Meet a Little Kicker - Lachlyn

We were lucky enough to interview Lachlyn on Saturday at his Little Kickers Gold Coast class.  Here is what Lachlyn,  aged 4 had to say about Little Kickers. 

Venues of Little Kickers attended:   Pacific Pines

How long have you been coming to Little Kickers? 1 year now   

What is your favourite little Kickers game? Catching the coach

What do you like best about little kickers?  Kicking Goals!

What do you want to be when you grow up?  A mechanic & Buzz Lightyear!

What’s your favourite healthy food? Bananas, Strawberries & Yoghurt

Who is your favourite coach?  Coach Brad

What do you love? Lightning McQueen & riding my bike

Your Mum and/or Dad’s perspective on Little Kickers....

We love Little Kickers and the skills they learn and think it’s important for Lachlyn to be part of ‘A team’.  He loves the big boy soccer outfit and wants to keep his ’real’ uniform on all day!

Meet a Little Kicker - Beau

On Sunday we had the pleasure of interviewing Beau who attends our Gold Coast Burleigh Sunday Junior Kickers Class.  Here is what Beau (and his Dad) had to say!

Age: 3

Venues of Little Kickers attended?

Burleigh, Gold Coast

How long have you been coming to Little Kickers? 

12 weeks

What is your favourite little Kickers game?

“Kicking the ball into the net”

What do you like best about little kickers?

“Kicking the ball into the net”  (same answer J)

What do you want to be when you grow up?

“Spiderman”

What’s your favourite healthy food?

“Apple”

Who is your favourite coach? 

“Coach Brad” & “Coach Corey”

What do you love?

“Poppy” & “Smoothies”

Your Mum and/or Dad’s perspective on Little Kickers -

Excellent!

Structured learning in a fun environment – Leaning physical coordination (soccer skills, etc), Practising mental alertness (listening skills, taking instructions and carrying these out properly, concentration skills, etc).

……and most importantly Beau loves it.

Meet one of our Little Kickers - Harry

Abbey at Little Kickers Gold Coast had the pleasure of interviewing Harry at Little Kickers Southport. Here is what Harry had to say about his favourite weeks activity.

Name -
Harry

Age -
3

Venues of Little Kickers you attend on the Gold Coast -
Southport



How long have you been coming to Little Kickers?
2 months

What is your favourite Little Kickers game?
Donkey kick 'E-OR'!

What do you like best about Little Kickers?
Scoring goals and playing soccer with my friends

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A racing car driver

What’s your favourite healthy food?
Chicken pasta

Who is your favourite coach?
Coach Colin

What do you love?
Lightening McQueen and the Cars movie

Your Mum and/or Dad's perspective on Little Kickers -
Little Kickers is a great way for young children to learn some early ball skills, to get some healthy exercise and most of all, to have fun! All the kids love it!

Welcome to the Chinese New Year 2011

Well we are already into our second month of 2011, how time flies when you are having lots of fun. We have now entered the year of the Rabbit, which according to the Chinese Zodiac is the luckiest year and I am hopeful that it will yield some sporting luck!

We have just lost out on the Asian cup and Tandanari Lee is now a name that will evoke painful memories for Socceroos fans, just as the name Tim Cahill will forever do the same to a generation of their Japanese equivalents. It is all the more difficult for Australia fans to take because of the gilt-edged chances missed mainly by Harry Kewell, with form player Matt McKay also spurning a glorious opportunity to open the scoring inside the opening ten minutes.

On the day, the better team perhaps lost but that doesn't mean Japan are the undeserving champions.

The Socceroos will also have done their reputation on the continent no harm with the manner in which they have conducted themselves both on and off the pitch, a start contrast to the arrogance that surrounded their first Asian Cup campaign four years ago.

Another chapter was meanwhile written in the colourful football history between these two countries and whilst there isn't a prevailing animosity, it is a rivalry that you sense both the players and supporters enjoy.

In four years Australia will have the opportunity to go one step further when they host the tournament themselves, whilst Japan look to defend a crown that they deservedly hold.
I for one cannot wait!

As adults we are constantly encouraging our children to bcome better at what they do, willing them to have the constant desire to increase their own motivation and to achieve greater things. Yet we often fall short of it ourselves year after year.

At Little Kickers, from session to session we aim to improve many different aspects of childrens' lives; our carefully planned sessions include progressions that challenge the children both mentally and physically. The children most importantly are having lots of fun and learning lots of different concepts at the same time.

These children may be the Socceroo players of the future; let's hope so as the fundamental skills they learn with Little Kickers will be invaluable whatever they decide to do later on in life.

Here's to a great 2011 and the year of the Rabbit!

Sprechen zie Football?

Bonjour, or should I say Yiassou having just returned from the Greek island of Crete. My girlfriend and I had a lovely time, a much deserved break for us both, a chance to relax in the sun, snorkel and various other activities.

It was about the fourth day into our holiday, and one of the cleaners who smiled so much it could almost be considered a condition, greeted us with a big smile and a loud “kalimera,”! Needless to say Stacey and I looked at each other slightly puzzled as to what “kalimera” meant. We later found out that it meant ‘good morning’, however it took us four days (out of a possible 7) to realise that we didn’t know any Greek. We were in Crete, but knew nothing of their language.

In our defence, upon arrival we could have easily thought we had landed in Birmingham, we were greeted by a long string of midlanders, it felt like the Costa del Coventry. Upon arrival to the airport and getting to the hotel, to being around the pool and on the beach, people would talk to us in English. This worried me slightly, was I that pale that they knew I was English? I had no Harry Potter books on me, and I didn’t drink tea so it couldn’t have been living up to the stereotype, and Stacey refused to allow me to pack my union jack bandana, much to my dismay!!!

