Continuing Futsal Education and how it is the number 1 development tool to the outdoor soccer game, we would like to point out certain benefits that no one can deny. The first one is to be considered in direct comparison to a similar 5v5 game on indoor turf . Take the following points into consideration: Not only a smaller playing area with less players playing at a time, but also a much faster playing surface, which makes ball control harder, and with a futsal specific ball which is smaller and less bouncy allowing the quicker development for ball handling skills.
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When one first engages futsal for the first time, he is taken back from what he is watching and initially may not be able to express what is going on, but quickly realizes this is not an ordinary game. Many have tried to debate futsal's benefits and how it helps outdoor soccer but the bottom line is futsal must be purposely used year round along side with soccer and come first in the younger starter age groups of 3 to 9 years of age. Futsal develops top soccer players and you can take it to the bank.
Following are some key point as to the differences of futsal and indoor soccer that will help everyone understand why it is some much better than indoor soccer. Central Jersey Futsal Joins Champions Cup Series - The Dawn Of A New Era in the area's futsal programming. Jackson, New Jersey will be the hub of the area's Elite Top Level National and International futsal competition. United Futsal today, August 21st 2020 announces Central Jersey Futsal as the latest expansion organization for the 2021 Champions Cup Series (CCS). Founded in 2005, the longstanding youth futsal organization has grown to include multiple programs for aspiring athletes in the region. Central Jersey Futsal hopes to educate parents and guide players into a development pathway that reaches the highest level of international futsal. The founder of Central Jersey Futsal, Niko Alexopoulos, officially announced the organization's acceptance into United Futsal Champions Cup Series today. "Partnering with United Futsal will bring the top tier of elite futsal to New Jersey," said Alexopoulos. "The players will compete on the international level with the likes of professional academies. It’s going to be an eye-opener for the American kids and families. The level of competition between New Jersey and what is offered by United Futsal is night and day. The ability to play against real academies is a game-changer." Alexopoulos 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. Futsal develops top level soccer players. That is the bottom line. You can take it to the bank. Alexopoulos is eager to utilize United Futsal’s innovative FUNDAWAY app, which allows for youth clubs to start their own local and personal services fundraising campaign. The fact that United Futsal has the ability to participate in its programming without the burden of spending money out of their pockets is the final reason we decided to join. Please read entire press release here As the director of Central Jersey Futsal, I have watched over the years, girls’ teams increase in numbers and in their quality of play. I thought about why we are witnessing such a growth in the girl’s futsal game and these are the five top reasons I came up with. NO CONCUSSIONS The biggest and most important reason in my opinion is the hardly any concussion effect. In outdoor soccer where players must head the ball as part of the game, concussion numbers are through the roof. It has gotten so bad that US Youth Soccer instituted a rule change that players could not head the ball until the age of 11. That means all 10-year-old players and younger are not allowed to head the ball which takes away a major part of the soccer game as well as the fun of it, but safety must come first. The number of concussions is even higher among female players at all ages. Yes, even the older more developed ages all the way to college and pro players. Well problem is solved, as futsal uses a low bouncing ball and the game is mostly concentrated around foot skills. The ball does not get lifted off the ground at high levels very often and for those players that do lift the ball, the recipients of those high balls are taught to control the ball with other parts of their bodies rather than their head. Furthermore because of the limited playing space it is not often that players will try and serve a high ball for a header. Long balls and high crosses are not a normal part of a futsal game. SIZE IS NOT NEEDED It is well documented that American soccer coaches love size gifted players. On both sides of the game, boys and girls, American youth teams have been traditionally known to be dominated by tall, fast, physical kids, relying mostly on the size and not on their skills. This is where futsal is a game changer as it primarily needs quality skills from its players to be successful and size comes a far distant second. Futsal is the breeding ground for the development of skills which will massively aid the outdoor soccer game of any player. Now, smaller female players with great technical skills have an outlet to play and excel after they have been constantly told by outdoor soccer coaches that although they are good players, their luck of size will not get them far in the game. HIGHER IQ AT YOUTH AGE It is well documented that girls mature faster at the younger starter ages than boys do. In fact, the college recruiting process starts a year earlier for the girls than the boys. Girls are much more coachable and their ability to absorb information is much higher at the younger ages. Futsal requires earlier and faster information absorption so female players can find themselves excelling at futsal much younger than boys. Exposing female players to futsal development at the starter ages of 3 to 7 years of age will set