Congratulations to the J.A Ecuador Academy for winning the first ever organized NJ summer futsal league hosted by Central Jersey Futsal.
They have qualified and earned a paid entrance to the 2021 NJ State Futsal Championships which will be held in the fall of 2021 and hosted by Central Jersey Futsal at Sportika Sports. This qualification is granted to them and it is 100% sponsored by Central Jersey Futsal, ($499 value). Well done players and coaches.
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The Street Futsal philosophy was built on the idea of unscripted, creative, fun, playground style play.
No coaching, just players using their skills, improvising, and challenging each other for king of the hill. World’s best players were created through street futsal in their neighborhood’s playgrounds. Street Futsal is the most creative game of futsal you ever played. It is a playground innovation that combines street soccer with urban football. It is a unique combination of different disciplines and skills, moving at a rapid pace and played on a hard surface, any surface. Street Futsal is marketed as a fun and rewarding way to improve ball handling, dribbling, agility, and field awareness in all levels of the game. With more than just skills development on their minds, parents and coaches can also use the innovative street futsal approach to foster essential character traits such as trust, resilience, teamwork, respect for teammates and self-confidence. For players, Street Futsal is way more than just a chance to enjoy the game. It isn’t about just having fun on the field – it’s about developing important character traits off the field that will help in life and in sports. The Street Futsal philosophy was built on this idea that players should learn important life skills, through unstructured, playground style free play. No coaching! It’s all about having fun while applying vital personally learned training concepts along with lots of creativity. Thinking about signing your child for soccer?
Think Futsal Instead. Here is why. If you’ve never played futsal, it can be hard to imagine how it’s so much different from soccer. Allow me to help you visualize the difference between playing futsal and soccer. Think of Futsal as the next generation soccer experience for children. Kids develop soccer skills playing constantly with the ball, high intensity activity to improve speed, agility vision, creativity. It's a fun way to learn real dribbling, passing, shooting, tackling and much more – all leading to immediate improvement. Futsal provides better ways to develop skills: Especially for young players ages 6-12, Futsal is a much better game for a players development. Most of a player's learning comes from playing, especially at the young starter ages of 3-6. The size of the court and speed of Futsal means 6 times more opportunities for a player to touch the ball vs soccer. It also puts players in constant situations where they need to think fast to solve problems, constantly be forced to protect the ball, work out of tight situations among other. Soccer is normally played as an outdoor game on large fields, whereas Futsal is a form of soccer that is played mostly indoors on a much smaller courts. Futsal is also played around the world in outdoor courts anywhere. The smaller field size ensures a game of Futsal is fast-paced and more intense, with more opportunity for goal scoring. Another difference is in the number of players. There are eleven players for each team in the game of Soccer, while Futsal is played with five players on the court. Less players at one time means more opportunities to touch the ball. There are three substitutions allowed in a game of Soccer, whereas there are unlimited substitutions in Futsal. Once again players can come in and out of the game as often as possible, giving them more time to play. There are many other differences between the two games in terms of tactics, positioning, and the skills required. However, the fundamentals of the two games are essentially similar, making Futsal a great option for Soccer players and vice-versa. If players become good at playing in a faster surface like a futsal surface they will immediately stand out on turf or grass. Over the years, soccer has been labeled as a "Thinking Man's Game". The term has been derived from the game's uninterrupted, steady flow of play without timeouts or many set plays, full of player engagement, creativity, situational recognition, adjustments and problem solving on the fly is what it is called a "player's game".
In soccer a player must be a thinker, problem solver and a creative machine without much help from the coach at every single minute of the game. There are unlimited options, combinations and opportunities to score goals. A player's imagination and creativity is the only limitation in the game of soccer. Because of this game setting nature players grow not only in their game but in life as well. The ability to constantly think, adopt and solve has massive benefits in everything. Well, futsal adds to the mix, a faster playing surface, restrictive smaller playing area, less time to think, react, adjust and solve game situations. The pressure is multiplied ten fold. If soccer is a "thinking man's game", then futsal is a "thinking man's game" on steroids. Futsal will absolutely, unequivocally, without any doubt grow a player's soccer game. What an UNBELIEVABLE President’s Day Futsal Weekend at Central Jersey Futsal.
