Ever wondered what an average day is like in the life of a HappyFeet coach? There is more to it than just showing up and coaching soccer!
Planning Class
A typical day for us starts with planning our curriculum and classes. Each of us will plan our classes differently depending on what schools we are coaching and will adjust our curriculum based on our personality. Every school and age group have different learning styles and we ensure to adjust every class so that every HappyFeeter is successful and has lots of fun during their session.
School Arrival
When we arrive at our school, we make sure we are communicating with the director and faculty to build a healthy relationship and stay up-to-date on any important information we may need (such as closures, enrollment, holidays, etc.). This is especially important as most schools are visited only one day a week.
Prepare for Class
Before classes start, we prepare our designated area for HappyFeet to take place. We ensure that all distractions such as toys or furniture are put away and out of reach. This creates a space where HappyFeeters can stay focused and play soccer in a safe environment during the entire session.
Class Pick-up
Once our HappyFeet area is ready, we will then pick up our HappyFeeters from their classroom! Using our roster, we mark who is present or absent that day and then inform the teacher that we are all leaving for HappyFeet. We do this to ensure that both the teacher and ourselves are aware of where each child is at all times and are not left unattended.
During Class
Now it is time for HappyFeet! In the preschools, classes are 30 minutes long and include a warmup and a HappyFeet adventure. Coaches spend a few minutes turning our “listening ears” on, showing our “brave muscles”, and then testing our “fast feet”. These are the three things that we need in HappyFeet to become Brave Creative Leaders. After warming up, we wake “Bob the Bobcat” up and practice all of our skills in a fun adventure!
Class Drop-off
After the adventure, HappyFeeters put Bob back to sleep and receive their stampy or sticker for being Brave Creative Leaders! We then take them back to their classroom and have a quick chat with the teacher before moving on to the next class.
Communicate with Teachers
In addition to a child’s parents, teachers and coaches also play a very important role in a child’s development. Since we don’t often see our HappyFeeter’s parents, it is important that we communicate with the teachers and talk about how each child is doing. After every session, we share how HappyFeet went and communicate any important information about each child. This helps us make decisions on how to best set every child up for success during their time with us.
Class Reflection
After classes are done at a school, we take note of how each class went and evaluate everyone’s participation. We think about what went well and what needs improvement. Depending on our evaluation, we will chat with the school director to communicate any important information.
Next School
On to our next school! HappyFeet works with every school to ensure that sessions do not interfere with our school’s schedule and that every child does not miss anything important in their class. After leaving our first school, we then start the entire process from the beginning, adjusting our curriculum to fit our next school.
Coach Collaboration
When HappyFeet classes aren’t in session, we share our ideas, curriculum, and experiences with each other to find ways to make the next HappyFeet class better than the last. Along with keeping in touch here and there, we get together as a team once a month. In our team meetings we talk about ways to ensure we are providing an inclusive and fun learning environment during each session and discuss new ways to lead HappyFeeters towards a successful future.
Pride in Our Work
At the end of the day, we reflect on the work that we do and the impact we make on our HappyFeeters. Watching them grow and learn, accomplish difficult tasks, and become Brave Creative Leaders is the most rewarding part of what we do as a HappyFeet coach. We are so happy to be a part of every child’s development and share their successes with them.