SocaTime Joeys

SocaTime Joeys
Term 1, 2010. Hawthorn Emus class (2.5 yrs to 3.5 yrs old)

I imagined myself spending term one as the serene, supportive sports mum - blissfully sipping coffee on the sidelines whilst my daughter kicked goals in her very cute green and gold uniform. Meanwhile, my 1 year old son would be sleeping peacefully in his pram. Instead I became Soccer Mum (ggrrr), berating my daughter to participate and bribing her with treats, whilst my son played goalie to the occasional stray ball and gorged himself on tiny teddy biscuits.

So it wasn't the most enjoyable term but this is not to say that this activity isn’t worthwhile. My friend’s daughter who is nearly 4 loved it, and seemingly so did the other kids (all boys) particularly the older ones. The two coaches take a relaxed, older brother approach to teaching and each class focuses on skills in passing and receiving the ball using the feet and body. Sometimes there is an obstacle course, but often the class is devoted to just kicking the balls in the goals and running around. There is no focus on teamwork and there doesn’t appear to be an end of term target such as a game or a display of skills. For this reason, I think the older class for 3.5 to 5 year olds would be more worthwhile but this activity is definitely fun for any child who loves to run and kick balls. Unfortunately it seems my daughter does not wish to be a soccer player so we are off to dance class next term.

Socatime Joeys have a $29 introductory offer allowing you to do two trial sessions before committing to the whole term and the optional uniform. Classes are held in various locations around Melbourne. For details, visit www.socatimejoeys.com.au