Mighty Kickers are confident with boundless energy and this is catered for in the lesson plans. Our games are fast-paced and increasingly football focused, with fun still at the heart, meaning that even new starters easily pick them up. Children begin to understand the importance of team play and matches are gradually introduced. Key Features: • Children play independently of their parent/guardian • 45-minute class • Weekly classes • Two coaches for up to 18 children (max) • Each new starter receives a football kit • 6 unique badges to collect across the Mighty Kickers programme Play, Practice & Understanding Mighty Kickers classes incorporate our rounded learning approach of play, practice and understanding. Play is the motivator and promotes continued and repeated practice. This disguised learning in itself is a powerful tool, however we believe in not only teaching the children how to perform the skills, but also to understand why and where to use the skill in the real world. This transcends all six areas of our curriculum: • Personal, social & emotional development, • Communication, language & literacy, • Mathematical development, • Knowledge & understanding of the World, • Physical development, • Creative development. FUNdamentals & Badge Certification Mighty Kickers teaches the fundamentals of football in a fun learning environment through a series of games using our tried and tested structure. Our Mighty Kickers receive quarterly badges which highlight the key physical, cognitive and football skills they are exposed to in our programme. Our Little Kickers absolutely love showing their badges to their teammates and family! The stages of development below outline our expectations for this age group: Social, Emotional & Cognitive • Good peer interaction and participation in class. • Develops a strong sense of identity within the group. • Understands basic concepts of team play. • Awareness of surroundings improves. • Actively involved in creative play. • Confident to play, think and visually assess during a game situation. Physical • Emphasis on warm up / cool down and stretching improves physical fitness. • Children are aware of themselves in the environment. • Basic ability to travel with the ball where they choose and how they choose. • Children demonstrate understanding of control and can exercise control in their movements. Football Specific • Able to keep the ball relatively close to the body while moving. • Develops good directional dribbling skills and strong striking skills. • Can stop a slow moving ball. • Can start to volley / half volley. • Will be able to hold the stop position and move the ball with their sole. Things start to get very exciting at the Mighty Kickers age group. This is where all the skills learnt to date are transfer