Opportunity Recognised

When Mrs Carol Tan first came up with her unique plan to keep her kids entertained while making sure their hours were spent productively, she didn’t realise that she would be providing an avenue for dads to bond with their kids.

Her plan first formed when she noticed that her young sons, were spending a lot of their weekends playing soccer outdoors with older boys in the neighbourhood. She did a little thinking and came up with a plan that she hoped her kids would benefit from - a little league soccer programme.

In 1999, with the help of her sons and her own strong determination, she set about getting things rolling. She thought that the age group that would most benefit from a little league would be those aged four to 12: trainable fresh young minds that, with the right coaching and leadership, would be able to develop an interest in our most beloved local sport.

Cold Calls Pay Off

Scouting around for available places proved to be tough from the get-go. A lot of calls proved futile, but some avenues turned out to be positive. Carol received some support she received for the cause from notable names such as Mr Vincent Subramaniam, the National Coach at the time, and international soccer legend Mr Paul Masefield, who runs a coaching school.

Both of them offered materials and free coaching for six months to see if the response would be favourable.

Naturally, when word of mouth spread that there was going to be a soccer club with free training for the first 100 kids that signed up, supportive parents and enthusiastic kids were more than keen to kick off in the programme.

With the help of the principal of Siglap Secondary School, they finally secured a training ground: the school’s own practice field.

Game On!

As the programme grew, Pasir Ris Elias Community Club and North West Community Development Council soon proposed to take the little leaguers under their sponsorship, thereby establishing it in its full capacity during the same year. With this new found area for kids and fathers to spend quality time together, the programme continued to expand.

Soon parent volunteer groups were set up to assist in the programme - parents whose own kids are active in the programme. Training takes place every  Saturday, and kids and parents alike develop a regimen to follow through and commit to. Says Mrs Tan, “My own husband helped out too. It was worth it to see fathers surrounding their kids in positive activity, and soccer is a way to do that.”

The teams also have inter-school matches that parents can attend and support their kids at, and turnout for these events have proven to be very strong. But Carol Tan says there are some aspects of sports that that Dads should be aware of.

“Support your child, even if they lose a game. You should not pressure them; they are not a way for you to live through them, they are their own person and their abilities should be celebrated no matter how different from your own expectations,” urged Carol.

Kids Benefit the Most

Carol hopes the programme will continue for more years to come. The turnout remains more than favourable with the assistance of the relevant organisations, professional coaches and materials being provided. The programme now runs with a monthly fee of $20 per child, all of which go to the funding of practice space and materials.

When asked why she continues to run the programme, her response is simple but heartfelt. "Looking back at how it benefited my own sons, I can just imagine how the kids that are in the programme now will reap benefits in years to come."

Carol also believes that talented kids with talent, who otherwise would not have been discovered, now have a chance. Nevertheless, her main concern is that fathers support their children in their interests and give them a chance to prove themselves.

"Kids just need you to show that you are passionate and supportive of them," said Carol.

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About the Author: The DadsforLife Resource Team comprises local content writers and experts, including psychologists, counsellors, educators and social service professionals, dedicated to developing useful resources for dads.

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