Jaxon has one of those fall birthdays that always seems to be right on the cusp of letting him into athletic, camp & school programs. They don’t care about his size or his abilities, he’s simply not old enough. Well, Jax loves soccer, basketball and football. Unfortunately, for Jaxon he is only 3 1/2 with the athletic ability of a 5 year old. But this is preventing him from getting on a team which is frustrating for him. I went on a search for mini leagues or classes and randomly a flyer was in his school box from Super Soccer Stars. They were going to offer a few weeks of classes after school in his front yard. I thought this was a great idea because you never know with kids. They show a bunch of interest at the beginning, but then when they have to practice and learn the fundamentals, things change. PLUS I found that as an only child, it really works to try and put them in as many team oriented activities as possible. So I decided to try it out. It was a short class, once a week and it was after school. Well he LOVED it!
It was very basic stuff. Stretching, dribbling, passing, playing together, following directions. They would incorporate songs to help the kids to remember not to use their hands and encourage them to play together. One thing I did noticed that even though he was doing well and enjoying the class, Jaxon was not paying attention as much because he was with his school friends. It was very hard for him to concentrate. So when it came down to renewing classes, I opted for a Saturday class with new kids. This way he could make new friends in class, have a Saturday Morning activity and get use to playing a sport in a park.
There are a few soccer class clubs around the city, but I like Super Soccer Stars for a few reasons. I like the way it’s organized and set up for the players in the same way they do school time. It is fit exactly for their age. They talk to the kids and create a 
Coach/TeamMate relationship with each kid. I feel like they are preparing them to not just play, but actually love the game. Jaxon actually had a tantrum and tried to act like he wasn’t going to play, before I could say anything they took him aside and gave him the option of sitting out the rest of the class or playing. Then the coach spoke to Jax about his behavior and how it’s affecting his “friends” on the team. I loved it! You know sometimes to discipline your kid in a setting like that because they are overstimulated and your voice already goes in and out the other, so I was glad Jaxon could hear it from another person that he respects and likes.
Super Soccer Stars is currently in their spring session, I would definitely try it out. I know they have classes starting at 12mos up to 5 years old. They also do classes for kids with special needs; which I LOVE! And see if you could get them to come to your preschool. They aren’t just in LA, they are also in Boston, NYC & Miami! Check them out! Tell them the Crazy Creole Mommy sent ya!