Coach Alexa Suguitan, right, controls the ball as Joshua Griffiths leads the challenge against her during the Little Kickers soccer program held Saturday at the St. Catherine Catholic School field. - Photo/GIORDANO CIAMPINI
Coach Alexa Suguitan, right, controls the ball as Joshua Griffiths leads the challenge against her during the Little Kickers soccer program held Saturday at the St. Catherine Catholic School field. - Photo/GIORDANO CIAMPINI
The next generation of soccer players to play for the Canadian national team may be practising their basic skills on a field near you.
Little Kickers is opening another franchise in North York with the aim of providing a positive introduction to sports for kids as young as 18 months to seven years old.
"We get children at such a young age group, we have to teach them in a different manner," said Frank Stanschus, managing director of Little Kickers, which was launched back in 2002 by his wife Christine in the United Kingdom.
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The organization has since grown with more than 200 franchises in 16 countries and several in the GTA including in East York and the Beaches.
Despite Canada being known still as a hockey-crazed nation, Stanschus sees the sport of soccer gaining popularity with young children in this country.
While local soccer leagues exist within the city, Stanschus said the focus of Little Kickers is to provide skill-based programs by trained professionals in the community where the kids live.
"The idea of what we do is that we want to be part of the local community," he said. "We rather come into the community and don’t have (the kids) travel forever to play."
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The first program in North York will take place at Irving W. Chapley Park starting early July with plans to eventually expand into other parts of the city.
Larissa Gibson, Little Kickers North York franchise owner, said there’s already interest in the program and soccer in general with the World Cup tournament currently taking place in Brazil.
And with the Women’s World Cup tournament taking place next year in Canada, the sport should remain in the public eye with continued interest coming from both young girls as well as boys.
"They’re playing together seamlessly and it’s great to watch," said Gibson, noting that both boys and girls learn together in the program.
While the first group of Little Kickers graduates may still be one or two World Cup tournaments away from making the national team, there’s hope the sport will continue to grow in Canada by making playing soccer fun for kids.
"If you start at an early age and you love it, then you’re going to love it for life," Stanschus said.
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