Mini Colts is open to both boys and girls and the season runs from September to the begining of May with an end of season festival held in mid May to close the season and we offer the following for each age group. I’m afraid we do not offer any sessions until the child starts school.
Under 5’s (children in Reception)- Saturdays 10-11am or Sundays 9-10am – We run soccer school training sessions and currently have spaces on both days. Please contact us here to book in for some taster sessions.
Under 6’s (children in year 1)- Saturdays 9-10am or Sundays 9-10am – We run soccer school training sessions and currently have spaces on both days. Please contact us here to book in for some taster sessions.
Under 7’s (children in year 2) Children start to train midweek and play matches at the weekend. We have teams that play on a Saturday and a Sunday and currently have limited spaces on both days. Please contact us here to book in for some taster sessions. As spaces are limited, priority is given to children whose parents may be in a postion to offer volunteer help to the club.
Under 8’s (children in year 3) Children start to train midweek and play matches at the weekend. We have teams that play on a Saturday and a Sunday and currently have very limited spaces on both days. Please contact us here to book in for some taster sessions. As spaces are limited, priority is given to children whose parents may be in a postion to offer volunteer help to the club.
We run girls only sessions as follows on Sundays only as that is when the girls league runs.
At What Age Can You Join Colts? Our usual entry point for children coincides with when children start school, ie in the majority of cases the September after they have turned 4. These children will form our u5s group. We do give 4 year old pre-schoolers the opportunity to do taster sessions, and if at the end of these the parents & coaches agree the sessions are suitable for the child and s/he is responding well to instruction and likes the environment, then they can join the u5s group (please note they then stay in the u5s when starting school).
What Gear Does My Child Need? We ask that parents take responsibility for their child arriving in clothing that is appropriate for both the weather conditions; and for taking part in sporting activity. In colder weather, it is better for a child to come layered up and remove layers as they get warmed up, rather than in too few layers.
Waterproof coats are recommended during the winter months; gloves / hats when it is especially cold; equally sun screen is recommended on very sunny days. Trainers or boots with rubber / moulded studs should be worn at Nottingham Football Centre. Boots with metal studs may be worn on the grass pitches at Regatta Way. We ask that ALL players wear shinpads at every session.
For the u5-6 and mini girls coaching sessions, given the all-weather pitches we use, our rule of thumb is that as long as temperatures remain above freezing, we run the sessions (only snow may stop the pitches being usable). HOWEVER we fully understand if some children choose to miss a session in poor weather – it does NOT put their place in the group in jeopardy! If they are keen to come, great – we’ll do our bit with a fast paced session that keeps them moving; please do yours by ensuring they’re layered up and have gloves!
For u7 & 8 matches, when weather is poor, please look out for messages from your group admin, who will be liaising with coaches, opponents and sites.
Where do you play? All of our soccer school sessions are held at GRESHAM SPORTS PARK, Gresham Park Rd, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7YF. When our players are placed into teams and start to play matches these are always in the morning, but times can vary, so it is not recommended to have another regular activity for your child during the morning, and standard week night training time is 6-7pm at various venues in WB.
Our home base for boys and girls under 8’s fixtures is West Park, West Bridgford and under 7’s is Gresham Sports Park, West Bridgford.
Can We Just Turn Up or Is There A Waiting List? We would ask that you don’t just turn up unannounced at a session, but contact us in advance via email. some sessions are full, and there’s nothing worse than a child turning up excited about playing only to be told they can’t!
