Super Kickers opens registration

Super kickers is a program to allow special needs youngsters of the community to participate and learn soccer.

Super Kicker is a recreational sports program for children with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities and provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive and inclusive.

Super kickers athletes are up to age 18 with a disability including but not limited to: intellectual disabilities, A.D.D., autism, hearing impaired, sight impaired, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, cystic fibrosis, Down Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, seizure disorder and Spinal Bifida.

If unsure if Super Kickers is a good fit for an athlete, contact Sherese Grigg at griggfam2002@yahoo.com or email Pea Ridge Thunder Soccer Club at prsc.thunder@gmail.com.

The Super Kickers program is geared toward player development rather than competition. Each session is led by trained coaches and buddies who use individualize activities to engage all players based on their preferences and needs. And each player is assigned a buddy, who volunteers for the role. The buddies are students drawn from our local schools. Buddies work alongside players on their soccer skills while the player is engaged on the field. We often find that a special relationship develops between the players and their buddies.

No experience necessary. Goals for Super Kickers include providing a sense of belonging by being a part of a team; improved selfesteem, fitness, social and soccer skills; success based on individual ability and having fun.

The program allows participants to focus on their abilities, in an encouraging, safe and fun environment.

If interested in this program go online and complete the following survey: forms.gle/okmtwrczHYdAAwP7A.

For questions, please contact the Super Kickers Coordinator Sherese Grigg at griggfam2002@yahoo. com or email PRTSC at prsc.thunder@gmail.com

Volunteer to coach or be a buddy

Teams are led by volunteer parent coaches. Coaches and administrators have preferably taken formal USYS education and certification training that assists them in successfully delivering the program. In addition to providing coaching strategies and tactics specifically for children with special needs, the training identifies the traits of the most common disabilities and provides guidance on how to modify typical soccer practice activities so everyone can be successful.

Coach Training Resources:

usyouthsoccer.org/resources/online-education/

learning.ussoccer.com/ coach

Interested in being a buddy?

What is a buddy? Each participant is assigned a volunteer, trained ‘Buddy’ who is typically a little older and neurotypical. This person works with their player individually and makes sure they are safe, engaged, supported and having fun. The playerbuddy relationship is maintained throughout the course of a season, resulting in strong interpersonal bonds and an establishment of trust and confidence that allows each player to achieve their full potential.

Volunteer Buddy Description:

• Buddies can be in middle school or in high school.

• Buddies should have an interest in helping a special-needs player learn how to play soccer.

• Buddies do not need to have knowledge of soccer in advance of volunteering.

• Buddies find that this is a wonderful rewarding experience for both players and volunteers.

Volunteer buddy time commitment:

In order to provide consistency for our players, we ask all buddies to check their schedules (including game schedules) and commit to attend each session.