On Sunday, March 24, Northeast Opportunities for Wellness, Inc. (NOW) partnered with Challenger Sports to offer a Soccer Clinic at Tourtellotte Memorial High School in Thompson. Fifty-seven children participated in the clinic, learning a variety of skills in the sport of soccer. This clinic is a part of a series of free events hosted by NOW designed to introduce sports and wellness activities to children in the 10-town area of Northeast Connecticut.

The soccer clinic provided an age appropriate introduction to the sport of soccer for participants ages 3 to 13. Working with instructors and players from Challenger Sports, a premiere soccer program, NOW provided participants with soccer skills and techniques through six skill stations that focus on ball handling and movement, running, and scoring.

A signature element of the clinic is additional skill stations run by NOW staff, focused on nutrition and fitness. For the Soccer clinic, NOW Program Coordinator Lindsay Lussier led participants through an agility obstacle course station, and NOW staff Tayler Shea and Alexandra Billings taught children the importance of a balanced diet with the NOW “My Plate” nutrition station. Children were also offered a healthy snack of clementines or raisins during the nutrition station.

Throughout the year, NOW hosts several clinics focused on such sports as, soccer, football, cheerleading, lacrosse, hockey, and basketball. A second soccer clinic will be offered at Plainfield High School on April 6 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.  The next clinic in the series is a Yoga Clinic that will be held at the Yoga Farm in Central Village, CT on April 7. 

NOW is a non-profit human services organization focused on youth wellness. NOW provides children with the opportunity to participate in area wellness activities and athletics programs, offering scholarships to the youth of the community with up to 95% of the cost being subsidized by NOW. The mission of the organization is to provide ALL children, regardless of financial resources, equal opportunities to achieve & maintain youth wellness, beginning at an early age. Registration is currently available online for the April 6 Soccer clinic and the April 7 Youth Yoga Clinic. For more information on NOW programs and events, or to sign up for a clinic, visit: www.nowinmotion.org