With the whole family at home it can be easy to stop moving. But as parents know, kids have a lot of energy that needs used up every day.
There are many local organisations that provide kid-friendly ways to exercise, both at home and out and about once lockdown restrictions have been lifted, so why not try them out? They are posting videos and tips on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and their websites so you can get great lessons for free!
Here’s a few different ways your kids can stay active and have a lot of fun while they are doing it.
The Other Foot Soccer School
The Other Foot Soccer School is unique amongst football development programmes in that it solely works to improve the comfort level and ability of the less practised, OTHER foot.
Established in 2004 by Ian McArthur from Inverness, who coaches the concept to young Inverness Caledonian Thistle squads, it has caught the imagination of football coaches worldwide. TOFSS licensees now operate in Cambodia, Croatia and Canada, amongst other places. Closer to home Carl Tremarco, the ICT captain, is a recent licensee in Ross-shire.
The ‘other foot’ of a player is highlighted by the wearing of a yellow sock, whilst the more practised foot can be red, blue, green, purple, orange or black reflecting how well the OTHER foot is developing.
TOFSS coaching sessions offer variety, challenge and fun and are primarily aimed at players aged six to 13.
Ex-Scotland manager Craig Brown, who is a big fan of the concept, said: “Young players who are privileged to be coached in this way find it most enjoyable and extremely beneficial.”
If any young player wants to become more two-footed, more adaptable and more versatile by doing some additional work, then take a moment to think about the foot you hardly ever use when you play football. You know the one; the one that feels left out, unnoticed and undervalued as your self-confident, more practised foot passes, traps, shoots and scores its way to glory.
Frustrating as the present lockdown situation is, players have a golden opportunity to really work hard on improving their OTHER. Players who are registered with TOFSS classes have the option of contacting Ian who will suggest an individual programme for them to follow.
The response to the recent TOFSS –back garden session on the Youth Football Scotland Facebook page has been staggering with 8500 views at time of print. The session is also available on Youtube.
So there’s no excuse for young players – discover the OTHER and double your potential!
Find out more at TOFSS website or follow them on Facebook. And right now, you can learn at home by watching their YouTube videos.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC Trust
Ball Mastery Monday Week 6 – Each week a new technical challenge will be presented and the players are encouraged to try and master the skill and perhaps find ways to make it harder once they have! @ICTFC @ICTWFC #InspirePractice#ICTTogetherNess#BallMasteryMonday pic.twitter.com/6OcjKu5EOa
— ICTFC Community (@ICTFC_Community) April 27, 2020
The Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Development Trust is continuing to serve the local boys and girls in the area throughout this lockdown.
The ICT Trust team posts three videos a week as part of their ‘Inverness Challenge Tracker’, challenging players in a variety of ways to help with their development.
Monday’s focus is on ball mastery with a mix of technical challenges, which also normally involve a creative section that allow players to come up with their own ideas.
Wednesdays provide a physical development aspect and players are encouraged to complete due to the lack of physical activity without training or school with exercises commonly used by footballers to get fitter and stronger!
Fridays are reserved for goalkeeping drills – ALL players should give it a go and continue to look for ways to challenge yourself and make it harder. The ‘Thank Goalkeepers it’s Friday’ ideas encourage all players to work on their hand/eye coordination.
Players who send in their videos get the opportunity to be selected and displayed in the ‘Sunday Showcase’ on the various social media platforms.
All of the previous tutorial videos can be accessed on Facebook and Twitter and it’s not too late to catch up if you haven’t already. Download the tracker sheet and practice and then record the efforts practicing each challenge and send them to the icttrust00@gmail.com.
When everything starts back up, the players with the most complete challenges will be in line to win some great prizes!
Another project, ICT TogetherNess, was launched to make sure our loyal senior citizen fans are supported as best we can during this very difficult time for the country.
ICTFC staff have been out and about the Inverness area, delivering some of the ICT TogetherNess shopping packages to pensioners who are in isolation like the rest of the country at the moment. Over 100 households have been supplied with shopping bags thanks to the kind donations of Caley Jags fans and local businesses and families.
To find out more, visit the ITCFC website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Mark Holmes Football Academy
A former professional football player for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County and Falkirk, Mark Holmes set up his own football academy nearly four years ago in Inverness training young children from five to 12-years-old, later introducing training for younger children from three to five years.
Mark Holmes was also contacted by a villager in Koforidua, Ghana to set up a Mark Holmes Football Academy there, which now trains 250 children, giving many a better life by providing 70 children with accommodation, meals and an education.
Mark is passionate about development football in the young and with the recent Government guidelines around social distancing, Mark is using Facebook stories and Instagram stories to set daily challenges.
Some are easy for the younger ones and some are more difficult for the older ones.
Recently Mark Holmes Football Academy launched a global keepy-up competition with kids from all over the world sending in their efforts through video. There are three categories ages five to seven, eight to 10 and 11-13. The feedback has been phenomenal, with entries from as far as Australia.
The winner of each category will receive £50 and a large trophy. This challenge gives the kids an incentive to practice.
It also brings kids together from around the world, all trying to achieve the same goal, which is to practice and get better, and the response from parents has been very encouraging.
To take part or practice and develop the skills Mark demonstrates, go to the Academy Facebook page, Instagram or visit the website.
OJ Sports
John-Alasdair MacAulay, the founder of OJ Sports, specialises in running after-school sports classes for nursery and primary school children.
These classes consist of a wide range of activities, ranging from uni-hoc, first shinty, football, basketball, handball, tag rugby to athletics and many more.
They offer activities like obstacle courses and throwing and catching games as well, which are designed to improve children’s co-ordination, balance and fitness.
John-Alasdair has 20 years of coaching experience, with some of his athletes going on to represent Scotland at youth and senior levels in football, hockey, shinty, netball and athletics.
He has also worked with the Merkinch Partnership Helping Disadvantaged Children and has raised over £30,000 for the Highland Hospice.
For the lockdown, OJ Sports is offering short bodyweight workouts that children and their parents can do from their home or garden. Each full body workout lasts a maximum of 20 minutes and is a great habit to start.
They are offering prizes based on participation levels and prize draws for those that average three workouts per week.
The workouts started on April 6 and they have already had a great response with those taking part, spurred on to work as hard they can to try and get faster times than their peers. It adds a friendly competitive environment for those that like to use competition as external motivation.
If anyone would like to take part and receive their free training diary to record their workouts, you can visit the OJ Sports website or Facebook to get in touch.