Hot Shots Soccer for Girls does something no other sports program does: We blend reading, art, public speaking, imagination games, soccer skills, and 100% parent participation to build girls’ self-esteem.
And we do it in ways no other sports program does: We use puppets, parachutes, pillow fights, flying stuffed animals, and tutus to teach soccer skills. And we not only begin every session with a story time, we also give each girl 4 books to take home and read each week!
Parents looking to give their young daughters (ages 2-10) and themselves good physical activity on winter Sundays can get that and a lot more at Hot Shots. In addition to the constant running and playing imaginative games, their daughters have a reading time, a chance to speak to the crowd, an art contest, and more than a thousand books to choose from to take home each week.
And all of the activities are built around the central mission of Hot Shots: To build stronger girls in every way. And it’s worked. After Hot Shots, parents reported the impact of Hot Shots on their daughters:
- 98% were more self-confident
- 98% were more at ease in social settings
- 94% were more willing to try new things
- 92% were more independent
- 92% were more fond of books & reading
Back in 1996, I decided NOT to use typical soccer drills (standing in lines to do things like dribble around cones). I believe that young girls are still children with active imaginations who enjoy learning that is fun. So I figured out how to teach soccer skills using puppets, parachutes, pillow fights, flying stuffed animals, and tutus.
How is that possible? Well, take throw-ins for example. Little kids tend to throw the ball into the ground because they let go of it too late. So Hot Shots coaches put puppets on sticks and hold them up, encouraging the girls to knock the puppet off the stick by letting go of the ball sooner, gaining a nice arc and a perfect throw-in.
Take field of vision: Players can’t pass the ball if they’re constantly looking at the ball at their feet. So at Hot Shots, parents chase their daughters and throw stuffed animals at them, forcing them to look up.
Get the gist?
Since 1996, Hot Shots has served thousands of South Shore families. Here are the numbers:
- 5,000 girls graduated
- 100% parent participation (as well as grandparents, aunts, and uncles)
- $15,000 worth of books donated to grade school libraries
- 3,000 books read every season by Hot Shots girls
- 150-200 pieces of art created by the girls every year
- 200 families hosted every Sunday
- $10,000 awarded in college scholarships to our young coaches
- Dozens of special needs girls participated
- 100 speaking appearances each season by girls in front of the crowd of 60-100 parents and fellow girls each week
Hot Shots is based in Marshfield at the Boys and Girls Club on Proprietor’s Drive and is open to girls from all South Shore communities.
We offer programs in the fall, winter, spring, and summer.
Questions? Call or text or write John Wilpers (617-688-0137 or jwilpers@hotshotssoccer.org) or go to www.hotshotssoccer.org.
Watch the Plymouth Area Cable News Show video here.