We felt rude, we were in someone else’s country and we hadn’t even tried speaking their language. From then on we made a real conscious effort to speak in their language, admittedly for them to answer in English but at least we had tried.

During the same day I discovered a new language. A revelation. A language that we could all speak, no matter what country of origin. I found out that I could speak “Football”! I discovered this whilst walking past the numerous taverns and bars, each showing a different football match as to cater for everyone. I found myself speaking “Football” to so many different people.

Football has become an international language in itself. Adored and loved by so many, everyone has their own opinion on teams, players and managers, and regardless of if you want to hear someone’s opinion, if you speak Football you will receive it! Luckily for me, the island was full of Man Utd supporters, so I felt at home amongst friends. Whether it was just “what a goal” and sticking your thumbs up at them, or just naming players such as Messi and shaking your head in disbelief of his mastery of a football, it became a conversation, somewhat disjointed, but a conversation none the less.

Football brings people together. From all different walks of life, locally and as I found out - internationally. At Little Kickers we have sessions running on the other side of the world. And yes, some of us have slightly different accents, some may even speak another language, but speaking the language of Football has allowed people to share ideas, discuss opinions and bring people closer together. At Little Kickers children learn to love the game in the correct atmosphere, the love for the game so that in 18 years time, when they go off on their first holiday you know they are that little bit safer in the country because they can speak the same language….Football.

Note: If you are a Man Utd fan, do not holiday in Liverpool and expect to speak the same language. Lesson learnt.

Hardest job in the world

After having had a few lemonades in my local public house, a friend and I were discussing our professions and our enjoyment of them. We then went off subject trying to list the most difficult jobs in the world, including the British Prime Minister and the next Manchester United manager; we listed the obvious - Firemen, the Police and all the emergency services. Admittedly we did digress somewhat, for example, the most difficult job in the world being selling doors – door to door…‘bing-bong, o you’ve got one, never mind’!!! It then became quite competitive as to who had the more enjoyable job.

I am pleased to say I won hands down! I listed the obvious clichés in it being rewarding and satisfying; however clichés are only in existence because they hold elements of truth and value. I also labelled seeing the development of children as a colossal reason, in addition having an impact on the improvement of health and fitness, and working for a company that holds high moral values.

I love Little Kickers, and I have been a proud employee in various different positions since 2003. It is difficult to call it work, as working with such excellent and passionate colleagues and like minded coaches it makes it fun and worthwhile. And obviously your children are the highlight of my weeks - I have learnt to expect the unexpected when dealing with children, but even that thought does not prepare you for some of the genius comments that children come up with! It’s nice to see my games being put into practice, and children enjoying them and sometimes the Mums and Dads even more so!

I would love to spend more time with the children, (I realise your all shouting easier said than done!) however, we do only get an hour a week with your mini superstars. As some of you may or may not know, we have a Facebook site. On this Facebook site you can find my ‘top secret garden games’ – games and exercises I have created for you and your little ones to enjoy at home. If you are one of the 8 people in the world that doesn’t have Facebook, fear not – we have put them all on the ‘What’s New’ page on this website. Take a look and give them a go! Why not send us a snap of your child playing the games and we will upload them onto our website!

In the mean time, enjoy the rest of the summer, and absorb every ray of sun that the skies are begrudgingly giving us.

Magic

Last night I had the pleasure of going to see Derren Brown’s new show - “Enigma”. It was truly amazing, and even the biggest sceptics amongst the audience left utterly spellbound. We were asked as an audience not to reveal anything that goes on within the show, so as to not ruin it for others, so I will stand by my promise. If you get the chance to see it though, please do!

I have always been somewhat of a sceptic, and I have an annoying habit of digging for logical explanations. However I was amazed by the cynicism of some attendees who I overheard discussing the show on the way out of the theatre, and saying “they must have been actors” and “they’re all drama students”. Their basis for this utterance stemmed from the method of selection of audience participants, who were seemingly randomly chosen by means of a Frisbee being thrown into the crowd.

It irritated me slightly that people were so quick to pull the show apart. Even if they were all actors (and I am not suggesting this by any means), could we not just enjoy the spectacle, sit there and absorb brilliant showmanship and not dampen the experience by forming our own rationales? As a human race we have an innate urge to form an unequivocal reasoning for everything.

As a child I never doubted things I saw. When my Granddad told me that he had my nose – I wanted it back! When my Grandma told me that there was a coin behind my ear, I spent hours in the mirror looking for it, but, as if by magic, when she looked she managed to find it!

As we grow up we “grow out of” the ability to accept things for what they appear to be. We have a constant yearning to know the ins and outs of everything. Now, I realise that this has helped us develop science and technology to today’s advanced levels, and the evolution of the human race from Neanderthals to the sophisticated beings we are today would not have happened had this thirst for knowledge not been inbred (although if the Big Brother contestants are anything to go by, that is somewhat questionable!) However I can’t help but think that sometimes we take it too far.

At Little Kickers we love that our kids are just kids. And I also think our classes provide many parents with an element of escapism from their own ‘grown up’ world. For an hour a week, our kids can believe that they are stood on a pirate ship, or that they are in the jungle amongst tigers and lions. Our excellent coaches are taught to utilise the imagination of the children, and use games and techniques that develop sound basic football skills, but the children learn without realising they are doing so. So when they are running away from the sleeping bear, they are practicing turning, balance, awareness of space and other elements of football. Isn’t this the most fun way of learning?