The holiday weekend started with League play on Sunday with many teams playing the game they have come to love in the Central Jersey Futsal 8-week league play. That was followed by the President’s Day Futsal Cup hosted by Central Jersey Futsal, where over 340 players had the opportunity to compete for medals for the first time in front of their parents in an indoor setting for quite a while. The tournament saw some fantastic play and talent on display on both the girls and the boy’s side. The weekend included tryouts for the Champions Cup Series and many ELITE players from top soccer clubs and academies came to try and earn a spot in their age groups for the Nationals and Worlds to be played at the end of July in Orlando Florida. Central Jersey Futsal is one of 24 founding organizations for this National and International event which offers a pathway to the top level of futsal competitions, training, and opportunities to be seen be international coaches. Lastly the weekend would not be complete without the tryouts for the Women’s Futsal team, which Central Jersey Futsal is the exclusive sponsor. Once again top-level talent competed for a spot in the newly formed Elite Player Program which will begin competition at the upcoming USFF Atlantic City Regionals. The tryouts included players from previous USFF Regional championship teams and in fact a couple of players are two-time USFF Champions. So, the level is extremely high, and the quality of futsal will set the standard for the area’s female futsal players. Central Jersey Futsal is always at the core of bringing futsal awareness to the soccer community, not only as a primary development tool for soccer but as game by itself. We would like to expose youth soccer players to opportunities and pathways to a higher level of competition and exposure. We thank everyone who attended, competed, watched and made it a great fun futsal weekend. The inaugural NJ Futsal Open Cup, which is part of the New Jersey Futsal Tournament Series, was conducted on Monday January 18th 2021. The tournament, which is part of the New Jersey Futsal Tournament Series and hosted by Central Jersey Futsal, had 23 teams registered. This series of one day futsal tournaments is perfect for teams that are looking for extra games, touches on the ball and competitive fun priced fair for every budget. The tournament series, hosted by Central Jersey Futsal has as core mission is to provide affordable futsal events, $299 per tournament, for all. This is a great opportunity for players, coaches and teams to get tons of extra touches on the ball, and build their soccer development in small sided games where players must think fast, make quick decisions, work their way out of tight spots, get more confidence on 1v1 situations and off course score many goals. Niko Alexopoulos, director of Central Jersey Futsal, has been utilizing futsal as a means of soccer development and as a sport itself for over 14 years. Niko is someone believes passionately that futsal should be intentionally used as a tool for developing soccer players year-round and come first in the developing process at the younger starter age groups of 3-12 years of age. He has a massive amount of experiences, observations, thoughts and ideas from being submerged in the futsal community as a player, coach and operations director waiting to be released that could truly benefit the futsal community as well as the soccer coach that is just getting into the futsal methodology as a soccer development tool as well as the futsal game itself. "We, here at Central Jersey Futsal believe in putting kids and families first over profits. This is why we make it a priority for our events to be priced fairly for all to enjoy as well as provide scholarship opportunities for those that are in need." This is a direct quote from director Niko Alexopoulos. WHAT ARE COACHES SAYING ABOUT FUTSAL, CENTRAL JERSEY, EX ALBANIAN PRO SOCCER PLAYER, VANI MEHMETI1/26/2021 What are coaches saying about futsal and Central Jersey Futsal - In this video learn what ex Albanian Professional Soccer Player Vani Mehmeti has to say.
"I think futsal is great development tool for young ages staring with 5 or 6 years old all the way to 13, 14 and older ages", Vani says. Just like many other coaches who have developed their soccer skills by playing futsal in their native countries, Vani is a big believer in futsal not only as a development tool, but as a sport as well. He goes on to mention how US must build more futsal courts and make it easy for youth soccer players to have access to futsal courts everywhere like it is done in many other countries. Being able to play unstructured and unsupervised small sided games like futsal will help build a player's confidence, creativity, and ability to get out of tight spot situations as well as improve their 1v1 skills. We are every excited to have Farrell Pomponio join our Elite Player Training Club as a lead trainer and the Director Of Coaching for the girls. Farrell brings an enormous amount of experience both as a coach but as an active current semi pro player both in soccer and futsal.
