With the spring season fast approaching, it’s time for the city’s smallest athletes to hit the pitch
Children learn soccer skills in a no-pressure environment. Photo Courtesy Little Kickers
Even though he’s not yet four years old, Hunter Overdulve seems to have soccer in his blood.
“Soccer is quite predominant in their family,” says his mom, Jessica Overdulve of her husband, Kevin Overdulve. She explains that Kevin played at a premier level in Canada at a young age, and that Hunter’s grandfather played semi-pro in the Netherlands. “It was something I always knew I was going to put my kids into.”
Hunter Overdulve on his first day with Little Kickers. Photo Courtesy Jessica Overdulve
Little Kickers –– a soccer organization offering classes for kids ages 18 months to eight years –– turned out to be the perfect launching pad for Hunter. He joined his first soccer class almost two years ago, when he was just 25 months old.
“If they can stand, they can kick,” says Joanne Lubura, who with her husband Dan Lubura co-owns three Little Kickers franchises in the Ottawa area. The couple grew up in the former Yugoslavia and played soccer themselves.
“We being Europeans, we also love soccer,” says Lubura. “We really fell in love with the Little Kickers philosophy of ‘play not push.’”
Lubura explains that classes at Little Kickers are designed to give children a positive introduction to sport by teaching soccer skills in a friendly, pressure-free environment. Four different levels –– Little Kicks, Junior Kickers, Mighty Kickers and Mega Kickers –– offer age-appropriate instruction. In the youngest classes, parents are encouraged to participate and kids are regularly rewarded for their efforts.
“Every three months, kids are receiving badges as a reward for their learning,” says Lubura.
Founded by Christine Stanschus in the UK in 2002, Little Kickers now has over 300 franchises in 30 countries. There are over 40 franchises in Canada alone, which speaks to the popularity of the organization’s approach. Classes are offered year-round on a monthly subscription basis, allowing participants to “come and go whenever they like,” says Lubura.
“We have basically two seasons: indoor and outdoor,” she says, adding that classes are outside from May to October. In late fall and winter, indoor classes are held in venues such as school gyms, community centres and church halls. “Our summer season is growing –– sometimes to double and triple classes at some locations. Last summer, we had around 1,000 kids enrolled,” says Lubura.
Garette Rivers says his son, ShayDon, was able to enroll with Little Kickers at just 13 months –– since he had been walking and kicking a ball from seven months. Rivers says he appreciates that the coaches don’t put any pressure on the kids.
ShayDon Rivers-Simmonds earns a badge at Little Kickers. Photo Courtesy Garette Rivers
“The focus is on making soccer fun and inviting for them,” says Rivers. “It’s all about fostering a love for the game in a fun, supportive way.”
Now two-and-a-half years old, ShayDon loves soccer so much that his dad manages a soccer-themed Instagram feed @Shaydonthekicker, to document his progress. Posts show ShayDon kicking a miniature soccer ball in a diaper at just three months old. Rivers says it has been a joy to see his son develop over the course of his enrollment with Little Kickers.
ShayDon Rivers Simmonds attempts to kick a ball during a Little Kickers practice. Photo Courtesy Garette Rivers
“It’s been so rewarding to witness both his social and athletic growth in such a supportive, fun environment,” says Rivers. “He was enrolled so young –– before he could even speak –– and now, seeing him chat away with everyone at practice really feels like a full-circle moment for us as young parents.”
For the 2025 outdoor season, Little Kickers plans to expand to additional communities in the greater Ottawa area; locations are searchable by postal code on the website. Lubura says they are extending opportunities for daycare groups to register for classes. She will soon be hiring additional coaches for the busy summer season, offering a unique opportunity for students seeking meaningful work.
“If they move cities –– or even continents –– they can just continue coaching,” says Lubura, referring to Little Kickers locations around the world.
“You have to find your inner child in yourself to be able to be a role model for these little ones, because they look up to you and will remember you for the rest of their lives,” she says.
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