3 World Cup Lessons for Preschoolers

It's World Cup season! Watching sports with children can always be a fun experience as you either groan or cheer in unison! No matter the team you root for, every country’s team brings forth heart and skill when they play. The game of soccer can teach children important life lessons that can be applied both on the field and in the classroom. Here are three lessons preschoolers can take from soccer that will help them excel in whatever they tackle:

Keeping the Proper Focus

One great lesson soccer can teach children is to focus on what they can control instead of the outcomes. If a preschooler played to the best of their ability in a game, then they have nothing to regret regardless of the score! The same concept can be applied to test taking. Children must learn to concentrate on the things they can control, such as paying attention in class, studying, and asking questions when they don’t understand concepts instead of focusing on the outcome of the grade. Putting too much importance on things out of a child’s control will only cause them unneeded stress. Check out Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure for a great resource on keeping children socially and emotionally healthy.

Cooperative Play

Soccer also teaches children the importance of working and playing together. Through repeatedly playing the game, children learn a team can only be successful if its players working together. Without teamwork, teams fall apart because individual players try to do everything by themselves. Even if a child’s skills rival those of Pele, individual abilities will not put as many balls into the back of the net as will the collective skill of the team! To stress cooperative play:

• Show preschoolers how much easier scoring becomes when they have the chance to pass to their teammate.
• Encourage players to communicate, letting each other know when they are open for a pass, when they need help, or when it is the goalie’s ball.
• When someone does score, block a goal, or makes a good defensive or offensive play, make sure the whole team congratulates them. Building each other up is an important part of being a team and will take preschoolers a long way in life.

For more resources on cooperative play, check out these titles: Great Games for Young Children and 3-2-1: Time for Parachute Fun

Recognizing Different Skill Levels

Working together as a team helps young children develop the ability to recognize likenesses and differences among peers--a skill that important on and off the field. Soccer provides an opportunity for young children to learn empathy since everyone steps onto the field with a different skill level. Just because a child’s ball control isn’t as good as their peers does not mean that they are a worse soccer player. It just means the other player has had more practice. Like in soccer, students will come into the classroom with different learning levels. Seeing another student struggle with a concept he or she has already mastered is a great opportunity for them to help out so that they can both learn together. No matter what skill or learning level, there is always room for an individual to learn. Adapting the life approach of constantly working to get better will take preschoolers far!

For a great resource on on building skills for the classroom, check out Seven Skills for School Success.

Author(s)Rae Pica, Clare Beswick, Karen Cairone, Nefertiti Bruce, Pam Schiller