Futsol v other winter sport

[Anonymous]

Balancing younger kid interest burnout v soccer skill building: in past most on our team switch to basketball, but a coach pushing futsol this year. One description said is really different from soccer because it’s inside, smaller “field” and faster paced to work more technical skills. Have your kids felt it was different enough for a winter sport change-up?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think most coaches really understand futsal. It really becomes more of just indoor soccer. That being said, it can be a fun experience because it is a faster game with more goals.

[Anonymous]

What about wrestling? That’s a winter sport.

[Anonymous]

We skipped futsal the first few years but now love it. Commitment is pretty low for it. Kids also ski and play basketball in the winter.

[Anonymous]

We do both - basketball is just 1 practice a week and one game, and futsal is game-only. It gives them a lot of touches and improves reaction time. If you don’t need that or your player is getting burned out on Fall practices, I’d skip it so they can have renewed interest in the spring.

[Anonymous]

Have a u9 and club is offering a futsal team. Undecided if we want to do it because I think he would get better training elsewhere during the winter and it feels like a money grab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have a u9 and club is offering a futsal team. Undecided if we want to do it because I think he would get better training elsewhere during the winter and it feels like a money grab.

Sounds like Bethesda. Skip and find an actual futsal program.

[Anonymous]

Futsal run by your club that does not have its own organic futsal staff is usually a money grab. Outdoor coaches have no idea how to coach futsal. We went to LMVSC's 'futsal clinic' last year run by their tech director and he showed up with size 4 futsal balls for the u10-u8 kids. ugh. They had no idea what they were doing, just treated it as in indoor skills clinic.

We played it at u9 and the ball went out of bounds so much. It was highly frustrating.

But yes, make sure not do another sport (like basketball), which would be better than inexperienced futsal money grabs the clubs run.

We have friends who have played a ton of futsal, by u12 there kid has showed very little improvement over the non-futsal kids. Im not sure the kids kid much out of it at the lower level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Futsal run by your club that does not have its own organic futsal staff is usually a money grab. Outdoor coaches have no idea how to coach futsal. We went to LMVSC's 'futsal clinic' last year run by their tech director and he showed up with size 4 futsal balls for the u10-u8 kids. ugh. They had no idea what they were doing, just treated it as in indoor skills clinic.

We played it at u9 and the ball went out of bounds so much. It was highly frustrating.

But yes, make sure not do another sport (like basketball), which would be better than inexperienced futsal money grabs the clubs run.

We have friends who have played a ton of futsal, by u12 there kid has showed very little improvement over the non-futsal kids. Im not sure the kids kid much out of it at the lower level.

Sorry typos. I was trying to say,"... make sure to do another winter sport, like basketball..."

[Anonymous]

I would say do it for fun if it would be fun for your kid. Dont do it expecting large skills improvement. We do it because my kid likes being around bis teammates in the winter. There is time for another sport as well, futsal is only 1x week.

[Anonymous]

Yeah ours would be busy with another sport plus would still have soccer training. The biggest thing we are worried about is if they dont do it is it looked at negatively. I would hope not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah ours would be busy with another sport plus would still have soccer training. The biggest thing we are worried about is if they dont do it is it looked at negatively. I would hope not

I definitely don’t think it’s viewed negatively. Most coaches realize how important it is for the younger players to take a winter/ summer break and try other sports.

[Anonymous]

One of our kids is doing select (county) basketball for the first time this year, which will be a bigger commitment than rec. We have not gotten any info yet about futsal, so not sure whether both will be possible. Hoping to make it all work, but if it's not possible will just do soccer training outside of the club on a day(s) that doesn't conflict with basketball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah ours would be busy with another sport plus would still have soccer training. The biggest thing we are worried about is if they dont do it is it looked at negatively. I would hope not

I definitely don’t think it’s viewed negatively. Most coaches realize how important it is for the younger players to take a winter/ summer break and try other sports.

Why?
Why is it important. Please be specific.

[Anonymous]

There is value in multi sport athletes expose them to other sports during winter and reduce soccer, 1x time futsal 1x team practice during winter. take a winter break end of Dec. Any other sport will be useful and hopefully fun.