Soccajoeys

The SOCCAJOEYS NEXT STEP PROGRAM is specially designed for children with additional needs who are aged 3.5 to 7 years. Its goal is to develop and assist these children so they can make the transition to mainstream classes, clubs or schools. The SOCCAJOEYS NEXT STEP PROGRAM has run for three years with over 82 children participating in it and has won the 2013 St. George Bank Start Something Local Grant. The program is currently being run in the Hornsby Shire, Hills District and Waverly area. The SOCCAJOEYS NEXT STEP PROGRAM has successfully integrated 19 children into the Soccajoeys mainstream program and supported five children in registering for their local soccer clubs. The program is designed to assist children in developing a range of skills. These include: gross motor skills, muscle tone development, adherence to multiple step instructions, enhancement of speech and language, and improvement in social behavior. Underlying this is a focus on inclusion as our classes are mixed with siblings of children with additional needs or children that are suffering hardship.