Cheers ring around the small field as you walk your child to the field they will be playing at. The coach, despite the glaring heat, has a smile on his face as he preps his team for the big game against the Blue Dragons. As the referee blows the whistle to signal to everyone kickoff is near, both teams huddle and give a short, motivational speech to hype up their team. You watch closely, and despite seeing it so often this season, a smile breaks out as your child roars with her teammates and runs onto the field, excitement and anticipation in her eyes. The sharp whistle from the referee starts the game, and you clap and yell along with all the other parents cheering on their children and urging them on.
Growing up, so many of us seem to forget the younger years of childhood, especially the fun and joy we had playing recreational sports. Recreational soccer, one of the beginning and introductory sports, was some of the best times playing sports many of us will ever have. From playing with school friends or new teammates, the games were always just fun with a hint of competition, and always had the great addition of a delicious halftime snack. Practices though, were where the real fun was had. Whether it was playing "Red light, Green Light" or a simple scrimmage amongst the team, joyous yells and whoops filled the air. Two or three times a week, kids got together to run around and learn about not only the world's most popular sport, but about each other as well. Friends made here can last a lifetime, and that goes for the parents as well. All parents want the best for their children, and that means making sure that who they play with presents a good influence on their kid, including the coaches, parents, and other children on the team.
It is also important to make sure the kids and parents of other teams are also good role models so that they can foster a healthy environment fit for the growth of our youth. Recreational teams primary purpose is to give kids a place to have fun and make friends, and there is no space for toxic competitiveness. With this goal in mind, the Town of Concord, Massachusetts is requesting proposals from qualified consultants to provide an inclusive recreation program entitled Recreation Instructional Soccer Program for children ages 1-13 years old. Recreational soccer is an amazing way for kids to develop important motor skills as well as social skills, all in the comfort of being relatively close to home and in a relaxed setting. An additional benefit is that because it is such a good way to introduce soccer to kids, recreational programs gives both the kids and the parents the opportunity to see if they want to pursue a more competitive degree of soccer, whether it be because they are good enough or whether they just have a love of the game. A good program can pay dividends for the future development of both the kids and community, so it is important to make it as appealing as possible and as welcoming as possible. If interested in learning more about this, click here. The bid due date is September 3, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET.