Starting a futsal league for kids

[NSSoccer]

As I have mentionned in other parts of the forum, I am starting a new football program in a rural area I just moved to. At the moment, there is no program at all for kids to play/practice soccer. In order to gauge interest and begin building a soccer base in the area, I would like to aim kids from 7-10 years old. Here is what I was thinking:

-Co-ed teams of 7 or 8 (4 teams or more), with rostering based on first session - "try-out" for lack of a better word (no cuts)

-Involve older youths by getting them to coach these teams (1 male +1 female per team)

-First 30 minutes of each session is combined warm-up and practice to teach fundementals (I will lead this session until coaches are adequately trained)

-Last 30 minutes would be a game, score is not tallied - emphasis put on development and having fun

-End of season tournament/festival

-Every player receives jersey and ball with registration

-Registration costs MINIMAL

If I get enough interest, I could do the same with youths (but NOT co-ed).

Any thoughts? More importantly, any tips on how to get this to work? I am not educated in futsal, so any help would be appreciated. I have been doing lots of research but I would like to here some first hand experiences to help me make this work.

Thanks!

[Trillium]

As I have mentionned in other parts of the forum, I am starting a new football program in a rural area I just moved to. At the moment, there is no program at all for kids to play/practice soccer. In order to gauge interest and begin building a soccer base in the area, I would like to aim kids from 7-10 years old. Here is what I was thinking:

-Co-ed teams of 7 or 8 (4 teams or more), with rostering based on first session - "try-out" for lack of a better word (no cuts)

-Involve older youths by getting them to coach these teams (1 male +1 female per team)

-First 30 minutes of each session is combined warm-up and practice to teach fundementals (I will lead this session until coaches are adequately trained)

-Last 30 minutes would be a game, score is not tallied - emphasis put on development and having fun

-End of season tournament/festival

-Every player receives jersey and ball with registration

-Registration costs MINIMAL

If I get enough interest, I could do the same with youths (but NOT co-ed).

Any thoughts? More importantly, any tips on how to get this to work? I am not educated in futsal, so any help would be appreciated. I have been doing lots of research but I would like to here some first hand experiences to help me make this work.

Thanks!

Get the population stats from Stats Canada.... look at the ages you interested in .... that will tell you if you need coed or single sex.

PM me if you want some more concrete understandings of building a small rural area program .. i.e. 30 X 40 kilometers area with under 10k population.

Remember you can have 10% or more penetration to your market.

[tmcmurph]

While I love your plan I would suggest a much shorter practice and more play time. We are talking kids here and having coached them for a decade you will not keep their attention for anything approaching 30 minutes. You'll be lucky if they aren't gone after 5. Limit it to one item per session and at most 10 minutes. 5 minute explain & 5 minute practice. Okay now go play and tire yourselves out!

Example: Hitting the ball with the inside of the foot. Give the reasons (accuracy & consistency), give the down side (less power than a toe-hack). Have them practice hitting it to each other and encourage them to try both feet.

If you can get them to at least try the correct technique you are already way ahead. After that let the game be the teacher.

For the young kids keep the rules simple: no hands unless you are the keeper, no slide tackles and the most important one for development is "if you hit it over the line the other team gets it, so play fair and don't make me come over there!"

Good luck and keep us posted.

PS. Make sure you use a real futsal ball and not one of the over sized tennis balls.

[NSSoccer]

http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1216&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&Data=Count&SearchText=Richmond&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_County,_Nova_Scotia

It is definitely rural.

Trillium - I have to disagree about only a few minutes of practice. I have also been coaching for a decade, since I was 15, shattered my femur and learned to love a different facet of the game...teaching it. I have found that it is easier to "just let them play" but not what is best for their development. You have to make them enjoy training and bettering themselves. Let them play short games where the reward is to achieve development goals (dribbling, juggling, passing and shooting accurately, etc.)

With young kids you obviously can't be monotonous or drag it out. I agree that short instructions are key, but let them work on individual skills and get more touches on the ball. Once they have attained goals on a personal level, let them run around with their friends and show those skills off.

Cheers and thanks for any help and tips

[tmcmurph]

http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1216&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&Data=Count&SearchText=Richmond&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_County,_Nova_Scotia

It is definitely rural.

tmcmurph - I have to disagree about only a few minutes of practice. I have also been coaching for a decade, since I was 15, shattered my femur and learned to love a different facet of the game...teaching it. I have found that it is easier to "just let them play" but not what is best for their development. You have to make them enjoy training and bettering themselves. Let them play short games where the reward is to achieve development goals (dribbling, juggling, passing and shooting accurately, etc.)

With young kids you obviously can't be monotonous or drag it out. I agree that short instructions are key, but let them work on individual skills and get more touches on the ball. Once they have attained goals on a personal level, let them run around with their friends and show those skills off.