We strongly believe that all female players now will have a role model as a coach who is actively playing as well as coaching. They can have an opportunity not only to gain from high level training inspired from Farrell's current semi pro level playing but also be mentored by her on many different topics that are required by player who is looking to play in college or beyond that. Elite Player Training Club players, both boys and girls will have a new pathway of knowledge into higher level of playing. Farrell Pomponio has been in love with the game of soccer ever since she was a little kid, but as she got older, she also fell in love with the game of Futsal. She played for the South Jersey Barons Academy team and was a 4-year Pinelands Regional High School varsity letter holder and starter. She has also played for New Jersey’s 1991 age group Olympic Development Team, as well as New Jersey’s Futsal Team where they won the state championship in 2007. After multiple scholarship offers, Farrell decided to stay local and play college soccer, where she received a scholarship to play at Georgian Court University. Her freshman year she was a member of the tournament team, in 2011 she won the MVP award, she was selected for All-CACC first team, and received Honorable Mention in 2012. Farrell was a 3-year starter and captain and would have been a 4-year starter if she did not suffer a potential career ending and life altering injury. She suffered a major injury to the spine which included periods of time where she was unable to walk. This led her to undergo two spine surgeries, which included reconstructive surgery, after the first surgery went horribly wrong leaving Farrell unable to get out of bed and unable to walk for days at a time. Doctors told Farrell there was no guarantee she would be able to return to the sport she loved so much, especially at a high level, and her focus should be on doing daily tasks and getting through a daily routine that she hadn’t been able to do in the condition she was in. With lots of rehab, had work, and determination, Farrell made it back to finish her 4th and final season of college soccer. She was not the player she was before or the player she wanted to be, but she made it back on the field, and that was a big victory. Farrell was not going to settle for just making it back to finish her last college season, and then hang up the boots. After college, Farrell continued to rehab and worked relentlessly to make improvements in her physical abilities and went on to play semi professional soccer. She played 2 years in the WPSL before moving into the UWS where she has most recently been playing. Farrell has also played some professional futsal starting out in Virginia with VA United FC, and then went on to stay and play local and was a starter for her team as they won the US Regional Futsal Tournament Championship in 2018 with FC Copa and 2020 with Brazuca Futsal. When Farrell is not playing the sports she loves, she is working with youth players to help them unleash their potential. Farrell has been coaching and training players for over 10 years. The game of soccer is changing at a rapid pace. Therefore, the role of the goalkeeper in it as well. Futsal is gaining and extreme level of popularity, not only as a game but as the best tool to help a player with soccer development. Field players are embracing futsal as their salvation with their soccer challenges. However goalkeepers seems to shy away and when they are asked to participate in goalkeeper training and they seem to gravitate towards turf or grass training.
Only a small number of goalkeepers prefer futsal specific goalkeeper training and in fact are brave enough to take on the challenge. Yes, I did use the word brave, as one must have no fear to stand in a futsal goal and face extremely fast shots from very short distances and angles. But then again only few will ever become elite at their chosen craft. Futsal will massively accelerate the level of development for a a goalkeeper and help them excel in their outdoor soccer game. Futsal will help them stand out and massively develop. One of the most overlooked positions is still the goalkeeper position by many coaches. That is a common mistake that we see in outdoor soccer teams trying their hand at futsal for the first time. They enter events without their goalkeepers ever have attended a futsal specific goalkeeper training. A lot of them have never even attended a regular goalkeeper specific training. A good number of teams attending futsal events for the first time will most likely not even have a goalkeeper. They will rotate field players at the position. That is great and should be promoted at the younger age groups and lower level events. However when teams enter higher level events whey should have a goalkeeper that knows and understands the position. Learn more about the Elite Player Training where a goalkeeper can train in a futsal specific environment and massively improve their skills. The Elite Futsal Player Training kicked off this Wednesday November 11 2020 and it will be acting as a feeder program for the Champions Cup Series teams. Elite Futsal Training is 100% club neutral and is open to both girls and boys ages U8 to U18.
Top level players represented academies like PDA, STA, Cedar Stars and others in this first training session. Players that have won regional and national US Technical competitions, and players that are currently on a USYF National team. This definitely is a high level opportunity for elite players to train with other elite players and further develop their soccer skills as well as become proficient in the game of futsal. The future's so bright for New Jersey Futsal with the number of soccer players increasing every year discovering the game of futsal and using it as a development tool to reach the top levels in the game of futsal as well as soccer. |
AuthorNiko is someone who believes passionately that futsal should be intentionally used as a tool for developing soccer players year-round and come first in the developing process at the younger starter age groups of 3-12 years of age. He has a massive amount of experiences, observations, thoughts and ideas from being submerged in the futsal community as a player, coach and operations director waiting to be released that could truly benefit the futsal community as well as the soccer coach that is just getting into the futsal methodology as a soccer development tool as well as the futsal game itself Archives
August 2021
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