Kids Soccer: The Best First Sport for Kids

As a father, I’ve been looking forward to getting my young kids involved in some of the various sports that I enjoyed as a kid. With so many options out there, like many parents, we decided kids soccer was a good starter sport.  We ended up signing our three oldest kids up for a recreational soccer league. Soccer is one of the most popular sports for kids to play in the world, so naturally, we decided to give it a shot. As I bounced from one field to another cheering my kids on, one thing I noticed was how many more kids were involved in soccer versus t-ball. Our son had played T-ball just before soccer and it really hit me just how popular soccer is for kids. I began to wonder if soccer may just be the best sport to start with for kids.

Is youth soccer the best sport to start with for kids? The short answer is yes. Soccer provides kids with the right foundation for other sports. It is the easiest sport to learn quickly and relatively low cost compared to other sports. Many of the recreational soccer leagues are emphasizing just having fun, which creates a great beginner experience. Let’s take a further look at youth soccer for your kids.

Soccer Basics

Before we go into some of the things that make soccer a great starter sport for your kids, let’s look at some of the basic rules of the games.

• The object of soccer is to kick a ball into the opponent’s goal. A goal is set up on each end of a rectangular field of play.
• A goalie or goalkeeper is designated to protect the goal by staying in a box area in front of the goal. Each team has 11 players and the goalie is included in those 11.
• If the ball goes out of the rectangular area, it is out of bounds, and the ball is awarded to the team that didn’t touch it last.
• Hands are not allowed, except on an out of bounds throw in. The goalie can use hands inside the goalie box area.
• A corner kick occurs when the ball goes out of bounds beyond the goal line. The offensive team gets to kick the ball inbounds from the corner of the field in line with the goal, instead of throwing it in.
• Soccer is played in two halves with a designated time for each half.
• Penalties occur for violation of rules like using hands or illegal physical contact with another player. Typically a penalty kick will occur where the penalty occurred or if close to the goal will occur at the goal.
  

What makes soccer so great?

Soccer is a sport that is played all over the world. It’s a game that can help others feel connected to people of differing cultures. Here are some of the best things about kids soccer:

Low Cost

When compared to some of the other youth sports options, kids soccer is a relatively low cost. All you really need is a soccer ball, soccer cleats, shin guards, and socks. Typically a jersey is provided by the league. There are tons of low-cost recreational league options for young kids.

Easy to Learn

Kids as young as 3 or 4 can go out there and run around trying to kick a ball towards a goal with a little bit of guidance. Most kids know how to run around, which is the major component of soccer. It’s not like baseball where it takes some hand-eye coordination, basketball requiring various fine motor skills, or football that requires technique.

Physical Ability

Soccer doesn’t necessarily require a certain physique or build to play. As long as your kid can move around, they can play. Kids don’t have to be super athletic to play.

Safety

Soccer is a relatively safe sport in comparison to something like football. Like all physical fitness activities, an injury is always a risk, but soccer is more of a game based on finesse than physicality.

Playing Time

11 kids are able to play at one time, so kids get a lot of playing time. Some sports like basketball, only allow for 5 players to play at once, so kids are rotating in and out of the game more often, making it difficult to allow for equal playing time. Soccer allows kids to get large amounts of playing time and be able to try various positions.

Stepping Stone

Soccer provides a foundation to learn how to work as a team and learn how to play within a team setting. This type of environment can help kids to transition into other team sports with ease. Soccer also provides more competitive options for kids to continue to progress within the sport.

Interactive

Some sports like baseball, have long duration’s of waiting for the action to come to the kids, while soccer is always moving. Kids aren’t standing around as much and are able to be involved in the action.

Improves Health

Soccer provides opportunities for kids to move away from being sedentary. Kids are spending so much time on devices, that soccer provides a fun way for kids to get active. Soccer is a cardiovascular activity that helps boost endorphins. Kids will build strong bodies and help manage a healthy weight.

Use Thinking Skills

Kids will develop the ability to focus, by staying engaged in the game and following the action. Some of the different positions will help kids to think about how to quickly respond to things going on around them.

Coach your Kids

Most recreational youth soccer leagues rely heavily on parent volunteer coaches. This can be a great opportunity to be able to spend that extra time with your child, while also helping to create an awesome experience for other kids. In this post, I discuss some ways to be a great parent volunteer coach.

Get aggression out

Lots of kids have pent up energy that can be displayed in the wrong way. Kicking a ball is a great way to get that aggression out in a constructive way without causing any harm to anyone or anything.

Emphasis on Fun

Many of the youth soccer leagues are recreational and just emphasize getting out on the field to have a good time.

Snack Time

One of my kid’s favorite things about soccer was to get the snacks provided by the other parents. Snacks seemed to have originated from youth soccer, which makes the experience more enjoyable for the kids.

Make Friends

Kids get the opportunity to meet and play with other kids their age. Many friendships can develop from youth sports. My girls really loved the social aspect of being with other girls in soccer.

Learn Values

Youth Sports can teach so many great life skills. Things like working towards goals, being part of something, learning from mistakes, developing a positive attitude, and learning the value of competition. Check on my post on 30 ways to show sportsmanship.

Should I get my kids in soccer?

Not every kid will enjoy soccer, but it’s a good starting point to identify what your child will like.

It could help you to learn if your child prefers more of an individual experience or just a different sport altogether. My son played his first season at age 4 and I think that 4 or 5 is a good age to start soccer.

Starting any younger than that just isn’t very productive. It’s tough to hold kids attention for very long at anything at that age.

If you are looking to get your kids involved in something active or just trying to identify a sport that your child will enjoy, start with soccer.

Please comment below on anything you enjoyed from this post or your experiences with kids soccer.

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