Mighty Kicks Southern KY offers a mobile soccer program designed to build motor skills, life skills, self-confidence, and basic soccer techniques for youth players. The organization recently completed its first camp in Owensboro, but owner and coach Zach Salchli doesn’t want this to be the last for the city.
Salchli said the sport of soccer has several built-in life and motor skills for children to pick up on — even if they don’t stick with the sport — and he wants to continue those lessons in Owensboro.
“This provides an opportunity for kids to get out and play and be active and for a lot of them to be introduced to soccer. Our focus primarily is ages 2-8 in our programs,” Salchli said.
He noted that the biggest program is for ages 3-5, but the goal is to really get the kids playing and interacting with others through the sport. Some of the foundational lessons they try to instill include listening, observation, and respecting fellow players.
In addition to the life skills, they teach the players basic soccer skills such as dribbling and how to score goals.
“Our program is not just about the soccer component but the skills that last for life. As we say, skills for soccer, lessons for life,” he said.
Mighty Kicks hosts programming throughout middle and southern Kentucky, with some in Bowling Green, Lewisport, Lexington, and Frankfort.
Salchli noted they have roughly 1,000 kids per season that attend throughout the year in Bowling Green, while the Owensboro program sees roughly 400.
Salchli said it’s motivating to know the sport of soccer continues to grow locally and across the state. He said they are starting to branch out to areas such as Breckinridge, Hancock, and Ohio counties.
“That’s one of our initiatives right now is focusing on rural communities, outside of Owensboro and Bowling Green and introducing the sport to kids who haven’t had that opportunity to play and just trying to grow the game,” Salchli said.
