Putting time aside each week in your nursery for a specialised sports coach to run a session is a great way to help introduce sports to your young people. Children between 18 months-4.5 years are developing so much as each week goes by and this time of a child's life is an excellent time to start introducing the gross and fine motor movements needed in sports.
Sports educators should work with your children delivering sessions in accordance with the EYFS framework, sport is as valuable a tool as any other in a child's development and can be applied to all of the key areas set out in the framework.
Sports sessions can help your young people to become...
A Strong Child Sports sessions can support children to become strong both mentally and physically. Physical exercise develops agility, balance and coordination (ABC) to allow children to be able to access more in the world around them. Alongside this, children are becoming mentally stronger as they work with others and learn resilience.
A Skilful Communicator Sport is all about teamwork and communication; so why not introduce this to our youngest members too. Children will develop listening and communication skills by following instructions and having to make themselves understood. This will help children to learn how to communicate with their peers.
A Competent Learner Class sizes should be kept small to ensure that every child receives the support and attention they deserve in a safe and secure learning environment. This provides them with the best possible environment for learning. At uSports we love to celebrate the achievements of every child who attends, whatever this may look like for the individual learner.
A Healthy Child Children who lead healthy lifestyles have a far higher likelihood of growing into adults who do the same. We want all children to lead healthy lifestyles and to develop a love for sport. Our main aim is to see young children having fun, learning and exploring new avenues.
How To Make The Most Out Of Early Years Sport Sessions
Size of Classes
Class sizes are a really important aspect for the educator that you bring into your setting to consider. Too small and the session may lack some energy from the children but too many and the session may turn a little chaotic! We always recommend classes between 8-12.
Length of Sessions
As you know, young children can lose interest very quickly and it is important that at this age children learn to love sport rather than asking "When are we finishing?". Depending on the age of your children, most nurseries opt for 30-45 minute sessions. This gives the educator enough time to run through a variety of games without the children getting too tired.
Which Sports To Deliver
Before bringing in a sports coaching company for your early years setting, think about what sports you want to deliver. The children in your nursery may already be showing an interest in a particular sport but you should always think about offering as many different types of sport to see what the kids enjoy. Our most popular sports are:
Football
Dance
Yoga
Rugby
Athletics
A good option is to ask for a Multi-Sports session where every 3 weeks the sport rotates, this gives a nice balance to your sessions.
Age Groups/Ability
To make the most of each session, the more you can match the ability of the participants, the better. This allows the educator to challenge and move the group forwards at the same time to ensure your children get the most from each session.
So, which educator should you use?
Well uSports are an easy option 😉 but we might not be in your location, so always do these three things when looking for a nursery sports coaching provider:
Ask other nurseries for recommendations
Look through existing reviews
Bring your educator in for a trial before committing, you should always make sure you have seen them at work!
Good Luck!
I wish you all the best in increasing the quality of sports in your setting! If we can help in anyway, please do check out our website here: https://www.u-sports.co.uk/nursery-coaching
If you would like to find out more or to arrange a trial session fill out our enquiry form and we will be in touch!