them to a path of skill development that will make them fall in love with the sport much quicker than boys. EARLIER DEVELOPMENT This reason goes hand in hand with the previous one mentioned. Because of the IQ girls seem to possess at the younger ages, futsal is the perfect tool to not only provide a much higher accelerated rate of skill development but allow the female player the chance to succeed at a younger age. This will naturally provide the female player the desire to compete harder at higher levels. Lastly a smaller female player with out of this world skills, developed at a young age through futsal, may give her that opportunity to have her size overlooked by coaches. FUN, FAST, FURIOUS This next reason is why all soccer players, parents and coaches fall in love with the sport. Futsal is extremely fast paced, with constant nonstop action, and lots of goals. Players are around the ball and are involved in the action all the time. There is no down time. No time for a player to get bored. They must always be engaged in the game. Players surveyed on why they play soccer mentioned as top two reasons, kicking the ball and scoring goals. Futsal satisfies both of those needs on a much higher level that soccer does. This also happens to be the number one reason mentioned by all parents that watch a futsal game for the first time. They all love the nonstop action and goals. Loving something you do will make you do it for ever. Experiencing futsal and falling in love with it is why the sport will have a much higher appeal rate than soccer as well as retention rate. Futsal will help not only develop top soccer players but keep youth soccer players involved in soccer much longer and help decline the drop off rate. We are excited to have our Executive league director, Niko ALexopoulos, release his new ebook, Guide For The Beginner Futsal Coach - Top Essential Tips To Succeed In Futsal.
The purpose of this book is to bring value to all involved with futsal. Coach Niko hopes for this book to serve as a guide for a positive, fun, futsal experience. Niko's aim is to keep adding content and address various futsal benefits and challenges for the new coaches that enter the wonderful, fast, high scoring world of futsal. Is it his mission that everyone understands how important it is to abandon the status quo training practices and adopt habits that US Soccer is mandating and following FIFA's world initiative on making futsal the key development tool in soccer. Coach Niko 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. Arguably the current best American player playing on the international elite stage with one of the world's elite clubs, English Premier Chelsea, scored against Man City and had numerous other chances as the top player for his side in a match that saw Chelsea beat Man City 2-1 and subsequently dethrone them as premiership champions, allowing Liverpool to claim it's first Premier League title in 30 years. Why is the presence of Christian Pulisic in the Elite World Class Soccer Leagues so important? Let's face it there have been other American players that have played in the German Bundesliga and the English Premier League. And although that is true there has never been an American player transferred from the German top league to the English premier league for a record $73 Million which makes him the most expensive US Soccer Player Ever. Christian joined German Powerhouse Dortmund at 16 years of age and at 17 he was promoted to the first team where he became a starter. At the age of 20 Christian was transferred to Chelsea as he becomes the youngest most expensive American player ever, and look for him to become a protagonist at Chelsea, the Premier League and the US National Team. What does this have to do with futsal you ask? Young Christian at the age of eight moved from PA, where he was born, to Detroit as his dad Mark, would coach the Detroit Ignition in the Major Indoor Soccer League. Christian is able to hang around the team where players, many Brazilians, show him moves and tricks. Young Christian proceeds to practice those moves every chance he gets on his own at his house backyard until he had mastered them. Christian's dad, Mark, was aware that many of the world's top most creative players didn't grow up playing soccer like youth players do in the USA. Young South American players spend their early years playing futsal. At the young ages of 3 or 4 to 10 or 11 young players get more touches on the ball subconsciously become quicker and more imaginative in a futsal setting. Christian's dad knew this as he also knew that for his son to become an elite technical player, learning tricks and moves from his team's Brazilian players was not enough. He had to replicate those Brazilian players' development experience in full. The problem was that there were no futsal leagues in Detroit. Since no other options existed, Mark Pulisic founded the first futsal league in Detroit, where three basketball courts existed at the indoor facility where his indoor Ignition team trained. It was a bold out of the ordinary move to create an entire league just to develop Christian's skills. Christian credits futsal as the key that improved his technical skills and his ability to work in tight spaces. How important is what Mark Pulisic did not only for his son but for all the other young Detroit players? By the time Christian made his first appearance as a 15 year old player with the youth national team, the U.S. Soccer Federation would make futsal mandatory in the Development Academy. “Why play futsal over soccer at the youth levels? Why train in a futsal environment?” Futsal develops top level soccer players. That is the bottom line. You can take it to the bank. You can view Pulisic highlights and goal below |
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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