The Hardest Job In The World!

After having had a few lemonades in my local public house, a friend and I were discussing our professions and our enjoyment of them. We then went off subject trying to list the most difficult jobs in the world, including the British Prime Minister and the next Manchester United manager; we listed the obvious - Firemen, the Police and all the emergency services. Admittedly we did digress somewhat, for example, the most difficult job in the world being selling doors – door to door…‘bing-bong, o you’ve got one, never mind’!!! It then became quite competitive as to who had the more enjoyable job.

I am pleased to say I won hands down! I listed the obvious clichés in it being rewarding and satisfying; however clichés are only in existence because they hold elements of truth and value. I also labelled seeing the development of children as a colossal reason, in addition having an impact on the improvement of health and fitness, and working for a company that holds high moral values.

I love Little Kickers, and I have been a proud employee in various different positions since 2003. It is difficult to call it work, as working with such excellent and passionate colleagues and like minded coaches it makes it fun and worthwhile. And obviously your children are the highlight of my weeks - I have learnt to expect the unexpected when dealing with children, but even that thought does not prepare you for some of the genius comments that children come up with! It’s nice to see my games being put into practice, and children enjoying them and sometimes the Mums and Dads even more so!

I would love to spend more time with the children, (I realise your all shouting easier said than done!) however, we do only get an hour a week with your mini superstars. As some of you may or may not know, we have a Facebook site. On this Facebook site you can find my ‘top secret garden games’ – games and exercises I have created for you and your little ones to enjoy at home. If you are one of the 8 people in the world that doesn’t have Facebook, fear not – we have put them all on the ‘What’s New’ page on our website. Take a look and give them a go! Why not send us a snap of your child playing the games and we will upload them onto our website!

In the mean time, enjoy the rest of the summer, and absorb every ray of sun that the skies are begrudgingly giving us.

The Wooden Spoon!

To be British, in some people eyes, is to have the ability to laugh in the face of adversity and to crave disappointment! This has created a national tendency to root for the underdog, regardless of the situation. At times we even celebrate poor performance - I think we are the only country in the world that has a prize, albeit a wooden spoon, for last place! Whether it is a burning desire to see success degenerate into failure, or whether it is purely wanting the less triumphant to achieve, either way it is a notable feature of English society.


Blackpool FC for example recently managed to achieve a four - nil thrashing of the well-established Premier league team Wigan FC. This was after having been relegation favourites last season. Whilst there’s no doubt that this is a fantastic start to the season for newly promoted Blackpool, unfortunately the club from the coast now face Arsenal in their toughest test as a club so far. You can guarantee the neutrals amongst the crowd will be willing on Blackpool to unsettle what could be title contenders this season. Having met Ian Holloway at a recent event, he said to me “we have certainly bitten off more than we can chew, but don’t you worry, we will be chewing fast”. What an admirable attitude, and a great example of British spirit: giving it a go even when it appears the odds are stacked against you - not being scared of failure but being prepared just to have a crack at it.
The willingness to encourage whose who are less able, to achieve great things, can also be found at Little Kickers classes. At Little Kickers we promote a very level playing field; we believe that every child deserves the same attention from our brilliant qualified coaches regardless of their ability levels. We encourage children who are less able to improve at their own pace, and continue to help those who seem to have a greater natural ability. This promotes a healthy atmosphere within our classes where nobody will ever feel isolated.

I am not denying that I won’t be quietly willing on Blackpool to do well this year. The beauty of Football is that it is eleven versus eleven, and so many variables lead to the eventual outcome of the game. Even if a team falls at the last hurdle and comes second or last, as a spectator, at least you can say you enjoyed the ride!

Full-time Mum VS Part-time Mum

By Yvette, Director Little Kickers NZ.

