SOCATOTS: A New Twisted Sports Community Partner

Socatots at the Burlington Children's Festival - Sunday August 15th

Burlington Children's Festival Spencer Smith Park Sunday August 15th

Socatots Burlington Hamilton will be at the Burlington Children's Festival on August 15th 2010. Come on out and see us at Spencer Smith Park.

Heat Alert Safety- Canadian Red Cross - In Your Community

Heat Alert Safety- Canadian Red Cross - In Your Community

Canadian Tire Jumpstart & KidSport Ontario Programs

Socatots Burlington Hamilton has learned of two wonderful charitable programs for families in need of financial assistance towards sport and recreation activities.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Program

The Canadian Tire Jumpstart program focuses on helping individual children become involved in organized sports and recreational activities to help them develop a healthier lifestyle in their younger years.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart is a charitable program that helps children in financial need aged 4 to 18 participate in organized sport and recreation activities.

The Canadian Tire Jumpstart program works with community organizations to form local Chapters that identify and approve the children who receive support.

If you would like to apply for your child to receive support, Canadian Tire Jumpstart accepts applications from eligible families twice per year: 1) the last 2 weeks in January; and 2) the first 2 weeks in June.

The application process is handled through a central toll free call centre (1-877-616-6600). The family name, address and phone number and other relevant information pertaining to the recreational activity your child would like to participate in will be required and recorded at the time of your call. This information will be passed along to the local Canadian Tire Jumpstart Chapter for review.

To date, there are 299 Canadian Tire Jumpstart® chapters in communities across the country. Since its launch in February 2005, Canadian Tire Jumpstart® has helped give more than 216,498 children in financial need the chance to play.

KidSport Ontario Program

Giving ALL children the opportunity to play sport in Ontario

The KidSport™ Mission is simple, to help overcome the financial barriers that exist in families so that all children have the opportunity to participate in organized sport and experience the benefits of active living. This is accomplished by providing financial support for registration fees and/or equipment grants that go directly to families. It is through KidSport™ that children who are the least likely to have the opportunity to play now have hope.

KidSport considers social and economic barriers facing the child’s family when determining eligibility. The KidSport grant covers up to $250 per child, per calendar year, to go towards registration fees and personal sports equipment. The KidSport Ontario grant covers organized sports that are instructed by qualified coaches and that represent a sustainable sport experience. Children 18 years old and under qualify for KidSport funding.

KidSport will ask for documentation at the time of application, which includes: Organization/club/league registration form, quote from retailer if equipment is requested, income verification which includes: Notice of Assessment and 3 consecutive paystubs or EI / Ontario works documentation, and endorsement letter.

Applications must be submitted 45 days prior to activity start date. Funds for registration fees will be provided to the family but will be issued and made payable directly to the sport club or retailer in the case of equipment purchase.

For more information on the KidSport™grant application guidelines email adamv@kidsportcanada.ca or phone 416-426-7260.

Socatots progress in Burlington Hamilton

We launched the 1st Socatots franchise in Canada in September 2008 in Burlington, Ontario. Since our launch a year and a half ago we have seen our little Socatots make great progress. As our program is still relatively young in Canada we've not yet had a little one begin in Phase 1 and progress to Phase 3 and then onto Brazilian Soccer Schools - but we are eagerly awaiting this moment!

In our Burlington/Hamilton location, we have Socatots who began in Phase 1 as wobbly walkers who have now progressed onto Phase 2 (steady walkers to age 2.5 yrs) and they are showing real skills with handling the ball with both left and right foot and with developing balance and coordination.

Similarly our Socatots who began in Phase 2 and have recently graduated onto Phase 3 are able to pass and receive the ball various parts of the foot and are quick and agile in moving to the ball. They have also learned to take small touches and keep the ball close to their feet whilst dribbling.

Jace began attending our Socatots program in June 2009 beginning in Phase 2. Jace began his first Phase 3 class this week and his dad commented, "the program is great, we are going into Phase 3 of the program now, and not only has Jace developed soccer skills and techniques, he has developed and improved his motor skills as well. The equipment used is excellent for development, as Jace has fun with it while learning. Parent involvement is an excellent part of the program, we are there to motivate and help our son progress with the help and guidance of the very professional, knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructors - thank you Socatots!"

