Activity and exercise improves brain function! Exercise promotes better blood flow around the body. Physical activity encourages growth and adaptation in the brain (particularly around memory). Exercise raises the levels of dopamine and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), two neurotransmitters responsible for growth and learning. By heightening the senses, improving mood and focus, and relieving tension, exercise creates an ideal environment for a child to learn! At that same time, exercise improves the building of new cells which directly accelerates learning in itself.¹

“Exercise turns out to be the closest thing to a wonder drug that self-control scientist have discovered. Physical exercise makes your brain bigger and faster, and the pre-frontal cortex shows the largest training effect.” – Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D

More of America’s youth play soccer than any other sport and there is good reason why soccer is the World’s Most Popular Game. It is a high-energy, active sport that requires great eye-foot coordination, agility, balance, strength, motor skills, focus and endurance. It is simple enough to be taught to preschoolers while being challenging enough to make a career striving to improve one’s game. Soccer helps develop the foundational skills that are required by the other major sports. Starting at a young age, children have a head start in athletics. Kids who play sports receive better grades, are less likely to use drugs and have higher self esteem than those who don’t. Their involvement in youth soccer gives kids good habits and advanced technical skills for when they are ready to start competitive play at an older age. Finally, soccer (as well as other sports) provides a great environment to deal with adversity and develop character and virtue.

SOCCER, the Superior Starter Sport: Due to the simplicity of the sport and the motor skills developed, soccer is the ideal introductory sport and best sport for preschoolers. The skills acquired through soccer are transferable to the other major sports! The latest research and science tells us that kids learn through FUN (information associated with strong emotions is more memorable — learning that is enjoyable stays with us longer), DOING (hands-on experiences affect our memories, emotions and the physical ‘wiring’ of our brain), OBSERVING, and REPETITION(multiple experiences with a given phenomena build neural pathways). Mighty Kicks utilizes the best research to provide an age-appropriate, high-energy Curriculum that is engaging and fun for the children. This proven Curriculum, presented within the framework of the World’s Greatest Game, maximizes each child’s development!