Learn To Play
Do you want your child to have FUN and be ACTIVE this summer? Get involved with Softball Alberta's revolutionary softball program – the Parmalat Learn to Play Program - for 5 to 10 year olds. This program was designed to address the specific needs of 5-10 year olds and is replacing the old game of T-Ball! The Parmalat Learn to Play Program was piloted in communities across Canada in 2003 and 2004 and has received rave reviews from Minor Softball Association, parents and kids. Kids can't wait for the snow to melt so they can participate in the full launch of the program this spring.
The first and most important goal of the program is to make Softball FUN for kids. And what better way to do that then to provide the coach with all the tools they will need to run a successful program. The Parmalat Learn to Play manuals contain 18 prepared lesson plans that are easy to follow and understand. The games and activities that make up the lesson plans were created to increase the activity levels of the children and to challenge them in appropriate ways. Not only will the kids be tired from all the fun they will be having but they will be developing their individual softball skills as well as building life skills like co-operation and team work.
This program differs from sports like mini-soccer where only the aggressive children touch the ball. In the Parmalat Learn to Play Program, the players are broken down into small groups where they can get the required repetitions to make improvements in skill development and feel that sense of accomplishment that increases their self-confidence. One parent in a Nova Scotia pilot of the program stated that after two weeks in both a mini-soccer program and the Parmalat Learn to Play Program, her son only wanted to go to the Parmalat Learn to Play Program because he was having more fun at the diamond.
The Parmalat Learn to Play Program fills a long-standing gap in national programming and will serve to introduce thousands of youth to the exciting sport of softball. Softball Alberta, in conjunction with Softball Canada is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of young people and to providing support to its membership at the grassroots level.
Lesson Manuals, and other resources are available at the Softball Alberta offices. Contact us if you are interested in more information.
More information about the program can also be found on the Softball Canada website.