Mini, Classic, Premier: Which program is right for your child?
The Mini program is for toddlers ages 2 and 3. It is only 30 minutes long and is much slower paced than the Classic and Premier programs. We stay on the same theme and fundamental skill for 2-3 weeks instead of switching every week so that the concept has time to sink in. Along with the idea that we use our feet in soccer, not our hands, the fundamental skills we want children to become most comfortable with in this program are:
Control (balancing their foot on top of the ball)
Dribbling (tiny kicks or tick-tocks)
Changing Speeds (knowing what it means to kick fast and slow)
Power Kicks (knowing how much force it takes to kick far/into the goal)
We introduce several other fundamental skills as well, but these are the 4 that will be most important and repetitive as they continue. Your minis may not necessarily show a skill as it is being taught, but when the coach is reviewing skills in a few weeks, they will proudly show it off because they were absorbing and observing the whole time!
It is very common for minis to go half the season or longer wanting to hold a family member’s hand for all 30 minutes, or to be held and watch their family member kick the ball for them. Adult involvement is very important for their comfortability and learning since a 3-year-old may grasp a concept more quickly than a 2-year-old who needs more explanation or physical help from their family member before fully getting it.
The games the Minis play usually involve simple directions like “kick down the cones,” “jump over the cones,” or “stop” and “go.” We introduce the basic idea of scoring in one goal versus the other as “scrimmage,” but the Minis will likely not get to full scrimmaging with teams and only one ball by the end of the season. Children at their age are just starting to understand associative play, which is where they will want to play with others rather than alongside others or alone.
The Classic program is for children ages 3, 4, and 5. It is usually best for older 3-year-olds and younger 5-year-olds. Starting this season, Classic sessions are now 40 minutes long so that the children have more time to apply the skills they’ve learned to games and scrimmaging. Some of our classes this season are specifically for “younger” classics or “older” classics, but they tend to mesh well because if they have moved on from Mini they are ready for slightly more difficult skills, longer games, and team-style scrimmaging. They have usually understood by this point that we don’t use our hands in soccer and will only need a few reminders to put the ball down if they pick it up. Classic children may still be hesitant to get on the field without their family member, but we want all children to be doing the classes independently by the end of the season.
Building on the most foundational skills in Minis, the fundamental skills we want children to become most comfortable with in this program are:
Passing (recognizing who is on their team and wanting to share the ball with them)
Roll-over (how to move the ball sideways rather than just forward and backward)
Inside and Outside Chops (how to get your ball away from the other team)
Shooting (how to use our “big kicks” to score goals)
We also want them to become even more comfortable with the skills they may have learned in the Mini program, like changing speeds, step-over, pull-back, and continue to hone those basic skills. Because some of our Classics are 3 and some are 5, there can be quite a range of fine-motor skills. It is important to focus on each child’s progress individually.
Classics is where we get to introduce staple Soccer Shots games like Mr. Fox and Sleeping Bear. The children will want to interact with the coach more and will understand the goal of keeping your soccer ball away from them much better.
Rather than “scoring goals” being the finale of most sessions, Classic children will start to venture more into team-style scrimmaging. They may still need multiple soccer balls on the field and may prioritize scoring goals over scoring in the right goal, but it is rewarding to watch them grow to understand and enjoy teamwork.
The Premier program is for children ages 5, 6, 7, and sometimes on the younger side of 8. It is best for children who are on the older side of 5 through 7, but we are not strict with age requirements because each child may be emotionally and physically developing at different speeds. Starting this season, Premier is 45 minutes long, increasing slightly from 40 minutes. This is because the older children can stay on task and stay excited about the game for longer at this point.
They are fully venturing into playing the actual game of soccer with teams, only 1 or 2 soccer balls, and sometimes even goalies. They enjoy variations of 1v1, coach vs kids, and coming up with team names when they are split amongst themselves.
This program is where they hone the skills they learned in Minis and Classics as they play rather than needing weekly review and for the coach to watch them do each skill. We mark the “officiality” of their games with different colored penny-jerseys so that they can focus on their skills, teamwork, and shooting goals.
Of course, they are still very young and are in Soccer Shots as opposed to a club team or AYSO for a reason. We break up the session with the games they loved from the Classic program as well as new, more challenging ones like Sharks and Minnows and Pokemon Catchers. We make sure they know that when we are scrimmaging it is just for fun, and we can switch up the teams at any time so children don’t become overly competitive with each other.
Premier is the last step before they get to decide if soccer is their sport, and they want to try it in a more competitive setting. But, if they don’t, we love watching the children in this program stay active, learn to be team-players, feel accomplished, and have fun! The skills they learned in Soccer Shots will carry them far in any sport or activity they choose next.