age-appropriate for children ages 2-8

19 hours ago

Each quarter, we publish a newsletter; our most recent "Fall 2020" edition is linked here. Click for a behind-the-scenes look at Soccer Shots Pittsburgh!

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2 days ago

FALL SEASON REMINDERS & BEST PRACTICES

If you haven't yet, we ask that you take time to read through our pre-season welcome email; share it with others (spouses / partners, significant others, grandparents, family members, etc.) to whom the information in the email would be beneficial. Please keep the welcome email handy and refer to it throughout the season as needed! If for some reason you did not receive a pre-season welcome email (check your spam / junk mail folders), please email us at [email protected] so we can forward you a copy. Non-class-specific welcome email details can also be found HERE on our website: sspittsburgh.configio.com/content/fall2020welcome.

We strongly recommend "liking" and following our Soccer Shots Pittsburgh Facebook page in order to see class cancellation notices, important announcements and updates regarding future season enrollment news, and to participate in fun contests and giveaways!

COVID-19 Policies & Procedures

Please note, our policies and procedures as written below have been communicated to coaches. We realize that, during our first week of classes, there were some instances in which the policies were miscommunicated to attendees at our sessions; we apologize for this and we are subsequently providing additional related training to coaches this week. Coaches will re-clarify, but please proceed with the understanding that the information included in our welcome emails, on our website, and included again below encompasses official Soccer Shots Pittsburgh policies and procedures for the current season.

We have adjusted our curriculum to follow social distancing measures. You will see our coaches making adjustments to our regular routine in an effort to keep safety our top priority. Additionally, all coaches completed a mandatory health and safety course & will sanitize (with a non-toxic cleaner) equipment before and after each class. Due to the sanitization process which occurs after / before each class, we kindly ask for your patience as the coach(es) work to clean up after the previous class and prepare for your child(ren)'s class.

We request that families attending in-person sessions follow these guidelines for the health and safety of other families and coaches:

- Wash or sanitize hands before entering our playing field, called "Soccer Island" (we recommend singing the Soccer Shots song while doing so – ask your children if you need help with the words!)

- Adhere to state and/or local jurisdiction regarding face covering requirements. Parents / guardians should decide their child(ren) will wear a face covering while on Soccer Island since the players will be actively engaged in physical activity. We do ask that parents / guardians / spectators please wear face coverings per current PA guidelines OR maintain social distancing at a minimum of 6 feet from non-household members when attending Soccer Shots Pittsburgh activities. We will also continue to recognize HIPAA legal protections in that if a parent / guardian / spectator has a medical condition or physical limitation which prevents them from wearing a face covering, no documentation will be required of the person. Please keep this in mind when considering why another attendee may not be wearing a face covering.

- If participating on-field during our Mini (ages 2-3) classes or when / if a child requires on-field assistance from a parent or guardian, we ask that only one family member per child be present on the playing field, known as "Soccer Island". Unless the parent / guardian has a condition which precludes them from wearing a face covering safely, we ask that those adults who join us on the playing field please wear a face covering or try to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other players and parents. Again, we will continue to recognize HIPAA protections in regards to this.

- Practice social distance by trying to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others who do not live in your household. We ask that you also take this into consideration regarding siblings and children who are in attendance and who are not enrolled in the Soccer Shots program. Unless it is absolutely necessary, we ask that siblings and non-enrolled children refrain from entering the playing field during our classes.

- Stay home when you are sick and keep your children home from soccer if they are sick (we’ll miss them on Soccer Island, but we want them to be healthy!).

- If a child has their own personal soccer ball, we encourage bringing it for our sessions (pre-sanitized, of course!). If you do not have a soccer ball, no worries; you can borrow one of ours or can email us at [email protected] to purchase a Soccer Shots size 3 soccer ball. Soccer ball orders will be available for pick-up at our Carnegie-area office or can be shipped directly to the player for an additional fee.

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we adjust our safety procedures for this season.

CANCELLATION / WEATHER POLICY

We DO play in rain, but not in thunderstorms. We rely on the weather forecasts from the National Weather Service and local news stations to monitor conditions. Sometimes this works favorably, and sometimes it unfortunately does not, since not even weathermen are correct 100% of the time! In light of this, we also rely on our coaches to make the call on-site if a storm does pop up close to or during class time.

