I have shared these thoughts before with some close friends of mine, but I thought I would just put this up in my blog.
This evening, while I was out jogging at this big field near where I live, I saw this group of children having soccer practice. There were, i think around 20 of them, between the ages of 3 – 5 years old. They looked adorable in their soccer jerseys, little soccer boots and long soccer socks.
They were having a practice match. All of them were chasing after the ball and all tumbling over it. Some naughty ones tried to cheat by using their hands. Others couldn’t remember which team they were on and didn’t recognise their teammates, so they end up stealing balls from the wrong person and kicking the ball in the wrong direction!
Then they practised goal-kicking and you see all of them lining up and so excited for their turn to kick the ball. Their enthusiasm was infectious! It was such a joy to watch them play! Oh, to be young again! You can’t help but have a smile creep up on your face when you watch them.
I think it’s great that these kids are exposed to sports at such a young age. It’s very good for the child’s mental and physical development. As the play is purely for fun and not for any school glory, there is no pressure to excel. The children take delight in their play with lots of encouragement being given throughout the game by the coach and their parents (I think the coach is a parent volunteer).
Such soccer sessions not only allow parents to spend time with their children, it also allows the children to socialise and build friendships. In addition, parents can socialise with one another as well.
Another good thing also is that the play isn’t limited to boys. There were a few girls playing alongside the boys. It really breaks the stereotypical idea that soccer is only played by boys.
Children in Australia definitely have more fun compared to children in Singapore. It’s so different from S’pore where children concentrate more on studying. Parents in Australia stake out at school fields while parents in Singapore stake out at tuition teachers’ homes waiting to pick up their children.
If I have children, I definitely want them to grow up having fun. I would want to see my children out in that field!