Socatots programme ready for October launch

Kirsty Cooper, Leeds Manager for Socatots, was recently in Dubai to conduct the final rounds of training for the locally-based coaches, and met with parents to introduce the benefits that the course offers for both parents and toddlers.

"We have had a great response from eager parents looking to enroll their children in the course following the announcement last year to launch Socatots in Dubai. The course offers a fresh and exciting approach that encourages active and healthy living from an early age, and most importantly, it is a fun and interactive way for kids to develop emotionally, physically, and socially,"

said Cooper.

The Socatots programme, operating through the Dubai Sports City Football Academy, teaches basic ball skills, movement and co-ordination exercises in a fun and playful environment, and has proved hugely successful around the world as a great tool to encourage toddlers to take their first steps to fitness.

"We have noticed a demand for activities that allow parents to fully engage with their children. Parent involvement in the Socatots courses is an integral part of the programme, which helps create better communication and strengthen the bond between parent and child, at the same time providing a healthy lifestyle," said Ekta Hutton, Assistant Academies Manager, Dubai Sports City.

The team of coaches for the Dubai-based Socatots programme is made up of different nationalities from the Middle East and beyond including South Africa, Brazil, and New Zealand, and includes Arabic-speaking coaches with international expertise.

Socatots extends far beyond just physical exercise. The course aims to improve balance and co-ordination, further develop cognitive skills, enhance every muscle and bone development, increase self confidence, and demonstrate the benefits of keeping fit through a number of learning exercises.

Research has shown that children who are physically active from a young age are more likely to have better concentration skills in the classroom, and this is the philosophy that underpins the Socatots programme.

Socatots is the brainchild of Simon Clifford, an English football coach who started the programme in the UK and used his academic knowledge of coaching and his teaching experience to develop his own coaching programme.

Socatots is now available in many different countries around the world, including Holland, Singapore, and Canada.

The Dubai Sports City Football facility is a unique centre of soccer excellence, providing elite facilities to cater to a full range of abilities and ages.

The Dubai Sports City Football Academy is situated within the Dubai Sports City Academies Campus, which includes the Dubai Sports City Swimming Academy; a David Lloyd Tennis Academy; a Butch Harmon School of Golf, the first such facility outside the United States; the International Cricket Council's own ICC Global Cricket Academy; the WorldHockey Academy, a first of its kind partnership with the International Hockey Federation; a Rugby Academy; a high performance gymnasium; and a world-renowned sports medicine and rehabilitation centre.