That’s the message that world-renowned youth soccer trainer Tom Byer has conveyed to parents, professional clubs and leaders throughout the soccer world – and now the Houston Dynamo and Dash are partnering with Byer to bring that message to H-Town.
At its core, the Soccer Starts at Home mindset emphasizes two things: the importance of getting children comfortable with having the ball at their feet as soon as possible, and the vital role that parents play in early childhood development.
“It depends on the age, but what we’re doing is to basically introduce a ball – a small ball, because you want a small ball for a small foot – inside the home because the home is a very safe and protective environment away from ridicule,” Byer says. “The interaction between the child and the parent is what’s paramount because that child’s need for that parental approval is what really kind of sets the kid up for deep learning. It’s very simple, the things that we’re showing parents, and fostering a stronger relationship and more activity between parents and children in hopes also that they understand the game more from a fundamental level.”
The Dynamo and Dash have created a unique program to implement Byer’s revolutionary Soccer Starts at Home concepts in Houston-area schools and youth soccer clubs:
Diesel’s Skill Builders is an innovative school and outreach program from the Houston Dynamo and Dash inspired by Tom Byer’s Soccer Starts at Home®, a world-renowned development philosophy designed for young children ages 2-8 and more specifically, their Parents and the schools in our Greater Houston community.
When visiting the participating schools with the Diesel’s Skill Builders program, our professionally trained staff will teach the kids fundamental ‘ball mastery’ skills that are designed to help develop balance, coordination, agility and a sense of achievement in a fun and motivating method.
Where Diesel’s Skill Builders differs from other youth programs is that you, the Parent, are the key to success! The program encourages and guides Parents to engage positively with their young child, inside the home, or out in the yard, a little bit each day (20 minutes) utilizing the ball mastery skills that are made available on this Video Skills Library page.
Development begins at the earliest ages, and Parents are at the core of the Soccer Starts at Home® movement and the key in creating a positive, engaging and fun culture of development inside the home!
Research has shown that developing new skills- whether in sports, music or the arts –at an early age, jump-starts the cognitive development in young minds. When following the Diesel’s Skill Builders program, there will be benefits that give your child a ‘flying start’ in the sport of soccer and the game of life!
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