

 

[Sutton]

This is the first season when all three of my lads have really taken an interest in Wolves. Got them young wolves memberships and they went to the clubshop to meet the players and get autographs. The boys are 10, 8 and 5 and they all love it on the South Bank. Usually get seats on the front row when they go (move mine from near the back) so they can see properly.

Will think about getting them season tickets for next year.

The 8 year old is also in his first season playing. He plays Sunday mornings and it is great to go and watch "one of your own" developing his own style. I try to give him a few tips when I can but really just let him enjoy it. I tell him to watch Saiss playing as he plays CDM.

Number four arrived in our house as well last week. First daughter which already seems very different - wife is adamant she will not be going to Wolves....we'll see.....

 

[Arky_R]

My lad started at little kickers at 4, did that for 2 years and is now in his first season at under 7s. Not sure I've any tips, I have to keep reminding myself to not put any pressure on him & I know I need to button my lip, apart from words of encouragement, on the sideline.

All I want id for him to enjoy it and develop,

Have seen little kickers actually...would you recommend them? they seem to be all over the country.
Yeah get that they need to be having fun first and foremost.

 

[Arky_R]

Number four arrived in our house as well last week

wow buddy! i've only got the two and feel bloody knackered. Think I could be persuaded for a 3rd though - maybe after a year of good sleep!

 

[QB Wolf]

Have seen little kickers actually...would you recommend them? they seem to be all over the country.
Yeah get that they need to be having fun first and foremost.

Definitely recommend it for little kids, 2-5, after that, it gets a bit samey. It all depends on the quality of the coaches; when we first started it was brill, but it dropped off a little bit tbh. Worth giving it a go though for a term.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

Must admit, even though we've got a great set of kids and parents, some of the things the parents shout drives me mad, get rid of it, run with it, get it forward etc.

Ask most coaches, that's the thing that annoys them the most. Taking away the players decision making. No wonder we create robotic footballers.

If your able, have the parenting area away from the pitch. But so the parents can see what's happening but can't affect the session.

I think it's west brom ( maybe also wolves) that have a balcony above the pitch

 

[Dan G WWFC]

One of my current modules is movement. It's crazy how much our movement skills underdevelop as we get older.

I would recommend adding a few games to make sure they don't loss there ability. Just simple squats, lunges maybe birdman once or so a week.

Good way is playing that copy cat game (simon says??) brings in social learning theory ( see i sometimes pay attention). But i would practice your movements before hand. Don't want them to copy bad habits onto them at a young age. Baring disability or underdevelopment they should be able to do then perfectly.

 

[jackdusty]

Recommend Little Kickers(my lad coaches for them) same as all of these companies though all depends on the coach.Also when your lad gets to 5 take him training to a few clubs and see who you but more importantly him likes the best,after all it's your lad who will be training and playing for that coach and those kids.Ask the managers their rules on playing time,do they put development over winning at all costs etc before making your decision.

 

[ombyman]

Where I live in Stourbridge there is a good futsal group who teach turns and skills. I paired this up with a traditional mud, one-on-ones and hard tackles group so my son can play the tough game and has a couple of turns in his locker at his team he joined at u8. But its a shame he has my touch!