Family agency Kids Industries is the creative and technical brains behind the app development for a new kids’ brand called Aniballers. The beta version of the app, which teaches children aged three-six how to master football skills, is available to play for free on Apple and Android devices.
Aniballers is a real family affair, conceived during lockdown by Matt Wilson and his (now six-year-old) daughter Veda, who used their valuable playtime outdoors to learn football skills. Veda’s mother is the voice on the app.
Wilson said, “I found it tough, not just the fact we were in lockdown, but the art of teaching, full stop. Teaching kids anything is hard, but teaching sport is on another level because of the positional language gap. What does ‘kicking with the inside of the foot mean to a four or five-year-old? Using animals as a reference point, I made up little games that made learning fun for Veda and the idea grew into an app to help other parents teach their kids to learn football drills and skills, and just generally be more active in a way that’s fun for them. It’s the only app of its kind.”
Dubbed “the football training adventure for kids,” the app features six animated characters in a colourful world that take kids along a gamified training journey. The animation is interspersed with video clips of real three- to six-year-olds in a 3D rendered brand world setting presenting drills, and AR-filters so kids can feel immersed in the game.”
With 50 unique challenges suitable for indoor and outdoor play, Aniballers has been developed by UEFA approved coaches and follows EYFS (early years foundation stage) key developmental learning areas so kids and parents can feel like they have a football coach in their pocket.
Parents learn how to:
- Teach kids football using storytelling
- Have more structured and rewarding play
- Get kids ready for coaching and to excel
Kids learn:
- Balance, co-ordination, speed and strength
- How to dribble
- Skills like drag backs
- How to use both feet
- The foundations of football while having fun
Matt and Veda are keen to extend Aniballers into brand licensing, believing it has potential for football kit and training aids, collectible toys, books, animation, and much more. Before that, they are iterating the app in time for the Women’s World Cup this summer.
In addition to developing the app, Kids Industries shared valuable insight into children and families throughout the entire creative process. The conpany’s CEO and co-founder Gary Pope said, “The potential of Aniballers is inspiring. Using some pretty nifty tech to really put the kids in the game will engage and delight and give families lots of lovely shared active moments together. Franchises emerge from any touch point these days so, working with Wilson, Veda and his team, we’ve thought long and hard about where the brand might go in the very near future.”
The brand is made by a six-year-old girl and has many female role models in the app. Hence it is providing early age female role models to boys and girls. This has led to a partnership between Aniballers and #HerGameToo, the Premier League club backed campaign to champion women in sport.