Cheers and thanks for any help and tips

If it is to be taught make a game out of it! That is from the book "The Talent Code". That is what makes futsal so great as a dev tool. While playing they are learning all the things you suggest (dribbling, passing, shooting, juggling) but they are learning it in a situation where someone is trying to take the ball away from them so they learn other things like shielding the ball, judgement on how open a player is and making quick decisions. The feedback is instant and the time until you get to try it again is short.

If you are playing them in shifts it gets easier. Give them instruction and practice while they catch their breath and drink some water. They pay attention more when tired or winded.

I know what you are saying about enjoying practice but make everything a game and competition and try to get them to beat their own scores not the other kids. The good don't get complacent and the bad don't get depressed.

[Trillium]

http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=1216&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&Data=Count&SearchText=Richmond&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_County,_Nova_Scotia

It is definitely rural.

Trillium - I have to disagree about only a few minutes of practice. I have also been coaching for a decade, since I was 15, shattered my femur and learned to love a different facet of the game...teaching it. I have found that it is easier to "just let them play" but not what is best for their development. You have to make them enjoy training and bettering themselves. Let them play short games where the reward is to achieve development goals (dribbling, juggling, passing and shooting accurately, etc.)

With young kids you obviously can't be monotonous or drag it out. I agree that short instructions are key, but let them work on individual skills and get more touches on the ball. Once they have attained goals on a personal level, let them run around with their friends and show those skills off.

Cheers and thanks for any help and tips

Think you mixed up TmCmurph's post .... with me, I doubt I would ever say less training more games.....

So stats give you an approximate market size..if you get your four teams at under 7 and four teams at under 9, with maxium ten players per team ... more likely eight .... you will have a market of 64 players and some 15% of youth in the community... that would be a solid start.

I think you want to have an adult coach, ( let the game teach ) and have your younger student coaches do the training, using rotational training stations.. 45 minutes if the time skate canada Canskate programs run with skaters on ice... I think if you identify skills ... and award batches or print of certificates .. for players as they achieve a test goal for the skill in your training you will get a good response.

A quick look at the county brochure ....seems like its a soccer free zone .. and a futsall free one, you might want to try to get four teams going at the high school level.... male and female.... and see how that flies, work the school phy ed teacher and try to make it a intramural program.

good luck

[alberta white]

So I though I'd add a note to this thread.

Just before Christmas a couple of my sons (I have numerous) asked me if they could organise a school soccer team for tem. I said that if they and their friends felt strongly about it they should petition the Principal. They did (okay I helped a little). With over 50 names on the Petition (over 20 of who suggested playing) the Principal was so taken with the Idea that he saw fit to sanction a soccer club as an afterschool programme meaning that Insurance and administration could be co-ordinated via the school. This has meant that the programme can be offed at no cost, other than the kids bringing appropriate kit. This been shinnies and indoor shoes, socks and Shorts. Once established Tee's with numbers can be arranged, in consultation with parents.

As the gym has a full size Handall Court and Goals, as of 5th April, St Thomas Aquinas Junior High, in Spruce Grove alberta will have a School Futsal Club.

We are starting with about 20 players (grades 7 and 8) which allows us to use "Old Skool" School house colours. RED BLUE GREEN and YELLOW, or George Andrew Patrick and David if you prefer. (hey where do you think JK Rowling got the Idea from?). Colours are given out on a weekly basis in radom order, so as not to develop cliques. Futsal rules apply and we will be running 2 goals up, winners stays on, Or the games is timed out after 15 mins. Doing this rotation allows as many players to get ball time over a 90 minute session. Coaching techniquies and advice will be offered/ given on the fly.

Remember people, whilst I know not all Principals would be so forthcoming, It might be worth checking out your kids school Gym to see if it has a handball court laid out. you never know when your Kids may bend your ear in the same manner.

[Macksam]

Remember people, whilst I know not all Principals would be so forthcoming, It might be worth checking out your kids school Gym to see if it has a handball court laid out. you never know when your Kids may bend your ear in the same manner.

Every school has a basketball court, which would suffice.

[alberta white]

Every school has a basketball court, which would suffice.

Well yes, to get going at a pick up level .

However, to clarify, a Handball court has the exact same markings and Goals as a Futsal court.

Ergo, if your school Gym is equiped for handball then you can play organised futsal.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Can I throw in a few things, since my kid played school futsal 3 years before moving up to 7 then 11 a side. And I go to watch pro futsal regularly.

My first suggestion would be to actually watch a futsal match. I am not sure many here have. Watch two or three. Then think it through again.

You are right about the court and your idea about the ball being out is right on, teach them to regulate themselves to a point as if playing pick-up. But you still need a ref who knows the rules, otherwise you are simply going to allow talent to get hacked. Use a futsal ball and a size smaller than pro if you can find one (Penalty is a known brand).

