A local soccer club is showing kids that you don't have to wait for the spring to hit the field and get moving. NY1’s Lori Chung filed this Fit Kids report.
A little encouragement keeps these tiny soccer stars going, legs moving and hearts pumping to get to what they say is the best part of the game.
"When you get to score the goals," one player says.
"Saving goals and scoring them," says another.
An indoor soccer clinic is run by downtown United Soccer Club so even on a cold winter day, kids can still get out on the pitch.
"All you need is a goal and a soccer ball and a space and you can play," says program director Adam Norse.
It’s a simple set up at Pier 40 at Hudson River Park for a program that encourages kids to keep active all year round.
"I play on Saturday and Sunday and I have a house in the Hamptons so I play a lot there in like summer, spring," says one player.
The club has activities for kids of all ages, but Norse says this group of five and six year olds is learning how to sweat in a game that gives all kids a chance to shine.
"It’s all inclusive. The goal keeper can score. Anyone can score. It's not like baseball or football where it's kind of restricted to star players," Norse says.
The focus on this field is not about winning; it's about getting good skills down early that you can take with you throughout the rest of your life.
“I think if I keep playing soccer I'll be really fit, like fitter than I already am, so that will be good I guess when I'm older," says player Samantha Frei.
The older players already seeing the benefit of staying involved in a physical activity that feels more like fun than exercise.
"Running back and forth, I mean, you kind of don't really think about it when you're out there with your friends and you're doing well," says player Zoe Contrubis.