Futsal: the Future of US Soccer?

[antifan]

I've been thinking about this recently so i figured i'd start a thread. One of the problems in the expansion of the USA's talent pool has been the lack of soccerfields in urban areas. Futsal was developed to be played on basketball courts, which are pretty prevalent in the same area without soccer pitches. I wonder if the USSF or MLS has looked into investing in starting youth Futsal leagues in major cities like NY, LA, Chicago, etc. I think it might be the best, and perhaps only way to get city kids into the sport of soccer. Any thoughts?

[elbita]

as a coach in chicago, i can vouch for the lack of good fields. there are quite a few fields in the city, it's just that most of the non-turf fields are horrendous. some of the best teams in the city practice and play games on fields that you wouldn't wish on anyone - fields so bumpy you think you're going to bust an ankle or knee just running around, manholes, overlapping softball infields, etc.

chicago has several turf fields, but they are often hard to get on due to their being private or very popular or somewhat expensive to rent.

i'm trying to schedule all of our games away because we don't have a good field nearby.

i was thinking about futsal too, but i was thinking about doing it in the winter in the gym. might be tough to work around basketball's schedule.

[feyenoordsoccerfan]

as a coach in chicago, i can vouch for the lack of good fields. there are quite a few fields in the city, it's just that most of the non-turf fields are horrendous. some of the best teams in the city practice and play games on fields that you wouldn't wish on anyone - fields so bumpy you think you're going to bust an ankle or knee just running around, manholes, overlapping softball infields, etc.

chicago has several turf fields, but they are often hard to get on due to their being private or very popular or somewhat expensive to rent.

i'm trying to schedule all of our games away because we don't have a good field nearby.

i was thinking about futsal too, but i was thinking about doing it in the winter in the gym. might be tough to work around basketball's schedule.

But those who survive these pitfalls end up with superior ball handling qualities, just like the Brasilians and the Dutch do by playing in the streets. Don't they play soccer in the streets in the USA? Surely you have streets that donot have 24-7 rush hour traffic, do you? Lack of fields is a lame excuse. Make the best of what you've got. Johan Cruyff complained that kids play too little soccer in the street, thus hampering the development of their ball handling skills. You notice he didnot call for more soccer fields, of which we do have an abundance of anyway.

[JohnR]

But those who survive these pitfalls end up with superior ball handling qualities, just like the Brasilians and the Dutch do by playing in the streets.

Hmmm. The streets are smooth. I saw Spaniards playing in the streets of Barcelona, and on dust fields. Flat & fast. Like a hardcourt futsal field. Places a premium on a soft, soft touch and close control. Permits a short passing game and dribbling. That's good.

Chicago's city fields? Playing soccer on a baseball diamond, chasing the ball up the pitcher's mound. Glass on the ground. Holes in which you could break an ankle. Very hard to dribble at speed because the ball hits a bump and jumps in the air. Promotes long ball and 50/50 challenges because possession is so hard to maintain. That's bad.

So there's street and then there's street.

[ChancellorElmer]

Many of the Brazilians started out playing futsal, I think that the US should invest more in youth leagues b/c futsal allows more kids to get involved in soccer.

[Fulham Fan]

Just play (or practice) on outdoor basketball courts. You can play with an old ball that you don't mind scuffing or a rubber ball. The important thing is to get kids into a smaller area and make them concentrate on control. Make the goal very small and have no goalkeeper (you could just make the goal a t-shirt the players have to hit - some players become very sharp by aiming at that). I played on basketball courts and it was really enjoyable and formative when I was a kid. I played twice as much on courts as on a field. I think outdoor courts are safer than the slick indoor ones (strictly a personal opinion). Never let money get in the way of this sport.

[Pandy Flapjack]

as a coach in chicago, i can vouch for the lack of good fields. there are quite a few fields in the city, it's just that most of the non-turf fields are horrendous. some of the best teams in the city practice and play games on fields that you wouldn't wish on anyone - fields so bumpy you think you're going to bust an ankle or knee just running around, manholes, overlapping softball infields, etc.

chicago has several turf fields, but they are often hard to get on due to their being private or very popular or somewhat expensive to rent.

i'm trying to schedule all of our games away because we don't have a good field nearby.

i was thinking about futsal too, but i was thinking about doing it in the winter in the gym. might be tough to work around basketball's schedule.
Sorry if this response is bit off target.

Not to be disrespectful but instead of looking for US Soccer or MLS to spring for groomed fields maybe we should look to Home Depot for brooms, shovels and rakes. Pot holes can be filled, glass can be picked up, fields can be graded, courts can be swept.

Growing up my friends and I converted a vacant lot into our soccer field this way and the cost was minimal. We also worked on our league field weekly by filling the worn areas around the goals, filling holes, picking up glass and trash. Our dedication to game increased as we took ownership of "our field". Get active, get local sponsors and support your own "Habitat for Soccer".

[Galaxian]

We play indoor soccer for my high school team when is it raining , or if the coach just decides to . its gets you thinking a lot faster and you have to make your passes very precise or else they will get intercepted .

In urban areas there are a lot more areas to play a futsal - ish game and that might be a good way to get more kids playing in these areas .

[cpwilson80]

I much prefer Futsal to indoor. The temptation to kick the ball off the walls is just too much for kids, and indoor doesn't stress control the way futsal does.

[Ringo]

Don't they play soccer in the streets in the USA?


no. soccer is an orgainze suburban sport here for kids (generally speaking). pickup soccer, ESPECIALLY soccer in the streets just doesn't happen.

