One of the biggest challenges facing the western world at the moment is health problems associated with obesity. Increasingly, it is younger people and even children who are becoming obese, as fast foods win out over a healthy and well balanced diet. This is exacerbated by the endless creep of technology into people’s leisure time. Even just a decade or two ago, kids would be out on their bikes or skateboards, learning new tricks and jumps, and importantly, burning off some of those extra calories. But nowadays, it is a case of floping down in front of the TV, or gaming on the computer until the early hours.
A great way to return to fitness and have fun at the same time is to get involved playing soccer. For smaller kids, it is a low contact sport, and for this reason might appeal more than American football. The only initial investment is buying a ball, and then getting on with it. Soccer is 90 minutes of non-stop running (if you play the game properly) combining both stamina training – like you would get from jogging – and the more explosive strength training from all the “stop-start” movements and changes in direction needed to keep up with the game. Soccer training is also a fantastic way to build teamwork and cameraderie between children, when they might otherwise simply keep to themselves, choosing to lock themselves in their room playing on the computer.
If the aim is to build a team with the hope of playing more competitively in amateur leagues, then the next expense would be a set of soccer goals. These range in price depending on how big you want them, how sturdy and what materials they are made from. You should be able to get a pair of fold-up portable indoor soccer goals fairly cheaply; these will do for a start. You may even decide to dispense with having nets in them at the beginning. That way, if a goal is scored, somebody has to go and fetch the ball – even more exercise, and a reason to defend the goal better in future!