The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Walter Gretzky turned his backyard into a rink and his son became one of the greatest hockey players ever. Backyard Drills provides a chance for parents to turn their yards into a soccer field and help their child become the next Pele. A press release issued by Dundee Wealth Management stated that the underlying goal of the Dundee Little Chips Soccer Program and the Backyard Drills is to enable parents to play a key role in the growth of their child's skills and overall fitness. Certified coaches from the Ontario Soccer Association (OSA) created the drills with soccer players aged four to 12 in mind. The Dundee Little Chips Backyard Drills Program contains activities that promote participation and fitness for the whole family and helps to develop soccer skills, confidence and teamwork. Don Kirkham, facilities coordinator for the Phantom Lake Soccer Club, has seen the whole program and said it is amazing. "For kids, this is great. This program is animated, so is naturally fun to watch, and easy to follow. For any parent out there, log on, sit down, then go out into your own backyard," he said in an e-mail. Parents can easily set up these drills, get involved, be outside and get active. Helen Stoumbos, former Canadian national soccer star, is encouraging parents to help their kids get the most of out of this soccer season with the new program. "Growing up, most of my training was in the backyard with my dad," said Stoumbos, in the release. "I would never have reached the national team level without that help from him. Having an organized practice routine that you can do in your backyard with your family will not only help with soccer skills, but also is a great way to spend time together." Each drill puts the focus on important fundamentals in a creative and fun way. "This is a good program for kids who are learning the basics or working on improving their skills," Kirkham said. "Helen Stombous as a player was head and shoulders above everyone else. If these drills helped one player to reach that level, then do it!" For a complete description of the drills, visit www.littlechipssoccer.com. The activity-packed website, with its video tips, soccer facts and games, was introduced to the soccer scene last year and met rave with reviews from the soccer community. "Influencing fun, family and fitness with Little Chips Soccer is a priority for Dundee. We created the Backyard Drills to continue to further how parents share in the fun of the game," said James P. McClocklin, Co-Head, Retail Division, Dundee Securities Corporation. Parents can download the Backyard Drills on-line, as well as access dozens of articles covering everything from keeping your young athletes well-nourished on the field to fun drills you can teach them. For those without Internet access, they can call Drive Marketing at 1-888-551-5918 to get a copy of the magazine with the drills since the Flin Flon Public Library doesn't have it.