It would be neat to see. but it ain't happening now.

[drew_VT_6]

The real issue is getting kids interested in going out to play. If they really want to play, they'll go play wherever they can.

[Sport Billy]

I much prefer Futsal to indoor. The temptation to kick the ball off the walls is just too much for kids, and indoor doesn't stress control the way futsal does.

Amen
I coach - I have the kids playing Futsal during the winter - just practices no league

[sidefootsitter]

Hmmm. The streets are smooth. I saw Spaniards playing in the streets of Barcelona, and on dust fields. Flat & fast. Like a hardcourt futsal field. Places a premium on a soft, soft touch and close control. Permits a short passing game and dribbling. That's good... A lot of pick-up games like that are also 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 with a "neutral" goalkeeper (if there's actually a goal to begin with). That eliminates the "kick and chase" style entirely.

I also recall playing a 5-on-5 soccer on the dance boards (cheap wooden planks) with a team handball size goal. At that point, you're lucky to have a milisecond on the ball because the field is so crowded, so you play one-touch-pass and shoot on goal from any angle, hoping for a rebound, a redirection or a GK gaffe. (aaah, good times)

However, I would have loved to play on the current generation artificial pitch. USSF should really work with the local high school districts and various sponsors to build the mixed-use football/soccer FieldTurf type sports complexes.

[JRstriker12]

I've actually seen a few Futsal courts in the DC/VA area. I think there are one or two futsal courts in Arlington and I noticed one in an apartment complex in Herndon. Funny thing is, when ever I go to play pick-up soccer, everyone goes for the rutted, durty fields instead of the futsal courts. Part of the problem is that we tend to have about 20+ people show up.

A local indoor sports place also offers American style indoor soccer and futsal leagues. For the most part, the players go for American Style indoor. Even seen Marco Ethceverry playing indoor instead of futsal.

Have to say, after I saw the Ginga show with Robinho and Falko playing Futsal, I may try playing in the futsal league this year.

To go back to the point, I think having a more futsal courts would induce more kids to play. Think about it. A lot of soccer fields that the averege kid can play on are in bad shape - rutted fields, goals with no nets, etc. Having nice futsal courts with nets and everything would probably encourage kids to go there more often. Also, I think the problem with saying "just play on a b-ball court" won't work very well over here as most people on a b-ball court are playing b-ball. Plus we son't have the type of soccer culture yet that makes anyone want to turn a b-ball court into a soccer field.

[rollo]

I've been thinking about this recently so i figured i'd start a thread. One of the problems in the expansion of the USA's talent pool has been the lack of soccerfields in urban areas. Futsal was developed to be played on basketball courts, which are pretty prevalent in the same area without soccer pitches. I wonder if the USSF or MLS has looked into investing in starting youth Futsal leagues in major cities like NY, LA, Chicago, etc. I think it might be the best, and perhaps only way to get city kids into the sport of soccer. Any thoughts?

Awesome idea. Add to it soccer tennis on the tennis courts - thats a lot of fun too and the tennis courts are usually empty and lit. We discovered this when we got tired of playing in the light on the edge of the tennis courts and went inside instead.

[TheRightPants]

Here is an interesting alternative:

http://www.lakefrontsoccer.com/mercy.htm

I don't know about the financial commitment of constructing and maintaining an indoor/turf facility. In Chicago, where the winters are pretty brutal, indoor play without the indoor rules offers an attractive alternative. The obvious downside is getting access to the field, which proves to be pretty competetive. And this particular field wouldn't support a traditionally sized 11v11 match. Again, not sure how popular these places are, but the idea is out there.

[wyastarr]

Huge votes for Futsal... In Chicago there's a place on Clark, between Montrose and Lawrence (I think, I haven't lived there for a few years).

However, screw the kids, this is selfish. In most cities, indoor US style fields are prohibatively expensive to build/maintain (would you put an indoor soccer facility on a square block of urban land if you could afford the land?). So for us geezers it's either pony up a lot of coin to play late at night or drive out to the 'burbs (where you still pony up a lot of money).

The place mentioned above is just a storefront joint. Some guy gutted the building and tossed in two futsal courts. Friends and I would rent them for two hours (complete with scoreboard--which nobody knew how to work). I think economics will bring futsal to the fore. It's such a great workout, you touch the ball all the time. Oy! This is bringing back memories.

I hate the penchant in US pick-up games to aim for full-field 11 v. 11. It's so inane. Who the hell wants to play goalie? Stupid stupid stupid.

[Chummer]

...I wonder if the USSF or MLS has looked into investing in starting youth Futsal leagues in major cities like NY, LA, Chicago, etc. I think it might be the best, and perhaps only way to get city kids into the sport of soccer. Any thoughts?

www.joga.com Nike sponsored joga3 all summer and got tremendous turn out at their tournaments...

[USAin2006]

I've thought the exact same thing myself. I play soccer and Aussie rules in NYC and getting a permit is an absolute bitch. There are lots of nice Field Turf fields now, so it's not a matter of field quality...it's a matter of field availability! And in Manhattan, most of these nice new fields are below 96th St. So tough to score a permit. And then there's the small matter of winter weather. OTOH, there are both indoor and asphalt basketball courts all over the city.

Excellent idea!

[AndSomeAreAngels]

In Europe and South America, all the basketball courts double as futsal courts.

Just stick a small goal by each hoop.

What I would give for more of these types of courts here in the U.S. They're so much fun to play on.