Adelaide (pictured above) began attending Phase 2 of our Socatots program at 15 months of age and her mom had the following to say about the benefits Adelaide has received, "Socatots has been a beneficial program for my daughter's development. Development Specialists recommended a variety of activities to support and encourage development. At 15 months my daughter began the Socatots program, not yet walking and speaking very little. Nearly a year later she walks, runs and jumps. She counts up to ten in English, up to seven in French and knows basic colours. I continue to enroll and particpate in the Socatots program for its various benefits in social, physical and cognitive development... and because she really enjoys it!."

In the next week or so we will see our first Socatots Phase 3 graduate move onto Brazilian Soccer Schools. William joined Socatots a few months prior to his 5th birthday as his parents felt it would help him with his balance, coordination and soccer skill development. William attended two 12 week Socatots modules and is now moving onto Brazilian Soccer Schools in the next week or so. We are eager to see William's progress. William's mom commented, "this is a very good program, my son made a lot of improvement technically that he would have not done with another method."

I recently helped coach some March Break camps for U14 players with our Brazilian Soccer Schools program and was amazed at how many players were not confident with using both left and right foot. The skills we are teaching our pre-school aged Socatots will really benefit them in years to come, I'm convinced of this.

Socatots is not only about developing confidence with the ball, the children who attend Socatots also develop social skills, self confidence, literacy, numeracy and color recognition.

Family Frenzy at SoccerWorld with the Backyardigans

Join Socatots Burlington Hamilton at SoccerWorld for Family Frenzy on Friday April 2nd from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm.


Get ready to let your imaginations soar!


These high energy, creative and very adorable characters will get you singing and dancing in the aisles. Well known by kids, the Backyardigans are a favorite in the long line up of Treehouse Kids programming.



Also at the show will be, Chris Patterson - singer, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and actor. He is 1/3 of the Arrogant Worms, Canada's most successful musical comedy group. Chris is also a solo artist, with his first solo release in 2009 'Small Potatoes'.

Last but not least, Clifford the Magician, will be at Family Frenzy. Clifford the Magician has been performing his unique blend of children’s magic and comedy for over two decades. In 1985 he traveled to Israel, Germany and Cyprus entertaining the Canadian contingent of the United Nations peacekeeping forces. He’s also performed in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong. Corporate clients include Air Canada, Bell Canada and a variety of public school boards. He’s used magic to teach literacy and numeracy to children with learning disabilities and helped raise funds for Montreal’s Cedars Cancer Fund and the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal.


Lick's is proud to be the official food sponsor for Family Frenzy.


For more information, visit: http://familyfrenzy.ca/index.html

Socatots at the 1st Annual Hamilton Baby Expo

Our thanks to everyone who visited our Socatots booth at the 1st Annual Hamilton Baby Expo hosted by Social Mamas in partnership with My Smart Hands which was held on Saturday March 6th at Marritt Hall, Ancaster Fairgrounds.

It was great to meet so many young families from the GTA area and to tell you all a bit about our Socatots program for children of crawling age up to age 5.

Our contest winner will be announced this week and the winner will be contacted by phone or email. The prize is a 12 week Socatots program plus Bronze Membership in our Burlington or Ancaster locations.

Don't forget, when registering for classes - be sure to mention that you visited our booth at the expo to be eligible for 10% off of your session fees.

Pictured below from left to right are Socatots Burlington Hamilton staff: Socatots Instructor, Kassandra Haslam, Mohawk Placement, Jennifer Knowles and Owner, Susan Woods.

Socatots program gaining popularity in Canada

Since the start of 2010, the interest and popularity of Socatots has grown tremedously.

Socatots is the worlds's first soccer play program for pre-school children and is a unique and fun based concept aimed at giving children their very first start with the soccer ball. Socatots incorporates many other types of learning for preschoolers by following a complete and progressive syllabus.

The main aim at Socatots is to help encourage all aspects of mental and physical development using soccer as a medium. On completion of a Socatots program a child will be fully confident on the ball and have developed basic all round soccer skills in dribbling, passing and control of the ball.

