SAN DIEGO -- On Saturday mornings, preschoolers and their parents gather in Emerald Hills Park to run, jump, squeal, and act silly. Plus, they learn how to play soccer.

However, the drills they're running seem to have little to do with soccer. The children jump and land with their arms and legs spread wide, yelling "I'm a star! Wooo!"

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Project QKids Focus On Exercise

Their parents grab their hands and wiggle their arms up and down. Then a trainer sends them off running around a series of small orange cones as their parents run next to them, shouting words of encouragement.

These families are enrolled in "The Star Program for Parents of Preschoolers." It's a free program run by the Joy of Sports and funded by the First 5 Commission of San Diego.

The Star Program is aimed at helping parents teach life skills to 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds, through "pre-sports."

"Pre-sports means where they learn the joy and the enjoyment of sports, where they create appreciation for wanting to be active and play sports," explained Star trainer, Richard Alan.

With the problem of childhood obesity increasing in the U.S., many parents are looking for ways to help their children become more active.

The soccer program does that, and more. It also teaches self-esteem, concentration, and sportsmanship, while helping develop these children's motor skills.

"I have these kids doing some pretty difficult things because it's fun you can see very effortlessly," Alan said.

"They're jumping and hopping and balancing and following directions because it's fun," he added.

May Akins enrolled her children, 5-year-old Gigi and 3-year-old Alvin, in the class because it's good exercise for the children, and for her.

"They do have a lot of fun and they're looking forward to it every time," Akins said.

She said her children bug her daily, wondering, "When the next time comes? They say Mama, when are we going to go back? I say, next week ... It brings excitement into it," Akins said.

She may not realize it, but taking part in the soccer class could also give Gigi and Alvin a better chance in school. "Statistically, when children play sports and enjoy it, they do better in school. It's a fact," Alan said.

Eventually, Alan begins directing the children through the beginnings of kicking drills. He shows them how to aim with their foot, and push the ball toward a target. All along, the children are having breathless fun. So are their parents.

The fact that the program involves the whole family is also important. Sixteen-year old Terry Akins, Jr., is helping his little brother and sister learn the soccer drills.

He said while it's fun to play with the little ones, he also feels it's important to take part in their lives.

"All the commercials, they say you can manipulate a kid between the ages of birth and five years old," Terry explained.

"So I interact with them all the time. I have to teach them the right way so they won't grow up and do something I wouldn't do."

And perhaps that's the best lesson these young children can learn.