BRI FC’s philosophy for the BRIactive Program is to share our love of soccer with children as young as 4 in an environment that is fun.
All the activities are designed to keep the players engaged, have fun and love the game. The Program includes fundamental movements, balance, agility, ball skills and fun games. The goal of BRIactive is to encourage children to be active and to develop basic motor skills while developing a love for soccer, however the skills learned in this program are beneficial for any sport the child may play in the future and not only essential to soccer.
The objective of BRIactive is to get children moving and to keep them active. This program does not have any competitive games, however informal games will be played between the players in the program. The Program will be run by a trained technical coach however Parents might be asked and expected to participate if needed, as, at this early age, having a parent around will give them a sense of security and safety and it will ensure a more positive first group soccer experience.
The Long Term Player Development model (LTPD) describes the Active Start stage as the following:
Players should participate in stimulating practices and games that develop basic technical skills in a FUN atmosphere. The emphasis should be movement exercises and games that promote a feel for the ball while teaching basic principles of play within a fun but structured setting. Informal games can be set up at the end of practices or as a part of a jamboree mixing exercise and games. Play equal time and try all team positions, including goalkeeper. Equal time should be allotted to practices and games.
At the Technical level BRIactive introduces the player to simple individual skills like dribbling (using all parts of the foot like laces, inside and outside foot and using both feet will be encouraged), toe taps, butterflies, step overs, stopping the ball, changing direction, pull backs, and of course the most fun, shooting and scoring. The activities will be age and stage appropriate for each player while following the guidelines for the Long Term Player Development.
Because of the young age of the players, there is no emphasis on Tactical instruction, only individual and group fun. It is a known fact that children do not like to share; research actually shows that children start learning to share at the age of 7 or 8, so to avoid the usual situation where one player dominates the game, 3 v3 games with multiple soccer balls will be encouraged, this will increase the contact with the ball for all players, making sure that all the players have the opportunity to develop.
In a fun and stimulating environment the player will develop basic Physical Skills like running, moving backwards, jumping, kicking, twisting, throwing and catching.
Because the focus is on fun and positive experience, this will allow the players to feel successful and build confidence, making it a great Mental stimulus. The players will enjoy a different Lifestyle by being involved in a variety of physical activities in a fun and healthy environment The player will benefit greatly on a Personal level by experiencing the love of soccer and by building positive attitude and self-esteem.