Josh Meade: Mini Kicks going from strength to strength

The coaching company are currently engaging with 5000 children every week in Doncaster.

And their popular football clinics for kids have also gone nationwide since the firm was founded by Doncaster-born Ben Hunter seven years ago.

Former Doncaster Rovers youngster Josh Meade, 22, has been on the Mini Kicks’ coaching staff for almost a year and is relishing the role.

“We’re trying to make Doncaster orange,” joked Josh.

“It’s a brlliant company. Ben’s just unbelievable in terms of his passion and ambition, and it’s shown over the last seven years how it’s grown.

“He started out with just a bag of balls in Rossington.

“Now it’s nationwide and it’s got 17 franchises which just shows what an impact it’s having on children all over the country.”

Mini Kicks’ academies, school and nursery programmes - which now includes ‘Baby Kicks’ - aim to maximise development of two to ten-year-old boys and girls through the medium of football.

“We pride ourselves on our Mini Kicks family values,” said Josh. “As a coach you need that passion, determination and motivation, and you want to inspire children which all our coaches do.

“The children love that and the parents appreciate and respect that. We’re all one big family, the coaches, the kids and the parents.

“It’s great to see the kids’ development.

“For me, as a footballer, I’d love one of my Baby Kicks to go all the way through and for me to be a bit of inspiration for them. That’s what we love doing at Mini Kicks.

“The success of the company is down to Ben, quality coaching and proper passion for getting children active and into sport.”

He added: “We’d really like to thank all our collaborators - we work closely with Yorkshire Wildlife Park, McDonalds and DCLT.

“We’ve also collaborated with Doncaster Rovers so there’s a pathway there now.

“We’d love to get kids coming in aged two, doing our Baby Kids academy, going on to Mini Kicks for three to six-year-olds, MK Plus for six to ten and then hopefully into Rovers’ academy.”

For more information visit www.minikicks.org.