I recently got back in contact with an old school friend who I found out was pregnant with her first baby. She messaged me back asking if I was lucky enough to be a ‘full-time mum’ i.e. a stay at home mum. It took a while for me to get my head around that question and how I would answer it.
I could have easily asked the same question to expectant friends prior to having children myself but my views on the ideals and benefits of being a stay at home mum versus a working mum drastically changed now having kids.
Pre-kids I had a lot of patience, in good health and had good energy levels. I am fortunate enough to have my husband work a 5 minutes drive away with the leniency to come home if required and an understanding boss who happens to have 2 sets of twins! When my boys (twins) reached around 15 months old I was finding it increasingly hard to keep up my energy levels and patience to survive day on day. It became regular practice for me to call my husband up once a week pulling my hair out wondering how I was going to survive the next hour and it’s not as if my boys are different to any other toddlers. I soon realised something needed to change maybe it was time to look at some part-time work. I love my boys to bits but I felt like I wasn’t being the best parent that I could be.
I actually find my self luckier being a ‘part-time mum’ than a ‘full-time mum’ and I don’t mean in terms of finances, I mean in terms of energy levels and patience.
We were lucky enough to stumble across Little Kickers which has been my savour in life in terms of how I care for my kids and in a way my sanity!
We started off with an independent nanny who luckily the boys adored to bits but unfortunately she left with minimum notice and left us stuck as to what to do. It felt like ages that I spent discussing the pros and cons of day-care and whether we should investigate this option further. I had only recently read a report from one of the boys’ paediatricians Simon Rowley who wrote about the negative impact of day-care on children under the age of 2 so I was even more reluctant to go down this route. My main concern was the boys’ happiness as I thought they may be stressed or uncared for versus a nanny. My pre-conceived understanding on day-care was that there wouldn’t be enough carers to properly care for of all the children.
How wrong was I, after visiting 5 centres I found the perfect centre for my boys. The carers were so loving and understanding, they kept to my boys routine, fed them healthy lunches and had more than enough energy to keep up with them.
I spent 3 days with the boys at the centre until I felt as though I could leave them alone. There were a few tears at the start (by them) but once I was around the corner and out of sight they soon stopped. They now attend day-care 3 mornings and 1 short day a week and what a better parent and person I am for it.
I feel like a new person and I know I am a much better parent for it. During my working day I get to speak to other business’s, parents, suppliers, employees and generally feel like I exist as a person and not just someone’s mum. When I pick the boys up from day-care I have this rush of love for them. I especially love it when they don’t know that I’ve arrived and I get to see them playing with the other children and then when they do see me I get an assortment of emotions from them. These range from running away from me because they want to stay and play to dancing around in excitement and giving me huge hugs as they wave goodbye to the carers (even if I’m not ready to go yet).
Once home I put work aside and use all my energy in interacting and playing with them, I adore hearing their giggles and now have the patience and energy to deal with their terrible two’s better. I love that they come home from day-care having learnt new words or actions to songs and seeing them develop socially.
I’ve realised my life needs more than just kids to make it complete and being a ‘part-time mum’ works perfectly for me, I actually feel lucky that I can be one over a ‘full-time’ mum. I am sill a wife, business women and a friend and to add to that a loving mum who is trying to find that perfect work/life balance.
My hat goes off to full-time mums as I often feel you don’t get enough recognition for what you do in today’s society and how hard your days can be.
Yvette; mum, wife, business partner, coach, friend....

A Great Day Out!

With rain jackets in one hand and fleeces in the other, the Little Kickers coaching squad awoke on Saturday 17th July prepared for all weathers…apart from the sun! And needless to say within hours of arriving they were heaping on the factor 50…

Little Kickers has, for the past four years, set up a demonstration area at the extremely popular “Legoland Live”. With a big stage and a lot of stalls around the area, the whole place had a festival feel, a child’s Glastonbury if you will!

Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Bob the Builder, Fifi and the cast of Lazy Town was quite a surreal experience for many of the team. The coaches received a detailed run-down of the current who’s who of children’s television from the kids, and most of them could now give any child under 5 years of age a run for their pocket money in a sing/dance off contest to the tunes and moves of any character!

Little Kickers managed to snag a prime spot close to the stage which resulted in a constant stream of kids, eager to show off their footballing skills. The team of Little Kickers coaches maintained their enthusiasm throughout the day in spite of the sweltering heat, demonstrating true spirit and passion for their work. An excellent venue and atmosphere contributed to a great day for all involved.

It was interesting to see that some of the children that the coaches took through penalties were incredibly good at them and, on speaking to their parents, it emerged that many of these children had previously, or still do, attend Little Kickers classes. The difference in ability was clear to see. Whilst there was the occasional child who had not attended classes but had a natural ability to strike the ball and follow instructions, it was easy to identify the children who had attended Little Kickers classes. This afforded the coaches the opportunity to really see the difference they were making in developing children and was incredibly motivating for them. It also provided a glimmer of hope for the future of football in the UK, after this year’s disappointing performance in South Africa!
A number of children who had never attended Little Kickers classes kept returning throughout the day and, under the expert guidance of the coaches, made visible progress. Many parents commented how impressed they were with the way their children had developed in such a short space of time. Little Kickers’ “Play not Push” ethos, and the extensive training the coaches receive, enabled them to work well with shy children, children with learning difficulties and increase the self-confidence of every child who participated.

Thanks again to all the coaches who came and helped with the day.

Little Kickers at Lego Land this weekend!

We will be at Lego Land this weekend!

Why not come down with your little kickers and try out some of our fun filled football activities!


http://www.legoland.co.uk

Football's coming home...eventually!

OK, so maybe my predictions were a little way off!

After England’s crashing defeat at the hands of the Germans was made slightly better by the Argentineans falling at the same German hurdle, it’s beginning to look like we may have lost to the overall winners of the tournament. So whether you blame Fabio Capello, or the widely criticised Jabulani football, whether it was the weather or the altitude, or the thought that if we had sent our Little Kickers army out there they would have done a better job, we still lost!

