Sport4Kids Stafford

S4K Tots is for babies and younger children beginning their activity sporting life and usually ranges from 18 months to 3 years (although we do have some children who join us at 16 months). Child development - motor, cognitive and social - is very important at this age. Based on the Montessori child learning method and the Dutch Coever, Spanish Tiki-Taka and Brazilian Futsal coaching techniques, S4K Tots provides toddlers with the perfect introduction to the beautiful game. Toddlers are able to join in almost as soon as they can walk, run and listen to instructions and have fun in a collective group setting. Parents take part in the class at all times with their child, as our S4K Coaches get to know all of the toddlers and help them learning new skills and activities. Over time, our Tots become more independent and take part in the class with less assistance from mum and dad. Toddlers are encouraged to learn the basics of listening and toddle around with footballs and play with their new friends. Early development of eye and ball co-ordination is critical in order for the children to feel comfortable and natural with a football. They learn to kick both stationary and moving balls to identify targets and most important of all – score some goals! Celebrations, the louder and more extravagant the better, are all part of parent and child enjoyment of the moment. We want toddlers to be excited every time that they come to S4K activity classes and scoring goals is the perfect opportunity for them to realise that they have succeeded and are the best in their world! What better confidence builder than scoring goals! After progressing through our S4K Tots class, our children move onto our S4K Kickers group.

S4K Toddler Rugby is aimed at providing our little ones with their first introduction to sporting life and ranges from 18 months to 3 years. Toddlers are able to join in with exciting and imaginative games aimed at introducing them to structured learning and social skills like turn taking. This is not just an introduction to rugby, but also for life in nursery and pre-school as we include key Early Years Framework initiatives. Our rugby toddlers will walk, run, listen and take direction from our coaches as well as mum and dad in our parent-child tots class. Learning to learn and experiencing group activities are all part of the S4K Rugby entry level experience. Our rugby ball is specially designed, small and weighted, and provides our toddlers with experience of the shape and behaviour of the ball when dropped, kicked and thrown. Our S4K Rugby Player Pathway demonstrates that children can be taught precision from an early age and the size of our ball assists with learning the correct holding technique. Our rugby toddlers are treated as individuals by our coaching team and our aim is to build every child’s confidence level through rugby. Oodles of patience, good humour and bucket loads of re-enforcement are used to encourage engagement levels at this age. In our toddler activity classes, tots gain greater motor control whilst developing their co-ordination, balance and full body control mechanisms. We introduce them to controlling the ball, squeezing it and holding it closely with both hands, as well as kicking goals with our specially designed rugby posts. Our S4K Rugby Player Pathway encourages development of hand-eye and foot-eye coordination from a young age so that our toddler's feel comfortable and natural with the ball. Lots of celebrations and cheers are the flavour of the day as our toddlers feel like champions kicking conversions and scoring tries after negotiating tunnels and hurdles with their favourite rugby ball. The bond between parent and child during our sessions is special and the circle of trust between coach, child and parent allows us to improve every child’s skill level in rugby and other areas of the Early Years Framework. Once our rugby toddlers have completed their Practice@Home progression book for the S4K Toddler Rugby class, they are promoted to our S4K Cubs group

S4K Cubs rugby is the second level of development along our Rugby Player Pathway after our S4K Tots program. At this point, we introduce the Cubs to the concept of catching and playing with friends. The ball is foam, weighted and tailored to their size and children are encouraged to handle the ball with precision during structured activities and games, adding yet another dimension to their already flourishing rugby skills. Cubs’ talent is harnessed via running with the ball and catching drills as well as having fun in kicking the ball over the rugby posts. In addition child interaction and cooperation is actively encouraged as our coaches seek to stimulate greater social skills. Communication is encouraged as Cubs are taught to ask their peers to “pass the ball” and form an overall collective team spirit, achieved through cheering on their peers as they take turns to compete in small sided exercises. It is at this stage that kids are exposed to sharing and overall team play – giving pre-school rugby pupils the confidence build and skill progression for taking on new challenges and trusting in their coaches. Control and handling of the ball are extended and challenges increase to work on combined skills with running, catching, passing and scoring tries often in one exercise. The concepts of defending and attacking are introduced as the kids’ vocabulary and knowledge of the game expands. Children start to understand that there are team names, clubs and countries and that some teams are in blue and some are in red, emphasised through the introduction of different colour bibs. Our Cubs kids rugby classes really start to have an impact on improving a child’s physical dexterity, particularly in the upper limbs and hands through a variety of ball-handling exercises. As children advance S4K introduces them to the skills and techniques made famous by the great New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby League sides – all with the spirit and determination of the English. One on one games with simple tasks are also introduced where competing for the ball, running in competition, dummying and falling correctly with the ball all become part of their development. Agility and memory games and imaginative exploration of jungles, crocodiles and other hazards that have to be overcome are all part of the mix where we still keep fun top of the agenda. The capacity to participate in team play, to think both as individuals and bond as a team or group and to understand instructions from the coaches will stand all our little ones in great stead for school and their sporting lives. Once children have progressed through our S4K Cubs class, they are promoted to our S4K Lions age group where they begin playing matches...

