Learn to Play - Recreational Softball
Do you want your child to have FUN and be ACTIVE? BURNABY MINOR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION is offering Softball Canada's revolutionary softball program - Learn to Play Program - for 5 to 10 year olds. This program was designed to address the specific needs of 5-10 year olds and is replacing the old game of T-Ball! The Learn to Play Program was piloted in communities across Canada in 2003 and has received rave reviews from Minor Softball Association, parents and kids. Kids can't wait for the snow to melt so they can participate in the full launch of the program this spring.
The first and most important goal of the program is to make Softball FUN for kids. And what better way to do that then to provide the coach with all the tools they will need to run a successful program. The Learn to Play Level 1 manual contains lesson plans that are easy to follow and understand. The games and activities that make up the lesson plans were created to increase the activity levels of the children and to challenge them in appropriate ways. Not only will the kids be tired from all the fun they will be having but they will be developing their individual softball skills as well as building life skills like co-operation and team work.
Mark Smith, Head Coach for Canada's Senior Men's National Softball Team states: "The greatest challenge for minor sport organizations is to provide quality sport experiences for children that are age and developmentally appropriate. Coaches need to be organized, motivated, and need to ensure kids learn through "doing". This program encourages these key ingredients and allows children to learn the skills of softball in a fun environment."
This program differs from sports like mini-soccer where only the aggressive children touch the ball. In the Learn to Play Program, the players are broken down into small groups where they can get the required repetitions to make improvements in skill development and feel that sense of accomplishment that increases their self-confidence. One parent in our pilot year of the program stated that after two weeks in both a mini-soccer program and the Learn to Play Program, her son only wanted to go to the Learn to Play Program because he was having more fun at the diamond.
Lise Jubinville, Program Director of Coaching and Domestic Program at Softball Canada states: "For children 5-10 years old, the goal of sport should not be about competition. It should be about having fun while being active and developing gross motor skills that will be of benefit to youth and adults later in life". This age is the building block for athletic performance later in life whether it's the athlete testing their abilities in elite competition or the adult enjoying sport as recreation.
The Learn to Play Program uses Softball as the vehicle to get kids active using fun games and activities.
The Learn to Play Program fills a long-standing gap in national programming and will serve to introduce thousands of youth to the exciting sport of softball. BURNABY MINOR SOFTBALL and Softball Canada are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of young people and to providing support to its membership at the grassroots level.