Soccer Health

This page has general information on keeping your child healthy while playing soccer. Your child’s needs adapt as they grow, and we want to ensure that you are equipped with information to address them appropriately. Eating a balanced diet and setting aside time for physical fitness and rest will ensure that you have a well-rounded athlete prepared for any practice or game!

Official documents from FIFA.com:

• Practical guide to eating and drinking
• Female player booklet
• Standardized Concussion Recognition Tool

If your child shows signs of a concussion during or after a game/practice, please refer to the Concussion Response Tool – Parents, Guardians, Coaches.

Keeping Kids Active

As they get older, it can be a challenge for kids to get enough daily activity. This can be due to:

• increasing demands at school
• a feeling among some kids that they aren’t good at sports
• a lack of active role models
• busy working families

In spite of these barriers, parents can teach their kids a love of physical activity and help them fit it into their daily lives. Doing so can set healthy patterns that will last into adulthood. Organized sports are a great way to keep kids interested and actively engaged while teaching them teamwork.

Benefits of Being Active

When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. Why? Because regular exercise provides these benefits:

• strong muscles and bones
• healthy weight
• decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• better sleep
• a better outlook on life

Physically active kids are also more likely to be motivated, focused, and successful in school; mastering physical skills builds confidence at every age.