In our S4K Strikers (5 to 7 years) we experience a rapid development in the skills and maturity of the children as sports players and team members. They get to combine and hone their skills in exciting games and activities that help them to develop their touch, sense of space, movement and their positions on the pitch. They learn to defend, to attack, pass and move in small sided games. Dribbling skills with the injection of the Dutch Coever method for emulating football superstars and the moves that have made them great are introduced. The drag backs, back heels and Cruyff turns are all actively encouraged as kids continue the fun games while participating in high skill development sessions. Children are actively encouraged to run with the ball, while also receiving coaching on close passing movements via our Tiki-Taka drills. The team sense of bonding and working together is emphasized at this stage as we emulate the philosophies of the Spanish, Dutch and Brazilian methods. All of our games with S4K Strikers are framed in a way that develops confidence by beginning with zero pressure learning – where Strikers are encouraged to learn at their own pace before stress is gradually introduced across a period of four weeks. The games are fun for the Strikers, but teach basic footballing principles such as control of the ball as well as the “Look, Pass & Move” mantra of the successful Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s. All of our games at this age are “non-tackling” and thus skill enhancing – allowing the development of vision and spatial awareness that other football clubs do not teach. Kids FootballPlaying constantly with the ball accelerates the young players touch and feel for the ball helping them to master close control in smaller spaces and enhance their togetherness and teamwork. Within Strikers classes, our coaches focus not only on teaching children how to perform a skill, but also to put that into the context of small sided games where they get lots of touches, involvement, running and competing with each other and in teams. The use of small sided games has been shown to allow children of all abilities to increase their confidence and develop their skills through a greater number of touches of the ball. Everything is done with the ball and always fun, while we hold skill development and dreams of the agenda. Strikers enjoy a series of exercises and other activities that use creative play and familiar games to build comfort and confidence, visual skill and team participation to engage the interest of the child and develop maximum enjoyment from being part of the group. Our Strikers are able to participate in not only our S4K Skills Classes, but also our S4K Football Tournament. The Strikers level is about introducing children to the team aspect of football, developing their individual skill and confidence levels and building a player for the team. After our children have progressed through our S4K Strikers, we move them onto our S4K Academy group and our S4K Football Club.

S4K Kickers is the second stage of development where we build on the mini and micro motor skills that have be instilled at Tots age and evolve these into more complex football skills. The ball is tailored to their size and children are encouraged to participate in structured games and imaginative play, adding yet another dimension to their already flourishing footwork. The Kickers age group still focuses on individual skill development, maximising the amount of time that each child spends with the football to reach the maximum comfort and confidence level with the ball. Kickers' talent is harnessed via dribbling drills and striking of the ball. In addition, child interaction and cooperation is actively encouraged as our coaches seek to stimulate greater social skills. Communication is encouraged as Kickers are taught to ask their peers to “pass the ball” and form an overall collective team spirit, achieved through cheering on their peers as they take turns to compete in small sided exercises. It is at this stage that kids are exposed to sharing and a little team play. Dribbling skills are extended and challenges increase to work on combined skills with dribbling, trapping, passing and shooting often in one exercise. The concepts of defending, attacking and goalkeeping are introduced as the kids’ vocabulary and knowledge of the game expands. These all take place within fun and imaginative activities - ranging from superhero missions to magician and race car arenas. Children start to understand that there are team names, clubs and countries and that some teams are in blue and some are in red, emphasised through the introduction of different colour bibs.Our Kickers kids football classes really start to have an impact on improving a child’s physical dexterity, particularly in the lower limbs and feet through a variety of ball-balancing games. As children advance S4K introduces them to the skills and techniques made famous by the great Dutch masters, the Brazilian Samba and the Spanish Tiki-Taka.