There is a clear conclusion to make if you are starting kids say under 10 or 11 in futsal: ignore pro tactics, they are too complicated. The rotating four system is hard to learn and obliges kids to play all positions. Just set the kids up in a 1-2-2, or if they are small even add a player, play 5 out players, it can't hurt, 1-2-2-1 is easy. Logically for proper numbers you want 2 defenders a mid and a striker, that is the simplest way to do it, but have the defenders take all out balls and corners, a way to move them up the court.

More fundamentally: teach basic football skills. First, passing to the foot and controls, plus dribbling and shooting. Both feet are key, often a quick play requires a pass or shot with the wrong foot as there is no space to go to the better one. I say train properly and play a bit at first, not the opposite.

Do not need to worry about conditioning nor passing into space nor heading. Let them live with the ball on their feet. Also teach defensive positioning, blocking shots is very important in futsal. Train your keeper specifically, it is a hard position, shots are taken very close and can sting so you need a brave one to be in there, and the keeper needs reflexes, often foot kick-out reactions that are more like handball or even hockey. It is very important to properly warm up a keeper in futsal.

I do not understand the logic of the format you are proposing. I believe in letting kids win and lose. Maybe I don't understand. If you have a lot of kids and need to get them all in, play 2 ten minute periods, and allow subbing just like in pro futsal, on the go. Then you can get more kids playing and don't have to play such short games, that is no fun. If one team is way better just mix players up to balance them out. A team of 8-9 players is not out of the question. My opinion.

Futsal works perfectly well mixed, I have seen plenty of girls matching the boys at under 10 or 11 with no problem. Only after 12-13 does it make sense to split them up.

Have fun.

[alberta white]

Thanks for the interest UT,

All your points are salient . Not able to watch many live games out here, but I have been keeping up to speed with the FA's website which is showing Futsal competitions and there are many online I have directed the kids/parents to watch; mainly so they get a handel on it not been arena boarded soccer.

I also played FUTSAL as a keeper at this level (U12-U14) back in the England so thats a speciality of mine.

In essence were playing a form of extracirricual pick-up, as an alternate/ additional to the Community and Elite which is ongoing at the time. We have about 20 bodies and a time slot of abot 90mins before the hall is turned over for "Grown up activities Hench getting as much turn". Thankfully the age range is Grade 7 and 8. and most of the Kids, have basic skills or at least a knowledge of them. This will allow us to let play develop but give us the options to intoduce some skill drills with the players who are off court.

We only have a short window for the programme so we'll have to combine much of the technique/ skills into the playing time. Thankfully one of the sports teachers locked into what we were doing and started using his games lessons to get the cohort familiar with the handbal-futsal court.

Mainly were looking to let the games develop ad hoc/post hoc but keeping them within the rules as laid down in the Futsal handbook Thankfully I'm up to speed with the reffing part, as is the other main co-ordinator.

We'll keep you posted.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Thanks for the interest UT,

All your points are salient . Not able to watch many live games out here, but I have been keeping up to speed with the FA's website which is showing Futsal competitions and there are many online I have directed the kids/parents to watch; mainly so they get a handel on it not been arena boarded soccer.

I also played FUTSAL as a keeper at this level (U12-U14) back in the England so thats a speciality of mine.

In essence were playing a form of extracirricual pick-up, as an alternate/ additional to the Community and Elite which is ongoing at the time. We have about 20 bodies and a time slot of abot 90mins before the hall is turned over for "Grown up activities Hench getting as much turn". Thankfully the age range is Grade 7 and 8. and most of the Kids, have basic skills or at least a knowledge of them. This will allow us to let play develop but give us the options to intoduce some skill drills with the players who are off court.

We only have a short window for the programme so we'll have to combine much of the technique/ skills into the playing time. Thankfully one of the sports teachers locked into what we were doing and started using his games lessons to get the cohort familiar with the handbal-futsal court.

Mainly were looking to let the games develop ad hoc/post hoc but keeping them within the rules as laid down in the Futsal handbook Thankfully I'm up to speed with the reffing part, as is the other main co-ordinator.

We'll keep you posted.

If you've played proper futsal then I'll just shut up, you know what's up. I thought the casual arrangment was due to other reasons, not necessity. Hope it works well for you.

[alberta white]

Thanks , much appreciated. Any suggestions are appreciated though.

[alberta white]

So as an update we are continuing to maintain a healthy 14-20 bodies each week. some float in and out depending on their tier commitments but in general we are seeing a general level of decent play. One or two turned up for the "something to do on a friday" craic. However these are the most pleasing individuals as they are turning up regular. They are very much involved and skill levels which were about Zero at the start are exponentially improving.

[Soju]

Great to hear about people taking initiatives to grow the game like this, well done.

[alberta white]

All we need now is for the school over the road to put a team together and we'll have a school futsal association;)