There is no better place to explore life lessons than the soccer field. Justin and I believe this so strongly, that we’ve created the foundation of our program, SoccerKidsUSA, with this in mind.
From the first day of class when we get to meet our team, to the last day of class, which we call “Congratulations Day”, where we get to come together as a community to celebrate learning, commitment and fun, we are given the opportunity to teach. More importantly, to make a difference.
There are so many lessons to be learned…below are few goodies!
Ritual — this is one of my favorites. The power of coming together week after week, same time, same place, creates a grounding force. It creates history, keeps us present and allows for us to plan for the future. Having a ritual is a great way to keep connection to ourselves, to others and to what’s important in our lives.
Pace — If we have learned anything over the last 10 years of playing with our friends, we have learned that everyone has their own pace. In many ways, it’s the awareness of our differences that allows each of us to learn
and grow. What happens when we slow things down? Can we be inspired, try a little harder, when we’re exposed to someone’s pace that is faster than ours? We believe it’s the celebration of our differences that bring us together as a team!
Roles and Responsibilities create structure and direction. The soccer field is a great place to explore who we are and how our individuality impacts everyone and everything around us. Whether it’s offense or defense, forward or mid-field. Roles and Responsibilities give us an identity, a foundation to build upon.
Team — the understanding that we have the ability to contribute to others and that our choices not only affect us, they impact those around us. We learn that everyone plays a role and adds something special to the group! When on a team, we are given the opportunity to express our individuality, honor differences and learn about strengths and weaknesses. Team teaches us to give and receive. When we’re part of a team, we get to work together, play together, learn together, and laugh together…
And the list goes on and on…
One final note, and just as important… life lessons on the soccer field are not only for our children, they are for us too.
See ya on the field!
Coach Julie
Co-Founder, SoccerKidsUSA