If a cancellation is needed in advance, a decision will be made at approximately 8 AM (for morning sessions) / by 4:00 PM (for evening sessions) on the day of our classes. We will post cancellation notices on our Facebook page and on our website. It is the parents' / guardians' obligation to check our Facebook page for class cancellation updates. For those who do not use Facebook, cancellation info will also be included in the “From the Sidelines” section on our website homepage www.soccershots.org/pittsburgh.

Please add our email address [email protected] to your Safe Senders list so that our emails do not go to spam / junk!

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT & EXPECTATIONS

It is our objective to create a safe environment in which your child will experience soccer in a non-competitive yet fun and positive way. This works best and is most quickly achieved (usually a few weeks into the season) when children trust and feel comfortable with their coach & their new environment. We welcome and request your involvement in helping your child(ren) to engage with us. Below are Soccer Shots Pittsburgh's expectations regarding parental / guardian involvement:

Involvement During Mini & Classic Sessions

Active parental / guardian participation is required for the Mini (ages 2-3) group and is required for the Classic (ages 3-5 / 4-6) age groups the extent that your child requires it. We request active, on-field parental involvement so as to help the children feel comfortable in a new environment with new people. If a child is uncomfortable or hesitant, we ask that a parent or guardian come onto the playing field and walk through the games and drills. Parents / guardians are welcome to remain on the field for the entirety of our session if your child(ren) benefit from your support and encouragement. This helps the players get the most out of our sessions and helps to avoid distractions and loss of focus.

Coaches will be engaging Soccer Shots players in games and activities. Our program and curriculum have enjoyed much success with young children, but the first few classes can be a bit of an adjustment period. Please just keep this in mind and encourage your child to participate, even if you have to hold their hand or even carry them through it! It is age appropriate for kids (especially in the Mini group) to be distracted and to need extra encouragement from parents / guardians.

If a child "takes off" from the field, it is the parent’s / guardians' responsibility to bring them back to the field and help to get them involved once again so as to not distract from the flow of the session for other players and families. We also request your assistance in helping your child(ren) respect their Soccer Shots friends and in helping them to respect and preserve Soccer Shots equipment such as cones, goals, and rings, especially in light of COVID-19 related considerations and sanitizing efforts.

If participating on-field during our Mini (ages 2-3) classes or when / if a child requires on-field assistance from a parent or guardian, we ask that only one family member per child be present on the playing field, known as "Soccer Island". (We are not limiting the number of spectators at most locations; on-site capacity restrictions, if any, were noted at the time of enrollment and are noted again in our welcome email email under the "Location Information" section). Unless the parent / guardian has a condition which precludes them from wearing a face covering safely, we ask that those adults who join us on the playing field please wear a face covering or try to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other players and parents. Again, we will continue to recognize HIPAA law in regards to this.

We'd like to extend a request to all families to please refrain from permitting the participation of siblings or any children not registered in Soccer Shots. For liability reasons and for the sake of the coach(es) and overall class management, we ask that you please help us with this! Adding extra children (who are not on the roster for that particular class) to the playing field distracts the coaches and keeps them from focusing fully on those who are rightfully participating in the session. Therefore, we respectfully ask that you please help us with this and keep non-registered children (even if registered for a different day / time / class with us) outside the boundaries of Soccer Island. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!!

QUESTIONS? FEEDBACK? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

You can contact us any time at [email protected] or 412-615-5003.

If you have any concerns or feedback, please contact us right away. We want to provide you with an excellent experience; your real-time feedback will allow us to best serve you and your family and to head off any developing situations in a timely manner!

Thank you for being part of the Soccer Shots family this season! ... See MoreSee Less

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3 days ago

Congratulations to Rowan who is our Player of the Week! Coach Britni choose Rowan and asked him a few questions:

How old are you? 3
What's your favorite color? pink or green!
What's your favorite food? pop tarts!
What's your favorite animal? Giraffe!
What's your favorite favorite part of soccer? control control control

Coach Britni picked Rowan because "He has the best demeanor! He is always checking on the other players to make sure they “get hydrated”. He is ready to learn and try all of the new skills and show his family that he is doing his best. And he always tells me “this is tricky, but I can do it!” ... See MoreSee Less

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4 days ago

Take a break from the screen and try these outdoor ideas, right in your own backyard!🌿🌤

See activity photos/descriptions+a free downloadable list here: littlepinelearners.com/100-low-prep-activities-you-can-do-on-your-own-backyard/ ... See MoreSee Less

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