S4K Tots is for babies and younger children beginning their activity sporting life and usually ranges from 18 months to 3 years (although we do have some children who join us at 16 months). Child development - motor, cognitive and social - is very important at this age. Based on the Montessori child learning method and the Dutch Coever, Spanish Tiki-Taka and Brazilian Futsal coaching techniques, S4K Tots provides toddlers with the perfect introduction to the beautiful game. Toddlers are able to join in almost as soon as they can walk, run and listen to instructions and have fun in a collective group setting. Parents take part in the class at all times with their child, as our S4K Coaches get to know all of the toddlers and help them learning new skills and activities. Over time, our Tots become more independent and take part in the class with less assistance from mum and dad. Toddlers are encouraged to learn the basics of listening and toddle around with footballs and play with their new friends. Early development of eye and ball co-ordination is critical in order for the children to feel comfortable and natural with a football. They learn to kick both stationary and moving balls to identify targets and most important of all – score some goals! Celebrations, the louder and more extravagant the better, are all part of parent and child enjoyment of the moment. We want toddlers to be excited every time that they come to S4K activity classes and scoring goals is the perfect opportunity for them to realise that they have succeeded and are the best in their world! What better confidence builder than scoring goals! After progressing through our S4K Tots class, our children move onto our S4K Kickers group.

S4K Kickers is the second stage of development where we build on the mini and micro motor skills that have be instilled at Tots age and evolve these into more complex football skills. The ball is tailored to their size and children are encouraged to participate in structured games and imaginative play, adding yet another dimension to their already flourishing footwork. The Kickers age group still focuses on individual skill development, maximising the amount of time that each child spends with the football to reach the maximum comfort and confidence level with the ball. Kickers' talent is harnessed via dribbling drills and striking of the ball. In addition, child interaction and cooperation is actively encouraged as our coaches seek to stimulate greater social skills. Communication is encouraged as Kickers are taught to ask their peers to “pass the ball” and form an overall collective team spirit, achieved through cheering on their peers as they take turns to compete in small sided exercises. It is at this stage that kids are exposed to sharing and a little team play. Dribbling skills are extended and challenges increase to work on combined skills with dribbling, trapping, passing and shooting often in one exercise. The concepts of defending, attacking and goalkeeping are introduced as the kids’ vocabulary and knowledge of the game expands. These all take place within fun and imaginative activities - ranging from superhero missions to magician and race car arenas. Children start to understand that there are team names, clubs and countries and that some teams are in blue and some are in red, emphasised through the introduction of different colour bibs.Our Kickers kids football classes really start to have an impact on improving a child’s physical dexterity, particularly in the lower limbs and feet through a variety of ball-balancing games. As children advance S4K introduces them to the skills and techniques made famous by the great Dutch masters, the Brazilian Samba and the Spanish Tiki-Taka.

S4K Toddler Rugby is aimed at providing our little ones with their first introduction to sporting life and ranges from 18 months to 3 years. Toddlers are able to join in with exciting and imaginative games aimed at introducing them to structured learning and social skills like turn taking. This is not just an introduction to rugby, but also for life in nursery and pre-school as we include key Early Years Framework initiatives. Our rugby toddlers will walk, run, listen and take direction from our coaches as well as mum and dad in our parent-child tots class. Learning to learn and experiencing group activities are all part of the S4K Rugby entry level experience. Our rugby ball is specially designed, small and weighted, and provides our toddlers with experience of the shape and behaviour of the ball when dropped, kicked and thrown. Our S4K Rugby Player Pathway demonstrates that children can be taught precision from an early age and the size of our ball assists with learning the correct holding technique. Our rugby toddlers are treated as individuals by our coaching team and our aim is to build every child’s confidence level through rugby. Oodles of patience, good humour and bucket loads of re-enforcement are used to encourage engagement levels at this age. In our toddler activity classes, tots gain greater motor control whilst developing their co-ordination, balance and full body control mechanisms. We introduce them to controlling the ball, squeezing it and holding it closely with both hands, as well as kicking goals with our specially designed rugby posts. Our S4K Rugby Player Pathway encourages development of hand-eye and foot-eye coordination from a young age so that our toddler's feel comfortable and natural with the ball. Lots of celebrations and cheers are the flavour of the day as our toddlers feel like champions kicking conversions and scoring tries after negotiating tunnels and hurdles with their favourite rugby ball. The bond between parent and child during our sessions is special and the circle of trust between coach, child and parent allows us to improve every child’s skill level in rugby and other areas of the Early Years Framework. Once our rugby toddlers have completed their Practice@Home progression book for the S4K Toddler Rugby class, they are promoted to our S4K Cubs group

