Futsal
Why can’t we play futsal?
- The Boot Room
- 14 November 2019
With winter weather looming, The Boot Room explores why it could be beneficial for you to take training indoors in order to play futsal.
There are hundreds if not thousands of games cancelled each season because of pitches that are unsuitable to play on during the winter months. This situation occurs every year and yet, often it’s just accepted and nothing is done about it. This begs the question, why?
A cultural change is needed to adapt to this situation.
‘Toughen them up’Futsal is played in a smaller space, to lines and at a faster speed. This means there are more physical contacts, 1v1 confrontations and opportunities to develop techniques, skills and movements that are perfectly appropriate for Foundation Phase players.
This environment will toughen players up and get them used to contact. Resilient and resourceful players are needed (and futsal will challenge the players to get better at this) but it’s also important to develop skilful, technical players who make great decisions in the game.
Toughness alone will not win the World Cup, and futsal is a game that will challenge the players in all the areas we need to focus on: technique, decision-making, tactical awareness to name but a few.
“They have to play in the cold when they’re older” Yes, the players do – eventually – but that’s when they’re older. Young children aren’t as tolerant to changes in temperature as adults, so they’re affected more by these extremes.
When they grow and mature, playing outside in the cold will be very appropriate but remember they're children – take them indoors so that the focus can be upon technique, movement and decision-making and not on keeping warm.
“It will make adults out of them”The process of childhood is to allow time and space for the gradual transition from being a child into a mature and well-balanced adult. There’s no need to “make adults” of our children. It goes against the natural order of things and may mean that vital learning and development is missed out.
We always seem to be in a rush to get the players doing what comes next. Instead, maximise the development that’s possible now. Missing weeks and months of the season due to the weather isn’t maximising development time.
The England DNA and developing playersDeveloping the individual ability of each player is an absolute priority in the Foundation Phase and futsal will help in a number of ways.
The smooth, flat surface that increases the speed of the ball will provide different challenges to the players, as will the heavier weighted ball. These different constraints will help refine their skills and techniques. The environment indoors allows for concentrated practise if new ideas are being introduced, and if the coach needs to take a little extra time explaining things, the wind, rain and cold cannot affect levels of concentration or the pace of the session.
There will be times when the players are outside in the cold, and that will allow for lots of high tempo activities and games on a different surface. Playing inside allows time for focused practices and games in a smaller space, to different rules and on a fast, smooth surface. The players need both experiences in the Foundation Phase, but futsal can be a better development tool to use in the winter.
To learn more about Foundation Phase DNA, click here.
