Kicking to success
MIDRAND – Midrand Little Kickers was rated the number one franchise in the world by their head office in the United Kingdom in December last year.
With more than 38 000 children participating in Little Kickers worldwide and more than 300 franchises across the globe, Little Kickers Midrand, owned by Manuela Jardim, was recognised as the leading team in the world.
“I am very proud of my team! We worked hard in 2016 and we are proud to be recognised as the number one franchise in the world. I thank my coaches and the supportive parents for their loyalty and passion to Little Kickers Midrand,” said Jardim.
They have four different football classes, each tailored to a different age group. There is Little Kicks which caters for children from 18 months to two-and-a-half years old; Junior Kickers for children between two-and-a-half years old and four years old; Mighty Kickers for children aged between four and six years; and Mega Kickers for soccer players between the ages of six and eight.
“We believe in something we call ‘Play not push’. It means teaching football in a fun, pressure-free environment. We want to give children a positive introduction to sport as a whole, not just football, so they’re more likely to stay healthy and active throughout their lives.”
She further said that football can be educational. “When coached in the right way, it can stimulate imagination and aid early development skills such as learning colours and numbers.
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“It’s an approach that has bagged us numerous awards and helped us expand globally over the last 12 years. And like all our Kickers, we never stop learning. We’re continually improving and updating our classes, based on feedback and input from child healthcare specialists as well as our network of more than 1 500 football-accredited coaches worldwide.”
Little Kickers Midrand is in 24 schools in Midrand and runs private classes for children who do not attend the schools it is engaged in. Private classes are run at Urban Life Church on Thursday afternoons and at AFM Christian Centre on 7th Road on Saturday mornings.