In our S4K Strikers (5 to 7 years) we experience a rapid development in the skills and maturity of the children as sports players and team members. They get to combine and hone their skills in exciting games and activities that help them to develop their touch, sense of space, movement and their positions on the pitch. They learn to defend, to attack, pass and move in small sided games. Dribbling skills with the injection of the Dutch Coever method for emulating football superstars and the moves that have made them great are introduced. The drag backs, back heels and Cruyff turns are all actively encouraged as kids continue the fun games while participating in high skill development sessions. Children are actively encouraged to run with the ball, while also receiving coaching on close passing movements via our Tiki-Taka drills. The team sense of bonding and working together is emphasized at this stage as we emulate the philosophies of the Spanish, Dutch and Brazilian methods. All of our games with S4K Strikers are framed in a way that develops confidence by beginning with zero pressure learning – where Strikers are encouraged to learn at their own pace before stress is gradually introduced across a period of four weeks. The games are fun for the Strikers, but teach basic footballing principles such as control of the ball as well as the “Look, Pass & Move” mantra of the successful Liverpool teams of the 70s and 80s. All of our games at this age are “non-tackling” and thus skill enhancing – allowing the development of vision and spatial awareness that other football clubs do not teach. Kids FootballPlaying constantly with the ball accelerates the young players touch and feel for the ball helping them to master close control in smaller spaces and enhance their togetherness and teamwork. Within Strikers classes, our coaches focus not only on teaching children how to perform a skill, but also to put that into the context of small sided games where they get lots of touches, involvement, running and competing with each other and in teams. The use of small sided games has been shown to allow children of all abilities to increase their confidence and develop their skills through a greater number of touches of the ball. Everything is done with the ball and always fun, while we hold skill development and dreams of the agenda. Strikers enjoy a series of exercises and other activities that use creative play and familiar games to build comfort and confidence, visual skill and team participation to engage the interest of the child and develop maximum enjoyment from being part of the group. Our Strikers are able to participate in not only our S4K Skills Classes, but also our S4K Football Tournament. The Strikers level is about introducing children to the team aspect of football, developing their individual skill and confidence levels and building a player for the team. After our children have progressed through our S4K Strikers, we move them onto our S4K Academy group and our S4K Football Club.

S4K Cubs rugby is the second level of development along our Rugby Player Pathway after our S4K Tots program. At this point, we introduce the Cubs to the concept of catching and playing with friends. The ball is foam, weighted and tailored to their size and children are encouraged to handle the ball with precision during structured activities and games, adding yet another dimension to their already flourishing rugby skills. Cubs’ talent is harnessed via running with the ball and catching drills as well as having fun in kicking the ball over the rugby posts. In addition child interaction and cooperation is actively encouraged as our coaches seek to stimulate greater social skills. Communication is encouraged as Cubs are taught to ask their peers to “pass the ball” and form an overall collective team spirit, achieved through cheering on their peers as they take turns to compete in small sided exercises. It is at this stage that kids are exposed to sharing and overall team play – giving pre-school rugby pupils the confidence build and skill progression for taking on new challenges and trusting in their coaches. Control and handling of the ball are extended and challenges increase to work on combined skills with running, catching, passing and scoring tries often in one exercise. The concepts of defending and attacking are introduced as the kids’ vocabulary and knowledge of the game expands. Children start to understand that there are team names, clubs and countries and that some teams are in blue and some are in red, emphasised through the introduction of different colour bibs. Our Cubs kids rugby classes really start to have an impact on improving a child’s physical dexterity, particularly in the upper limbs and hands through a variety of ball-handling exercises. As children advance S4K introduces them to the skills and techniques made famous by the great New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby League sides – all with the spirit and determination of the English. One on one games with simple tasks are also introduced where competing for the ball, running in competition, dummying and falling correctly with the ball all become part of their development. Agility and memory games and imaginative exploration of jungles, crocodiles and other hazards that have to be overcome are all part of the mix where we still keep fun top of the agenda. The capacity to participate in team play, to think both as individuals and bond as a team or group and to understand instructions from the coaches will stand all our little ones in great stead for school and their sporting lives. Once children have progressed through our S4K Cubs class, they are promoted to our S4K Lions age group where they begin playing matches...