However much you may keep your own opinions close to your chest, it’s hard to avoid other peoples’. Water-cooler chat and pub talk has led to a national debate over what went wrong.

Could it just be that perhaps we just weren’t as good as the other sides out there? I look at the team, and whilst Milner and Rooney had a fantastic season at their clubs, beyond that it is difficult to find a player who has had an outstanding season. After Rob Green’s display against the Americans it was reported the whole team were all getting behind him, although in hindsight that was probably the best place to stand!

The pressure put on our players to perform at the World Cup was immense. I know a lot of people will respond by saying that they get paid enormous sums of money to be put under that kind of pressure, and this is true, however, look at the Brazilian side who are paid equally as much, they were filmed coming into the stadium dancing and singing with maracas and tambourines. There seemed to be a real positive, enthusiastic spirit within the Brazilian camp. You could say the same for the Spanish, and even more so for the Ghanaians. The English on the other hand, piled on the pressure for Cappello to release the team early, and were loaded with the expectations generated by the media and the rest of the country. There was a nervous tension created before a ball was even kicked! I look at our own Little Kickers and breathe a sigh of relief that there are some young footballers in this country that are given a platform to perform in a pressure-free environment. Little Kickers only run classes up to 7 years olds, if I had my way we would be running the England team. The English are known for their sense of humour, and their ability to laugh in the face of adversity, so why when it comes to these types of tournaments do we respond so negatively to pressure?

At Little Kickers we provide a safe, fun filled, pressure free environment where children can learn and have fun with like minded people. The expectations are generated by the children themselves; we provide structured games and progressions so that children can develop their skills at their own rate, and of course, with constant encouragement from our expert coaches!

Since England’s World Cup demise, there has been a growing call for the FA to invest in grass roots football, and, luckily for them - Little Kickers have already planted the seed. As we have stated before, we are not in place to create World Cup stars, we simply teach the beautiful game to children to develop their social skills and life skills but this coaching will also inevitably develop them as footballers. So imagine the scene, when the World Cup finally comes to England, expect to see some familiar Little Kickers’ faces in the team, sambaing under the archway of Wembley as the English become the team they have every right to be. I am a great believer that investing in youth is our best opportunity of being successful, but for now, let’s just try and regain the spirit of English football, let’s play with smiles on our faces and enjoy the beautiful game. Let’s put the spirit and passion back in English football!

World Cup Predictions!

As I sit at my computer wondering whether to purchase shares in the vuvuzela, I am trying to create a blog that doesn’t mention anything bout the World Cup. It seems impossible not to mention it…so I will.

I had originally hoped to write this blog before England’s last game, however I had a feeling the result of the match would affect the direction and tone somewhat! Looking back on the games that have already been played, it’s been such an unpredictable tournament. The French were knocked out very early on, and who’s to say the players would have participated any further anyway? The favourites, Spain, took a risky route losing their first game but managed to get through.

So, due to the unpredictability of the tournament, I thought I would try and make some solid predictions.

If you would kindly join me in my Little Kickers time machine, please turn your phones off and keep your hands in at all times; as I take you forward to Sunday 11th July moments after the World Cup Final…

After the Argentineans were disqualified for fielding too many players on the pitch at one time, the Irish have been flown over to replace them. Unfortunately the Irish manager Giovanni Trapattoni couldn’t make the tournament due to the short notice, so our very own Niamh O’Connor from Little Kickers took charge. The Irish made their way to the semi finals where they took on the Brazilians, in the closing minutes of the game – Robbie Keane handled the ball and blasted it in the net; the French referee unfortunately didn’t see the violation.

And there it was - the perfect World Cup final, England Vs Ireland. The vuvuzelas covered in the green and gold of Ireland, and the red and white of England. The revelation that Lionel Messi was adopted and that he was actually English meant that he was eligible to play for Fabio Capello’s team.

My loyalties were split. My Mum being Irish and my Dad being incredibly English, I had a decision to make. I went with my heart and proudly wore my crisp white England shirt (I was wearing green and gold underwear). After the World Cup committee had said that the tournament had lost its sparkle, they proceeded to invite Terry Wogan to be the guest referee (best they could get on a budget). 0-0 with ten minutes to go, Beckham whips off his suit and starts putting his boots on, in his vest and pants (he forgot his kit) he was put on in place of the tired Wayne Rooney. Beckham was fouled just outside the box, he placed the ball down, took three steps back and one to the side, began his run up to the ball, and then having ran the length of the pitch, Robert Green, England’s blundering goalkeeper, pushed Beckham out of the way and belted the ball that flew into the top corner of the Irish net. England - World Cup champions 2010!

Little Kickers don’t create miracles…but if we did, they’d probably be the best miracles in the world.