Run, Dribble, Tackle, Kick…Goal!

In this technology-driven age, the benefits that have been brought about by technological advances can often also limit physical activity. Today, so much can be accomplished just by sitting in front of our computer screens or using our mobile phones. When we get caught up in our busy schedules, we may sometimes forget that our children will naturally try to imitate us. From a very young age, they are constantly watching us and observing how we act. They will then consciously or unconsciously try to follow what we do. We are their role models. Therefore, we should purposefully make healthy choices that will be good for us, and by extension, good for our children too!

One way to be a good role model is to try and actively get involved in any form of physical activity – be it playing an outdoor sport, going to the gym, or just walking as means of an exercise. Although young children might not be so interested in going to the gym or even walking, there are other forms of physical activity that would be fun and interesting for them. Some of these include sports like swimming, cricket, basketball, soccer, and so on.

 (Source: Asia Pacific Soccer School)

One popular sport that is easy for young children in Hong Kong to try is soccer. Whilst children can learn to play soccer at any age, the sooner they get involved in a sport, the sooner they can reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Good habits should be incorporated as early as possible!

Soccer is a game full of passion and vigour. It is a sport that demands commitment, dedication, and lots of energy to excel. In return, players can gain the following:

1. Experience with teamwork and coordination. As important as it is to play well individually, it is equally important to play well as a team and coordinate moves throughout a game. Children learn the valuable lesson of playing as a team to win, rather than playing just on their own. The quote “united we stand, divided we fall” is certainly applicable to a soccer match!
2. A spirit of good sportsmanship. With soccer, as with most other sports and games, one team will win and the other will lose. Playing soccer enables children to understand this concept, and to develop a spirit of good sportsmanship whilst playing.
3. Respect for discipline. Whether your child wishes to take up the sport seriously, or just play it as a hobby, soccer will invariably instill discipline in them. Children will learn to listen their coach’s instructions and follow a disciplined approach towards the sport. This in turn will train them to be disciplined in life as well.
4. Self-esteem. Just watching a soccer match is quite exciting…imagine how fun it is for the players! Even a single goal creates a wave of happiness and a sense of achievement for the scoring team. Soccer is a great sport to boost your child’ self-esteem.
5. Physical fitness. Last but not the least, playing soccer under good supervision improves your child’s physical fitness, specifically cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

If you are excited to watch your little one score a goal on the soccer pitch, then whizpa.com can help you select a suitable soccer activity provider. With a variety of soccer training providers listed, you can choose the one that best fits your needs. Here are just a few suggestions:

Hong Kong Dragons Football Club offers football classes and football camp for all ages and levels in Discovery Bay, Mui Wo, Tung Chung and Stanley. They also have teams in the Hong Kong Junior Football League with ages ranging from 8 -15 years old. HK Dragons is now offering Easter Football Camps in Discovery Bay and Stanley. Camps starts from $480 per week. Let your kids have some football fun this holiday! (Source: Hong Kong Dragons Football Club)

Asia Pacific Soccer School operates classes all over Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. Their program is designed to maximize the children’s enjoyment of the sport as well as to help them progress systematically through the different levels of skill. They encourage every player to develop their skills and self-esteem.

Sparrow Soccer School offers a wide range of programs from regular term classes to short mid-term break classes throughout the year. They run programs in Park Island and Tung Chung, and are quite well-known in these areas for their enjoyable and safe-learning, professional environment. They claim to develop all skill levels in a ‘fun, active, challenging, and technical (FACT)’ sporting environment.

The Kinder Kicks soccer program is designed to train kids from the time they can walk up to the age of five years. The activities in their soccer program can help to improve a young child’s motor skills along with their social skills. Kinder Kicks also offers Kinder Games, a popular multi-sport training program that targets children as young as toddlers up to the age of eight years old. They operate all over Hong Kong.

Brazilian Football Academy offers a variety of soccer classes and holiday soccer camps on location in a number of schools, recreation departments and sports clubs around Hong Kong. Their core focus is directed at the long-term development of all their soccer players, rather than the importance of winning. Their soccer camps range from the traditional camps that offer a progressive curriculum to children aged 5-14 years, to specialist camps that focus on a specific skill development. (Source: Brazilian Football Academy)

There are plenty more soccer options available around Hong Kong. To find a program near you, please visit whizpa.com. Many will even offer free trial classes. If your child has had a chance to try out a soccer class, please do leave a review on whizpa.com. Your feedback will be very helpful to other parents!