Do you know how to find the right football club for your child to join? Get it right and your child might find a newfound love for the game and even make a career out of their passion for it. Get it wrong and they might dread going every week – no pressure!
Football offers so many great benefits to kids. Including, the obvious physical health benefits that it brings and the amazing social skills it improves, also an interest in football can serve to enhance their social skills from a young age. Your little ballers will have the chance to meet a whole range of other children that they wouldn’t usually have the chance to meet as well it giving them a platform to meet others that they already have something in common with, football!
So what factors do you need to consider when choosing a football club for a young child?
The current ability of your child
This isn’t so important when your child is still young, however, as they start to get older it is important to pay attention to their natural ability. If your child shows a natural aptitude for football, then perhaps this is the way to go. If they’re pretty new to the game though, a more gentle and fun introduction is less likely to scare them off. Children hate not being able to do something, and if all the other kids are doing Cruyff turns and curling screamers into the top corner whilst your child is still struggling to dribble, the divide will be too frustrating for your little one.
Where do their friends play football?
If your child’s friends already attend a football club, it is a great idea to find out which one they go to. Your child will have a much easier time settling into a new club if they already have some familiar faces there. If they don’t, check online for local clubs, that way if they do make new friends then they can always meet up with them outside their football club.
Location
You’ve found the perfect football club for your 5-year-old, or younger, little baller. It’s perfect for their skill level and some of their friends already attend and love it – big tick. Problem is that it’s 15 miles away and starts at 5 pm. If you have to rush to get there it could end up turning the fun event into a chore instead of something fun to do after school. Just make sure that it’s in a convenient location for you to get to.
Do they actually want to go?
Before signing your child up for a football club make sure that it’s not just you who wants your child to play football and that they actually want to go themselves. It’s ok to give them a gentle push in the right direction if you truly believe that they will love the game but, sometimes it can be easy to push our own wants onto our children. So, just ensure that you’re not doing this before you send them to a new football club.
So, there you have it. Our top tips for choosing the right football club for your child. Here at BabyBallers, we have a whole range of clubs located in various locations across the country and eventually, the world! You can find our list of classes here, see if one ticks all of your boxes.
