Photo: KIDSUNITED Lake Ridge/Bright Kickers Academy LLC.
KIDSUNITED, an early-development soccer center for children ages 18 months to 9, plans to open a new location in Lake Ridge on Friday, Nov. 13, owner Craig Cromwell said.
The center will be at 12545 Dillingham Square in Woodbridge. Cromwell, who owns the location through Bright Kickers Academy LLC, said the team is in the final stages of preparing the space. “It is exciting to see everything coming together after the work that has gone into the buildout,” he wrote in an email to The Woodbridge Gazette. “We are very excited to bring KIDSUNITED to the Lake Ridge and greater Woodbridge community.”
A program built around more than soccer
Cromwell said the curriculum is meant to develop the whole child through four areas: Brain, Body, Life and Soccer. Classes combine age-appropriate soccer instruction with coordination, socialization, confidence, teamwork and other life skills. As children advance, the focus shifts from early cognitive and motor development toward independence and individual soccer skills.
Programs are organized by age and developmental level:
• KIDSUNITED Baby: ages 1.5 to 2.5
• Little Champs: ages 2.5 to 3.5
• Drills to Skills Jr.: about ages 3.5 to 5
• Drills to Skills: ages 5 to 7
• Drills to Skills Pro: ages 7 to 9
Classes run about 45 minutes. Parents take part in the youngest programs, while older children participate on their own as their skills and confidence grow.
The Lake Ridge location will offer classes seven days a week, Cromwell said. Weekday classes will be mostly in the late afternoon and evening, with weekend classes starting in the morning. Times vary by age group. The business is offering a free intro class, according to its website.
Why a former referee opened it
Before opening KIDSUNITED Lake Ridge, Cromwell spent more than 20 years officiating NCAA college and high school basketball. He said that experience showed him the role athletics can play in building discipline, confidence, teamwork, leadership and perseverance in young people.
He said he was drawn to KIDSUNITED’s approach of using soccer to help children develop cognitive, motor, social and life skills from a young age.
“My goal is for KIDSUNITED Lake Ridge to become more than a place where children attend soccer classes,” Cromwell wrote. “I want it to be a welcoming part of the community where families can watch their children develop confidence, independence, teamwork, discipline, and a lifelong appreciation for being active.”
Cromwell said he will share details about opening activities as plans are finalized.
If you go
• What: KIDSUNITED Lake Ridge, youth soccer classes for ages 18 months to 9
• Where: 12545 Dillingham Square, Woodbridge, VA 22192
• Planned opening: Friday, Nov. 13
• More information: kidsunited.com/lakeridge or 571-405-1187
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