What does it take to become a sporting hero?

What does it take to become a sporting hero?

By Christine Stanschus – CEO Little Kickers, based in Toronto, Canada

My husband, Frank, and I were fortunate to be able to attend a fundraising event in Toronto last week, which was organized by the CAN Fund – Canadian Athletes Now.  I have to admit that until I went along to the event, I had little understanding about the lives of athletes who are preparing for the Olympics, and their motivations.

We had the opportunity to see presentations by, and to meet, a number of ex-Olympic medal winners and to hear their stories around their participation in sport.

I had always assumed that athletes who achieve Olympic performance levels are probably born as naturally superior physical beings to the rest of us, and that whilst a certain amount of effort is bound to be involved, they are ultimately “made that way”.  It’s possible for the chosen few to become Olympians, but not for most “ordinary” people.  I assumed it would be obvious from the first time these talented athletes picked up a hockey stick / kicked a football etc, that their gift would shine through and they would be earmarked as a future Olympian and would be set onto a training conveyor belt which would propel them effortlessly to the Olympic Games. 

Whilst many of the athletes who spoke at the event described the buzz they got from competing in their chosen sport right from day one, I was amazed at the way they described their ongoing involvement.   The effort involved in forcing themselves to train when they really didn’t feel like it, the physical discomfort which often bordered on pain, the “down” moments, when they felt they were underachieving.  There were, however, certain characteristics the athletes shared, and messages which were repeated over and over again throughout the presentations and conversations.  The first being the overwhelming sense of pride they feel in representing their country.  Also, the respect and admiration they felt for their teammates and their determination to do their best for “the team”, the dedication and hours of training required in order to achieve their dreams….  Many of them had stories of injuries, which should have resulted in an end to their Olympic careers – serious joint injuries, serious accidents incurred while training etc.  They all managed to overcome these, and to go on to achieve greatness.

The other thing they all had in common was the huge support they had received from their families.  From instilling an early passion for their sport and a drive to do their best, to more mundane things like getting up early to drive them to practice and being a constant source of encouragement when the going got tough.  They were unanimous in their views that without the support of their family they would never have achieved their Olympic goals. 

So whilst physical attributes obviously contribute to the make-up of great athletes, the support of a strong family is equally as important.   So the next time your Little Kicker wakes you up at 7am on a Saturday morning, asking you to take them to football class, remember that all 11 spaces on the 2024 Olympic football squad have yet to be filled…!

Little Kickers Founders visit Down Under

Little Kickers founder, CEO Christine Stanschus and her husband Frank, visited Australia from their home in Canada recently to say hello to our franchisees and talk about the exciting times ahead for Little Kickers.

They came via the UK where they celebrated 10 years of Little Kickers and took part in the annual franchisee conference.

It was their first time Down Under and with the Little Kickers Australia team growing rapidly, there was plenty of meeting and greeting to be done - Aussie style!

First stop on the East Coast was Sydney. Chris and Frank spent some time catching up with NSW master franchisee Dan Kelland and his wife Sharon. Our guests brought the wet weather with them from the Northern Hemisphere.... or maybe it was Yvette and Michael Summers-Gervai, the New Zealand master franchisees who also flew in for the conference.

Lenny was EXTREMELY pleased to see the Stanschus' - just a few days earlier he went to the airport to 'surprise' our visitors... but the surprise was on him as Chris and Frank unknowingly exited through another gate, leaving Lenny to entertain other passengers from a tour group who were fascinated by our furry friend!

Their next stop was sunny Brisbane where Christine and Frank spent some time with Queensland and South Australia master franchisee Karen Tannoch-Bland and her husband Colby.

Whilst in each of the states, Christine and Frank met up with Qld and NSW franchisees to get some feedback on how the brand has been developing in their states. It was also a great chance for franchisees to socialise together as a group.

“It was fantastic to meet the fun, dynamic group of people who are setting the standard for pre-school sport in the Aussie market. The Little Kickers overseas business only really kicked off a couple of years ago but has now grown to represent a staggering 35% of the company's overall business - which is testament to the hard work and passion of the talented group of overseas franchisees we now have in place,” Christine said.

While they were here, Christine and Frank also updated us on what’s been happening with Little Kickers globally. The UK has just launched Little Rugby and little Dance Flavourz through our overseas franchise network.

Little Rugby is a sports program for 2 to 5-year-olds, similar to Little Kickers, and Little Dance Flavourz is an eclectic dance programme for 2-5 year old girls and boys looking for a fun and energetic introduction to dance. To find out more, visit littlerugby.com.au and littledanceflavourz.co.uk

Little Kickers at National Playgroup Week

Playgroup Queensland’s National Playgroup Week was packed with fun events for kids again this year and Little Kickers was at the heart of the celebrations. 

The major Queensland event, the Hyundai Playgroup Children’s Festival, was on 29 March at RNA Showgrounds where about 2,000 people from playgroups all over South East Queensland joined in the fun and games. 

Girls and boys from 15 months of age were kicking goals with us, some who had just taken their first steps! Our Coach Chris can help any child kick their first goal and it was Little Kickers on the road, with all our usual favourite games and fun soccer activities. 

Kids loved the chance to play with us and walk away with a sticker, hand stamp and balloon, as well as a snapshot of the types of people who run Little Kickers classes. Most of the coaches who came along were franchisee owner-operators who put 110 percent of their heart and soul into the event.

Playgroup Queensland does an incredible job of organising National Playgroup Week, which coincides with Families Week each year. 

Little Kickers was also invited to join in a second event at Capalaba Regional Park on 27 March. About 400 people from the Bayside area joined in the Capalaba fun where Little Kickers organised soccer games and a playful obstacle course. Other activities included a baby animal farm, face painting, giveaways, messy play and fire trucks.

National Playgroup Week was a major success across Queensland, with over 6,500 families participating in 36 events. Thanks to Playgroup Queensland for involving us in such fantastic events and we can’t wait to join in again next year!