The benefits for kids of playing football with a lighter ball
When you're young, it's not always easy to kick the ball in the air and to hit it like your heroes, which can be frustrating. It's a problem we've been working on at Kipsta. In this article, we explain to you the advantages of younger players using a lighter ball when they start playing the game.
Inspiration straight out of germany
At Kipsta, we see children as adults in miniature. At their age football is a whole different ball game, which is why we've designed products especially for them.
For the last few years, young boys and girls in Germany have been learning to play the game with lighter balls. There are some very simple reasons for that. Firstly, learning to kick a ball correctly and to hit it in the air is not as easy as it might look. When you're young all you want to do is play like the stars and do the things they do.
Making the game safer for children
At Kipsta, we said that one of the most obvious solutions was to offer lighter balls for children. Our F100 Light weighs in at just 290g on the scales, which is 110g lighter than a conventional size 4 ball. It's no beach ball, however. It meets all the FIFA guidelines and offers young ones the same feel as a conventional ball.
What's more, young players can be reluctant to head conventional balls because it can be painful at times. Lighter balls make for less impact than heavier leather ones, giving youngsters the chance to power in headers like Basile Boli or Cristiano Ronaldo.
A tried and tested product that is proving popular
Lighter balls should be used by children aged eight to 12. This is generally the age when they start playing the sport and develop a passion for it. So it's important to offer a product that satisfies the needs of both younger and older children.
That's why we tested the F100 Light with a panel of players and clubs. We've also had lots of feedback from parents and teachers. Thanks to the information we received from them and our co-design strategy we have been able to develop the F100 Light and its prototypes and come up with the ball that is now available at Decathlon stores.
