Hear what Amy Schweizer, Marine Corps spouse and owner/director of Tiny Troops Soccer, has to say about bringing her love of soccer to military kids around the world.
Since becoming a military spouse in 2010, my eyes were forever opened to the joy, pride, and sacrifice that comes with that job (yes, it is a job in and of itself!). I have experienced those feelings that once caused me to think, “How in the world do they get through it?” Adding children to the mix only deepened my awareness of the sacrifice that being a military family entails. It was once explained to me that children go through the same emotions as adults when facing hardships such as frequent separations and deployments.
That broke my heart when I initially heard it, and it sank in even further as I watched my own boys go through it. My thoughts quickly focused on what I could contribute to ease this burden for those of us back on the home front, particularly the little ones. Tiny Troops Soccer has allowed me to put into practice the education and experience I have with working with youth, playing soccer, and program development. In my pre-“dependent” days, I played soccer throughout high school and was an avid contributor (coaching, refereeing, program development) to my local soccer association.
I attended Millikin University, where I played on the school team, became team captain, and was an All-Conference player. I was afforded the opportunity to try out for the Cincinnati Ladyhawks professional soccer team a summer later, and was fortunate to make the team. After spending the summer playing in Ohio, I attended Illinois State University and received a master’s degree in sport management. After school, I continued to work with the local soccer association and various camps, as well as playing in various recreational adult leagues. I worked as the program director of the Boys and Girls Club of Danville, as well as taught courses at the local college.
I have always had a passion for helping and inspiring others, particularly children, to lead healthy, productive, and fruitful lives. Ultimately, Tiny Troops Soccer has helped me to utilize these passions and my desire for steady work throughout the twists, turns, and of course those crazy zig zags of military life. Although I could never imagine the amount of growth and military staple Tiny Troops has become, it has made me realize that the possibilities are truly limitless! We hope to expand with 15 more locations this year, and would love to have locations near every base within the next 10 years.
MS: How did Tiny Troops get off the ground?
Amy: Tiny Troops Soccer started in July 2015 near Camp Pendleton, Calif. I set up a meeting with a dear friend and fellow Marine Corps spouse and soccer player, JanDe, in 2014 to review formatting and session planning. With her expertise of early childhood education and my experience with soccer and program development, I knew the Tiny Troops curriculum would be the best in the field. Following that meeting, another friend, Michelle, who is also a fellow Marine Corps spouse and soccer player, also met with me at a small coffee shop, where I laid out my big idea for her to be our first coach. Luckily, she was on board from the get-go!
MS: Give us the details on Tiny Troops!
Amy: Here at Tiny Troops Soccer, we promise to provide an affordable, close-to-home soccer program led by experienced coaches who are specially trained in age-appropriate techniques. Our goal is to help foster the overall physical and cognitive development of our players, while teaching them the great game of soccer. The program is open to children ages 2 to 4 years old. We have monthly registration periods (three sessions per month), so families can choose which months work for them without the worry of being on leave and missing out on sign-ups, or spending $200 (or more) on a program.
MS: So it sounds like your business idea has really taken off! How does it work with people across the country running the program?
Amy: We have one coach at each of our locations who takes care of running the sessions. On the administrative side, we are able to communicate, conduct interviews, follow-up calls, trainings, and monthly evaluations through small-business technology platforms such as Zoom and Slack. These technologies, which are usually introduced and spearheaded by our site coordinator, Sarah, have opened the doors to our expansion across the country.
MS: It sounds like military spouses are a central part of your business.
Amy: Military spouses are the heart and soul of our company, starting with myself as the owner/director, all the way through to our coaches and administrative personnel. These spouses share a passion for soccer and children, and are looking for a way to earn income in a flexible position, all while being able to be the primary caretaker of their family (due to the service member’s inconsistent schedule). They range from people with master’s degrees to the newly married young spouse, and even the high school dependent.
MS: Where can people find your program right now?
Amy: We have locations near:
- Camp Pendleton, Miramar, Monterey, 29 Palms, and Lemoore, Calif.
- Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, and Cherry Point, N.C.
- Quantico, Fort Belvoir, Fredericksburg, Langley, and Norfolk, Va.
- Fort Meade, JB Anacostia-Bolling, and JB Andrews, Md.
- Parris Island and Shaw AFB, S.C.
- MCB Hawaii, Schofield Army Barracks, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
- JB Lewis McChord, NB Kitsap, and NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.
- MacDill AFB, NAS Jacksonville, NS Mayport, and Eglin AFB, Fla.
- Fort Campbell, Ky.; and Fort Stewart and Kings Bay, Ga.
As more families become involved in Tiny Troops and then PCS, we get requests to open new locations at wherever they are moving to, which helps us to launch new locations every month. We have also recently introduced the TOP Soccer program in coordination with the US Youth Soccer. Federation to give children with special needs the opportunity to get on the field and play. It is a new facet of our program, and we can’t wait to continue to serve more of our community.
MS: What makes Tiny Troops different from other soccer programs?
Amy: Our program is truly a developmental program that focuses on teaching the fundamentals of the game, as well as developing gross motor and social skills, body and spatial awareness, and the ability to thrive within a group setting. This is accomplished through fun games and activities that are specifically designed to support proper early childhood development.
We realize that our program is usually the first outside-of-the home program that our little ones participate in, so we do our best to teach them skills that will help them to be successful both on and off of the field (or Soccer Island as we like to call it!). Ultimately, our program lays the foundation for players to be successful when moving on to a traditional program, versus just having the players scrimmage for a majority of the session, which does not create the proper learning environment for this age group.
MS: Tell me what the kids get out of the program.
Amy: Although some may just see soccer, I see an opportunity to not only get children outside and playing, but to also provide a small, yet constant experience in their ever-changing worlds. I love to hear stories of our players moving from base to base and how they light up seeing a coach in a Tiny Troops shirt playing on Soccer Island! And better yet, their excitement when they find out that we coaches all know each other, and are friends – priceless! Participating in our sessions also eases the transition for families, as sometimes other Tiny Troops parents are the first friends they make at a new duty station.
I love what I do! Seeing little ones attempt to do jumping jacks may be the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. And don’t forget the “animals” the players choose for us coaches to be during some of our activities, including all of the typical ones such as an elephant dinosaur, an ox (what do they even do?!), and last but not least, grass. Yes, this is a job, but we sure have fun doing it.
MS: What tips do you have for another military spouse looking to start a business?
Amy: Network! Reach out to people who you have come across at a prior duty station, put a feeler out with the type of work you are looking for/to create, and search for business-related spouse groups on social media. Since there are only about three degrees of separation in the military, you are bound to know someone who knows someone involved with what you are interested in or has ties to the field.
Also, do your best to work within the limitations you are presented with, but don’t be afraid to create your own opportunities. You have a right to thrive within your career while supporting your service member, so if that means questioning policies and presenting your information and interests to base officials, then go for it.