Susan explains, we really feel a big part of our job is to educate parents and the community ob what we are doing. We not only want to develop better players in Canada, but we want them to follow an age appropriate development model that we firmly believe is the best.

Susan reports, we now have children in the Socatots program under the age of 2 who can kick the ball confidently with both left and right foot. With the activities at Socatots, children at the age of 2.5 are confident at dribbling while keeping the ball close to their feet.

Over the past several months Socatots Burlington Hamilton has spent time visiting various centres in the community to offer free trial classes. The visits have been a huge success and the children who have taken part in the free demos have thoroughly enjoyed them.

Socatots will take part in the 1st Hamilton Baby Expo on March 6th at Marritt Hall in Ancaster.

Socatots Burlington Hamilton has been nominated as Best Sports Development/Training in the 2010 Reader's Choice Awards.

Entrepreneurs score goals, the Brazilian Way

With nearly three million players nationwide, soccer is one of Canada’s most popular and fastest growing sports. But Canada’s world soccer ranking – 83rd as of this year according to FIFA – shows the Great White North has a long way to go before joining world superpowers England, Germany, Spain and Brazil.

Ancaster resident Ian McClurg hopes to change that.

Using the world renowned Brazilian Soccer Schools program, McClurg is helping young players raise their game by improving individual ball handling skills, speed and endurance. First in Burlington and now in Ancaster, the BSS system is forming a solid foundation in Southern Ontario. McClurg plans to expand the program across Canada while helping thousands of youth players compete for a chance at professional stardom.

Brazilian Soccer Schools is a concept developed by British soccer enthusiast Simon Clifford. After visiting Brazil and watching children play a game called Futebol de Salao, Clifford noticed the young Brazilians had extraordinary ball handling skills. Their game, a variation of what most of the world calls football, is played with a smaller, size two ball. The Futebol de Salao ball is much weightier than a conventional ball. It has very little bounce. Instead of kicking the ball long distances and chasing it back and forth, Clifford noticed the Brazilian players used their superior ball handling skills to challenge the defenders.

Founded in 1996, Brazilian Soccer Schools uses the same method to improve individual skills. Clifford’s first school was launched in Leeds, England. Today there are BSS schools across the U. K., offering cutting edge training techniques to a football crazed nation. Franchises have also appeared in 64 countries worldwide, including Canada.

McClurg is the first to offer BSS instruction in Canada. The program began last year in Burlington and has recently expanded at Ancaster’s Jewish Community Centre.

McClurg, a native of Northern Ireland, is a firm believer in the BSS system.

“The kids have got to master the ball handling first,” he said.

Brazilian Soccer Schools focuses on youth aged five to 16. It uses a grading system designed by Clifford that measures a player’s individual ball handling skills. Players earn badges for achieving skills, such as juggling a ball with their feet.

Many of the skills are named after professional players, such as the Pele sprint, which involves rolling the ball back and forth with the top of your foot as many times as you can in 30 seconds. McClurg has already seen seven and eight-year-old players who can tally 150 Pele sprints in half a minute. Another Ancaster youth player recently amazed McClurg by executing 460 consecutive juggles.

The BSS method includes 10 core moves such as juggling, plus dribbling and passing exercises.

Level four is considered the standard required to play professionally in England, McClurg said.

While he’s not a professional player himself, Clifford has already used his Brazilian teaching method with positive results in England. He owns a semi-professional team, Garforth Town AFC. The club currently plays in the eighth division of British Football after earning two promotions in the last four years.

Clifford has also developed the Socatots program, the world’s first soccer specific physical play program for preschool aged children. The program is geared towards students aged six months to five years.

Susan Woods leads the Canadian division of Socatots. Like Brazilian Soccer Schools, the program is also based in Burlington and Ancaster.

Featuring parent participation and small class sizes, Socatots uses music, words and activities that strengthen balance, coordination, and body awareness. The program is often used as an introduction to BSS, but it also strives to develop communication skills, language and literacy.

McClurg hopes to establish a technical centre in Ancaster and a Canadian head office for Brazilian Soccer Schools. A technical centre helps to identify and develop players who have the potential to pursue a professional career. The best athletes could be recommended for admission to the British academy system. Teams in the Barclay’s Premier League, the top flight of English football, recruit and develop players using their own football academies.

