What to do When Your Child Can’t Keep Up At Soccer

So many children participate in recreational fall and spring soccer teams.  It’s a fun intro to the game and usually results in the little kids running in large groups up and down the field!  

Soccer can be a fun experience for many children, but it can be frustrating for others.  When children struggle with running as fast as their peers or following the rules of the game, the fun can be lost. This leaves parents wondering whether they should even have signed up their child at all.

Why do some children struggle with soccer?  We can look at several different possible reasons to try to understand.

Can the child run fast enough?  If the child can’t keep up their teammates, soccer can be an exercise in frustration.  Why bother trying when you’re not having success!

Can the child stand on one leg for longer enough to kick the ball?  If the child feels like they’re going to fall over, kicking is no fun anymore!

Can the child listen, look, and move at the same time?  For some children, using more than one sense and moving at the same time is just too much!  (Think rubbing your belly and tapping your head at the same time.)

The younger we can help children find success in a movement activity the better.  Soccer may not be the best fit for your child, but they also may need some extra help to get their bodies ready to successfully participate in soccer or other recreational activities.  

The goal of any extra help is to get the child out participating with friends and family to do the things they love!  It is also so helpful to do so at a young age, before a child’s confidence is impacted.

Many parents will seek out extra support when their children are around 5 years old, which is perfect.  The same movement skills that need to be developed for soccer and other recreational activities are the ones that will support the child in the classroom too!  So its success all around!