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The Dilmun Club in Saar is suddenly swarming with tiny feet passing around a ball and shooting for goal.
Coach Mark Brown has been training a squad of three-to-five year olds at the club since January and the new term has just kicked off with three sessions each week for the David Beckham-wannabes.
“The kids really enjoy the game. They love it so much and it is a joy to see their smiling faces,” said Mark, 29. “They are brilliant. I used to think it was going to be a really hectic thing to do – managing the young ones – but it has proved to be a wonderful experience coaching them.”
At present there are 24 children now signed up in this age group.
“It is definitely more taxing to train the younger ones because the sport is very new to them. They need to get the feel of football first and gain confidence with the ball, run after it and chase it.”
This is the first time in the kingdom that soccer sessions for such a young age group have been launched.
“I thought I would try it out after reading a lot about really young kids playing the game and receiving coaching in Japan and America,” explained Mark.
“Our sessions have become very popular. It initially started with just eight students and has really caught on with the children and their parents.”
As a youngster Mark was invited to join the Manchester United School of Excellence, Newcastle United and as a teenager he signed for Sunderland until a serious knee injury curtailed any chance he had of a prolonged professional career.
Ironically, an identical injury forced his brother Warren, 22, out of the game after a promising start to his career with Nottingham Forest.
Mark, a father-of-two from Saar, who works as a coatings manager for construction company MCSC, has great hopes for the budding young footballers under his wing.
He added: “I’m confident many of the kids will start playing for their school teams or other football clubs on the island so that they can build up a competitive spirit and in a few years be able to compete in major competitions.
“The secret for now is to ensure that they simply enjoy the game.”
Apart from the three-to-five age group, Mark also trains six-to-eight and nine-to-14 year olds. For further details contact the Dilmun Club on 17690926 or 17692986.
