David Alejos has always had a passion for soccer. He reverently remembers the significance all his coaches had on him starting from an early age. He’s taken that influence and his athletic experience and created a dynamic point of view to develop and encourage young athletes at the very beginning of their soccer journey with Soccer Shots.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how you started Soccer Shots
A: I was born in and grew up in Mexico, about an hour and a half from Guadalajara. I moved to the states when I was a junior in high school, where I played soccer for Lancaster Mennonite High School, and then went on to Messiah University in Harrisburg, PA – where I got my BA in Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and a Minor in Marketing. I won a National Championship as a Messiah Men’s Soccer player. I started working right out of college at one of the original 2 franchises of Soccer Shots, learning from it’s co-founder along the way. My wife and I decided to buy our own franchise of Soccer Shots coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic and moved to Connecticut in Summer of 2021 to start our journey.
Q: What does Soccer Shots offer?
A: Soccer Shots is an intro to soccer enrichment program for children ages 2-8 with a focus on character development. We offer our programs in a variety of locations all over Fairfield County.
Q: What makes your approach unique?
A: We approach the game of soccer from the perspective of the ages of the children we serve. We use a lot of imagination and creative play to teach the game of soccer, which often teaches children without them realizing that they are learning. We also focus heavily on character development, and make sure that children are practicing behaviors such as respect, confidence, and determination both on and off of the field.
Q: What skills are the most important for kids to gain?
A: At this age it is important to us that children develop a passion for group play and hopefully soccer! We wanted to get children to learn to love the sport — and from there can continue to work hard and grow in different areas of the game. As for specific soccer skills, we always teach dribbling and controlling the ball in the first phases to get children used to using their feet.
Q: What is your one piece of advice for young athletes?
A: I encourage young athletes to keep at what they do and never give up. It is important that children of this age group learn the importance of determination, and that hard work does in fact pay off. We also want children to take away from our program that there are people that really care about them and their development, both on and off the field. We want them to feel valued and encouraged in all of their efforts!
Q: What do you find most rewarding working with kids?
A: Working with children of this age group is something that we are so grateful for. Think about the people you remember from your childhood -your family, your good friends, and the teachers and coaches that have influenced you the most. We have a very important job to positively impact and inspire lives, and we love that about what we do.
Soccer Shots Southwest Connecticut
203.615.8225
@soccershots_swct
We use a lot of imagination and creative play to teach the game of soccer, which often teaches children without them realizing that they are learning.