McClurg currently instructs about 100 students in Burlington and Ancaster. He dreams about someday making the BSS system as prevalent in Canada as the U. K. where programs exist in virtually every community.

“That’s our goal for Canada,” said McClurg, who retains the Canadian rights for Brazilian Soccer Schools. New eight-week sessions for BSS and Socatots are slated to begin in Ancaster next month. Although no long-term commitment is required, McClurg encourages players to stay with the program, especially if they exhibit the potential to perform at a high level.

Registration information for Brazilian Soccer Schools Canada and Socatots is available at www.icfds.com/canada .

SOCATOTS graduate impressed professional clubs

Having taught the Socatots program in Canada for the past year, it's amazing to see how well the children are developing their skills. Children in the Socatots program are indeed much further ahead with their skills. The children are learning to be two-footed through the program, as we emphasize the use of both left and right foot to perform all skills.

Below is a story from our main website about 5 year old Luke Gallacher from England who has been in the Socatots program since the age of 1. We are looking forward to our children making the same type of progress in Canada.

SOCATOTS Paisley and Renfrewshire North will watch recent graduate Luke Gallacher’s progress with interest after the 5-year old was invited down to training camps by both Glasgow Rangers and St Mirren.

The youngster, whose sessions were led by head coach Carol Heaton, worked on key aspects of his development such as hand-eye coordination and numeracy using the organisation’s ground-breaking syllabus.

SOCATOTS began in 2002 when Brazilian Soccer Schools founder Simon Clifford devised a programme for children from six months to five years to hone their skills using football as a medium.

Since then, the organisation has grown into the largest of its kind in the world, with centres operating around the world in locations such as the UK, America, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Norway and Dubai.

The success of her work with Luke has inspired Carol to look to expand her own SOCATOTS franchise, and she is delighted with the budding footballer’s progress.

“Luke has been with us since he was 14 months old and joined us at our second-ever session,” Carol said. “At Luke's last session I received gifts from both Fiona (Luke's Mum) and Luke's Gran who then proceeded to give me full credit for Luke's successes.

“As I've said to Fiona, I feel he always had natural ability and we were able to give him a place to go which no-one else could offer for his age and as a result we have helped, but all the rest has been down to him and I really can't take credit for that.

“I've never come across a child at such a young age with such a single minded desire to play football.”

Luke’s mother, Fiona, echoed Carol’s comments, citing the benefits SOCATOTS has brought to her son as a reason why all parents should take their children to the programme.

"Luke has loved coming to SOCATOTS over the last four years. It is such a good idea for kids,” she said.

“He as you know has always wanted to kick a ball even before he could walk. I really have found that it has benefited Luke, especially with his co ordination. The Nursery have always commented on this and I am quite sure that has come from SOCATOTS.”

Congratulations to Carol, Luke, Fiona and the family for Luke’s success, and we wish them all the very best of luck for the future.

Socatots - the world's 1st and #1 soccer specific play program for toddlers

What is Socatots?

Socatots is the world's first soccer specific physical play program for pre-school aged children, from the time they begin to crawl to age 5.

The ethos of Socatots is to help develop a child physically, emotionally and socially. We at Socatots are able to promote this in a fun and safe environment, creating the best learning surroundings for the children to get the best out of every session.

Socatots is part of an international program that operates in 64 countries and teaches millions of children each year.

Furthermore, we feel is is vital to get as many children involved in physical activity as possible to ensure they lead a healthy lifestyle.


Why parents choose Socatots

• improvement of balance, co-ordination, and posture
• development of cognitive skills, attention and concentration
• increased self confidence
• improved social skills
• communication skills, language and literacy
• enhanced muscle and bone development
• body awareness and understanding of the benefits of exercise
• personal, social and creative development

How is Socatots different from other activity programs?

• aims to develop the 'whole child'
• features parent participation
• features small class sizes
• emphasis on fun and structured play
• specially designed equipment
• emphasis on educational development
• emphasis on social development
• progression onto the Brazilian Soccer Schools program for ages 5 to 18

You can learn more about our program by visiting our main website at www.socatots.com, our local website at www.socatots.com/burlingtonhamilton and our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/SOCATOTS.