Soccer is arguably the simplest sport to play, yet it is the one of the most physically engaging with constant action and flow. For a Special Needs sports program, this is the perfect combination for individual and group success.
Special Needs Soccer is crafting a comprehensive Special Needs Soccer Package for communities to use as a blueprint in order to launch their own programs. The Special Needs Soccer Package will have everything a soccer organization will require, including a curriculum meticulously designed by a team of world-class physical therapists and soccer trainers, field equipment and uniform requirements and insurance information, as well as CPR and Risk Assessment recommendations. Best of all, the package will be free.
At the heart of the package will be a complete special needs soccer curriculum that will focus on inclusion, fun and developing a love of the game. Although, there will be some competitive aspects, readying the participants for team competition will not be the emphasis. That said, the curriculum will address the basic physical, mental, technical and tactics of the game and allow soccer organizations to enter special needs leagues if there’s interest.
We have brought together a hand-picked group of special needs physical therapists whom have extensive experience in sport-specific activities and marry them to best-in-class soccer trainers to develop the curriculum. The standardized curriculum will then be disseminated free of charge to any soccer club or organized entity so they can start their own first-rate program. The idea is to give soccer organizations around the country a comprehensive system so that a Special Needs program and be easily accomplished.
Currently, a framework has been developed by the assembled experts, and specific training methods are now being methodically tested to ascertain what works best for particular age groups and abilities. The framework will then be enhanced into a “alpha” curriculum based on the findings and be retested this Fall. The curriculum will then undergo another scrutiny before being released to several soccer clubs/organizations as a beta version this Winter.
The participating clubs/organizations who are part of the beta program will then provide feedback on their particular experiences. We will conduct written and verbal surveys to find out exactly what worked and what didn’t. The special needs physical therapists and soccer trainers will then evaluate the results of the surveys and modify the curriculum accordingly in order to ensure that each child has a rewarding and memorable soccer experience. Version 1.0 will then be developed and finalized by all respective experts.
Version 1.0 of the curriculum with the other components will then be assembled and released to the public through the SpecialNeedsSoccer.com website. It is important to understand that the Special Needs Soccer curriculum/package will constantly evolve and expand as soccer organizations continue to provide feedback and submit ideas in order to make it better. New versions of the curriculum will continually be released free of charge. In addition, Special Needs Soccer would like to “crowd source” new facets of the curriculum to allow participation by anyone who is interested in contributing to this endeavor. So please feel free to contact us, if you like to get involved.
The next phase of our endeavor will consist of promoting and marketing the curriculum to communities nationwide who are interested in launching a Special Needs Soccer program. At the hub of this initiative will be our comprehensive website with community attributes. The website will allow respective communities to register and download the curriculum. Not only will the website disseminate the curriculum, but it will also serve to foster communication between physical therapists, coaches, trainers and parents who are looking for support and idea exchange with other like-minded individuals.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Special Needs Soccer. We welcome your support or your involvement, in order to provide a memorable and rewarding soccer experience to kids with special needs.