In Dover, New Hampshire, a former Dartmouth soccer captain has built a program for children most leagues say are too young to play. Matthew Lewis Labarre teaches three-year-olds that movement is joyful, failure is safe, and a snack can be part of the lesson.
The field is small, the goals smaller. A line of preschoolers forms near the corner, some clutching their parents’ hands, some already running toward the cones. One child stays at the edge, watching. Matthew Lewis Labarre crouches down and waits. No pressure. No coaxing. Just proximity and patience. A few minutes pass. The child takes a step forward. Then another. By the end of the session, that same child is part of the warmup circle, mimicking stretches with the others.
This is the work Labarre has been doing since 2021, when he and his wife launched Never Too Young FC from their living room in Dover, New Hampshire. The program introduces soccer and basic nutrition to children ages three to five. It operates in a space most youth leagues avoid: the years before competition, before team rosters, before anyone is keeping score. Labarre describes it as play-based, movement-focused, and intentionally simple. Children learn how to kick a ball, take turns, and understand that water breaks matter. Parents are invited to join. Sessions are limited to 14 participants. The fee is $80 per family.
Labarre’s path to early childhood coaching began long before he had children of his own or a program to run. He grew up playing multiple sports at a high level, earning selection to the High School All-American Soccer Team and All-State honors in basketball and baseball. At Dartmouth College, he studied sociology and played on the men’s soccer team, eventually serving as captain. He was invited to Regional and National team pools. His athletic identity was built on performance, preparation, and the kind of consistency that earns respect in a locker room.
But the philosophy he applies now is different. It is rooted not in competition but in observation. Labarre spent time after college working with young children and began to notice a pattern. Parents would express interest in enrolling their three- or four-year-olds in soccer, only to be told the child was too young. The minimum age for most programs was five or six. The reasoning, Labarre understood, was practical. Young children have short attention spans, limited coordination, and little understanding of rules. But he also saw that the children wanted to move. They wanted to be part of something. The question, he realized, was not whether they were ready, but whether the structure could meet them where they were.
Building a Program Around Feeling, Not Performance
Never Too Young FC does not emphasize technique. There are no drills designed to prepare players for competitive leagues. Instead, sessions focus on what Labarre calls joyful first experiences with movement. Children run, kick, follow simple instructions, and learn what it feels like to succeed at a task. The environment is designed to be safe, inclusive, and free from judgment. If a child misses the ball, no one corrects them. If they need a break, they take one. If they leave smiling, Labarre considers the session successful.
The nutrition component is woven into the programming in short, age-appropriate segments. Labarre talks to the children about why hydration matters during physical activity and which snacks help sustain energy. The language is simple. The concepts are concrete. He has found that young children are more receptive to these ideas than many adults assume. They absorb information through repetition and association. When the lesson is connected to something they enjoy, it sticks.
The program also incorporates a focus on local community. Sessions celebrate the Seacoast region and the families who live there. Labarre and his wife have intentionally aligned the program with local businesses and local values. The brand is colorful and approachable. Parent participation is encouraged. The structure is casual, designed to feel less like organized sports and more like an extension of family life.
What Happens When Children Feel Capable
Labarre has seen behavioral shifts that cannot be measured by athletic progress. A child who would not step onto the field during the first session ends up leading warmups weeks later. Another learns to wait their turn without prompting. A third discovers that trying and missing does not mean failure. These are not soccer skills. They are social and emotional skills. They are confidence, patience, and resilience in their earliest forms.
He has also seen how these experiences shape the way children relate to movement. Some leave the program and join other sports. Some continue with soccer. Some simply develop a sense that physical activity is something they enjoy. For Labarre, the outcome is less important than the foundation. If a child associates movement with fun, safety, and success, that association will influence their choices later.
His background in sociology informs much of this thinking. At Dartmouth, he studied group behavior, social structures, and the ways individuals learn to function within systems. Youth sports, he came to understand, are one of the earliest social systems most children encounter. They learn how to be part of a group, how to follow instructions from an authority figure who is not a parent, and how to navigate success and failure in a shared space. The lessons are foundational. The age at which they begin matters.
The Case for Starting Earlier
In recent years, Labarre has become an advocate for lowering the entry point for youth sports programs. He argues that children ages three to five are often excluded not because they lack the capacity to benefit, but because programs are not designed with their developmental needs in mind. The solution, he believes, is not to replicate traditional youth sports at a younger age, but to rethink what sports can look like for very young children.
He points to the growing body of research on early childhood development, motor skill acquisition, and the long-term benefits of physical activity. Movement during the preschool years supports coordination, spatial awareness, and body confidence. It also establishes habits. Children who are active early are more likely to remain active as they grow. But access to structured, supportive programs remains inconsistent. In many communities, options for children under five are limited or nonexistent.
Labarre has also spoken publicly about the myths that prevent earlier access. One is the belief that young children are too fragile or uncoordinated for organized activity. Another is the assumption that sports at this age require competition to be meaningful. A third is the idea that parents should wait until a child expresses sustained interest before enrolling them. Labarre challenges all three. He argues that young children are more capable than they are given credit for, that competition is irrelevant at this stage, and that exposure often precedes interest.
What Four Years of Never Too Young FC Has Revealed
Since 2021, Never Too Young FC has worked with families across the Seacoast region. The program has remained small by design. Labarre continues to train coaches, design session structures, and oversee day-to-day operations. His role is both strategic and hands-on. He is present at sessions. He adjusts programming based on what he observes. He speaks with parents about their children’s progress and answers questions about nutrition, development, and next steps.
The program’s growth has been organic. Word spreads through parent networks and local community channels. Families return for multiple sessions. Some bring younger siblings when they reach the eligible age. The model, Labarre has found, works best when it remains community-centered and values-driven. He has no plans to scale rapidly or franchise. The focus is on depth, not reach.
He holds all required coaching licenses through USA Youth Soccer and Grassroots Soccer. His credentials, combined with his athletic background, lend legitimacy to the program. But the real credibility, he believes, comes from the work itself. From the child who would not step onto the field and now leads warmups. From the parent who thanks him for creating a space where their three-year-old felt included. From the small, measurable moments that add up to something larger.
Looking Ahead with Matthew Lewis Labarre
Labarre continues to advocate for earlier access to youth sports and for programming that prioritizes development over performance. He remains committed to the idea that children are never too young to begin exploring movement, building confidence, and learning what their bodies can do. His work with Never Too Young FC is both a program and a case study. It demonstrates what becomes possible when the structure is designed for the child, not the sport.
He is expanding his public voice on these issues, contributing insights to national conversations about early childhood athletics, play-based learning, and nutrition education. His message is consistent: the youngest athletes deserve the same attention, respect, and opportunity as older children. The only difference is the approach.
In Dover, on a small field with small goals, that approach continues. Children arrive. Some run. Some watch. Some take their time. And Matthew Lewis Labarre waits, crouches, and builds the kind of foundation that does not announce itself but holds steady for years.
