CHICAGO & MILWAUKEE • 18 MONTHS – 10 YEARS

Soccer built around how kids actually learn

Weekly 50-minute classes for ages 18 months to 10 years, from a curriculum written by child development professionals. Your first class is on us.

20+
Years in Chicagoland & Milwaukee
200,000+
Kids served
13
Locations near you
4.5★
300+ Google reviews
TV
Featured on WGN-TV Daytime Chicago

Not sure where to start?

Find the right class in under a minute

Tell us their age and your location, we’ll match them to the right class.

1.

Pick a Location
Chicago city, suburbs, or Milwaukee

2.

Tell us their age
Birth month and year is all we need.

3.

Get your match
See the right class and book it.

SOCCER FOR KIDS

The right class for every age

From a toddler’s first steps on the field to Skills Institute for our most experienced players – every class is built for each child’s development.

  • Bunnies & Thumpers

    18 months–3 years

    Parent/Child Class

    A gentle introduction to soccer for our youngest players. Together on the field through bubbles, parachutes and cones, then as your child grows, they start actively engaging with the coach and group, building listening skills and early ball control.

    Learn more about Bunnies and Thumpers →

  • Cottontails

    2.5–3.5 years

    Parent/Child Class

    For kids almost ready to play on their own, but not quite there yet. You start on the field together, then step back over the weeks as their confidence and independence grow, right up to their first solo class.

    Learn more about Cottontails →

  • Hoppers & Jackrabbits

    3–4 years

    Beginner to Intermediate

    Kids take the field on their own for fun games that build coordination and first soccer skills, no experience needed, all the way through team games and mini-scrimmages for kids ready to play together.

    Learn more about Hoppers and Jackrabbits →

  • Micro 4/5

    4–5 years

    Intermediate Level

    Creative games and weekly scrimmages that grow real soccer skills while keeping it all about fun. Kids build real technique and teamwork here, right before the jump into Skills Institute or GameTime.

    Learn more about Micro 4/5 →

  • Skills Institute

    5–10 years

    Beginner to Advanced

    Structured skills training for kids ready to take their game further, from first-time players building the basics through advanced, competitive athletes sharpening real technique and game sense.

    Learn more about Skills Institute →
  • Select locations

    GameTime League

    3–5 years

    Game-Day Play

    Real game-day experience for kids ready to play, with structured matches, a coach on the sideline, and all the fun of a real team, offered at select locations.

    Learn more about GameTime League →

OUR CLASS CURRICULUM

Every class has a plan behind it

Your child’s class was planned long before you got there, by people who have spent more than 25 years learning what actually works for a two year old, and what works for a nine year old. Lil’ Kickers has been around since 1999. We’ve been running it in Chicagoland since 2006

  1. Written by people who study how kids grow

    Created in 1999 by experienced coaches working alongside child development professionals, and still updated by that same team. Every coach trains on it, child development included, before their first class.

  2. Every week builds on the last

    Coaches teach from a tried and true lesson plan. Skills come back week after week, because that is exactly how little ones learn them for good.

  3. We check in on your child every session

    Each session ends with a look at how your child is growing, physically, socially, emotionally and in how they think. That tells us when they are ready to move up, and when one more session would serve them better.

  4. Small groups, so your child is seen

    Once kids are on the field on their own, we hold it to seven per coach. A full class is usually fourteen with two coaches, so there is always someone close enough to notice how your child is doing.

When they are ready for more: Skills Institute

Players move up a level when they have built the foundation for it, not because they had a birthday. Every 50 minute class is 30 minutes of coaching plus 20 minutes of small-sided games, ten players to a coach, so your child spends far more time on the ball than at a typical team practice.

PRICING & ENROLLMENT

Open Enrollment and Flexible Payment Plans

Pricing depends on your location, the day of the week and how long the session runs, so the exact price sits with your location’s schedule.

Typical session $240 – $297

for a 12 week session, on average. Weekday, weekend and session length all affect the price.

Annual membership

$45 per child or $80 per family for two or more kids, once a year. Includes a uniform set (jersey and shorts), make up class access, and free transfers between any of our locations.

  • Registration is always open

    You do not have to wait for a new session to start. Join whenever you are ready, any week of the year.

  • Miss a week? Make it up anywhere

    Unlimited make up classes at any of our locations, and you book them yourself online whenever it suits you.

  • You only pay for what is left

    Join partway through a session and we prorate it. You are never charged for classes that already happened.

  • Payment plans available

    Spread the cost of a session rather than paying it all at once. Just ask us at your location.

Cost should not be the reason a child misses out. See our scholarship program →

See Schedules & Pricing

FIND A LOCATION

13 locations across Chicagoland and Milwaukee

Indoor year-round and outdoor seasonal fields. Find the one closest to you. Not sure which is closest? See all 13 on the map.

OUR COACHES

Who is on the field with your child

Every coach is interviewed and background checked before they ever step on the field. And no one is handed a class of their own on day one.

  1. Interviewed and screened

    Including a background check, before they meet a single child.

  2. They start as a co-coach

    Alongside an experienced coach, learning how a class actually runs.

  3. Trained, tested, evaluated

    Online modules, on-field coaching and ongoing in person group training.

  4. Then they lead

    Only once they have moved up through the levels and earned it.

  5. And they keep learning

    Ongoing group training and our mentor coach program, for as long as they coach with us.

Since 1999, Lil’ Kickers has trained every coach on the same four values, L.I.V.E. Lead, Inspire, Value, Equip. In practice that means being a role model worth having, encouraging each child from wherever they are starting, and never taking for granted what one hour a week can do for a kid.

As featured on WGN-TV: Daytime Chicago

REAL PARENT VOICES

What families are saying

  • "This is the third program we tried with our 3 year old and the first one that truly knows what they are doing with the younger age group. They use developmentally appropriate soccer lead up activities… Our son loves going each week!"
    Lori F.Google review · Glendale, WI
  • "Coach Bianca has such bright energy and pays close attention to every child. She teaches in a way that is structured, engaging, and perfectly tailored to their skill levels… My son and I are truly grateful to have her as a coach!"
    Eunyoung P.Google review · Morton Grove
  • "The coach is calm confident and engaging. The class is well run and the facility is very clean. My son is still working on his listening skills and the coach is very patient."
    Tammy P.Google review · Roselle / Schaumburg

HAPPY KICKERS

Our Program in Action

BIRTHDAY PARTIES

You Set the Date, We’ll Take Care of the Rest!

Offered at select Chicago locations. Let our experienced party coordinators, hosts and coaches create a party your child won’t forget.

BEYOND WEEKLY CLASSES

Camps and Leagues too

Ready to try a class for free?

No pressure, no obligation, just one hour to see if Lil’ Kickers is right for your family.