Little Feet Across West Des Moines and the Metro Are Still Happy, Despite Crime ‘Bounce’

In the big scheme of things, the theft of about 20 soccer balls from a HappyFeet soccer coach’s car earlier this month isn’t a huge deal.

“We’ve got hundreds of balls,” Daniel Wells, owner of the Waukee-based HappyFeet of Des Moines franchise, said with an upbeat “oh well” kind of attitude.

Michael James Caligiuri, one of the coaches, reported to West Des Moines Police on Feb. 10 that someone had broken into his car and stolen a bag of about 20 soccer balls from his vehicle sometime last weekend. He noticed they were missing when he was fueling his vehicle Saturday morning.

“Hopefully, whoever took them will bring them back,” Wells said.

His pleasant demeanor about the whole thing may be a byproduct of all the time he and his staff spend working with kids at preschools and daycares literally teaching them that they can do more than one thing at a time.

For example, kids might be kicking or bouncing soccer balls at the same time they’re reciting their ABCs, singing a song or carrying on conversations with a friend. Before long, they’re moving the ball while looking straight ahead, Wells said, explaining the activities increase gross motor skils.

HappyFeet isn’t as interested in producing Olympic-caliber soccer players as it is in teaching children to become “creative leaders through soccer,” Wells said.

“Soccer is the one sport any kid at any age can play,” he said. “It’s gender neutral and teaches things beyond the mechanics of the sport, which makes it even more exciting.”

And they’ve got a large cache of soccer balls.