Anonymous
01/16/2026 14:56
Subject: Thoughts on futsal for current u12
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.
This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.
If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.
If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.
Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.
I think that you will find all of the elite U12 players in the DMV are playing structured futsal on teams in very structured tournaments. This is a comment made with zero experience and very foolish. Do not listen to this “advice”.
I think your definition of elite is too local and broad, D1 ain’t it. You do you.
Elite is not D1. I’m talking academy kids. If you think academy kids aren’t playing futsal then you are only confirming how little you know.
So I said elite, and you said elite, but you meant Academy...so you quibbled about something, said I was commenting with zero experience, etc, but were talking about two different levels of player... Got it.Have a nice day.
Ok…you got me?? If that makes sense to you then happy Friday.
Ignoring your attempt at an off-ramp, elite players play futsal at an organized and serious level. Contrary to the “advice” provided. That was backed up by an absurd comment that it takes two years to unscrew futsal haha. Get lost and stop spreading garbage.
Anonymous
01/16/2026 13:07
Subject: Thoughts on futsal for current u12
As long as your kid isn't playing only futsal, the transition should be fine. Benefits outweigh the cons until U12/U13, then futsal should really just be used as a complement to full field (winter training, etc.). Benefits also are position specific (wingers and creative midfielders benefit more than defenders). Overall, the more touches the better, right?
Anonymous
01/16/2026 12:26
Subject: Thoughts on futsal for current u12
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.
This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.
If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.
If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.
Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.
Talk more about it taking 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. Can you unpack that a bit? What habits and skills do they have to unlearn?
Im genuinely trying to learn and want to know more about this perspective.
TBH, you can do your own research on this. The poster above worshipping futsal is competitively not something you'd want to disabuse, especially in a compact high competition geography like the DMV.
That said, here are a few areas that require retraining from kids at the elite level that fail to exit futsal early enough (usually by 12): Vision, Running, Passing, Movement, Receiving. And it does takes 2 years to give the kid time to be fully read for 14's demands at the elite level and 11v11 and adjust to the PHV changes at the same time.
Anonymous
01/16/2026 12:19
Subject: Thoughts on futsal for current u12
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.
This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.
If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.
If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.
Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.
I think that you will find all of the elite U12 players in the DMV are playing structured futsal on teams in very structured tournaments. This is a comment made with zero experience and very foolish. Do not listen to this “advice”.
I think your definition of elite is too local and broad, D1 ain’t it. You do you.
Elite is not D1. I’m talking academy kids. If you think academy kids aren’t playing futsal then you are only confirming how little you know.
So I said elite, and you said elite, but you meant Academy...so you quibbled about something, said I was commenting with zero experience, etc, but were talking about two different levels of player... Got it.
Have a nice day.
Anonymous
01/16/2026 08:43
Subject: Thoughts on futsal for current u12
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.
This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.
If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.
If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.
Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.
Talk more about it taking 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. Can you unpack that a bit? What habits and skills do they have to unlearn?
Im genuinely trying to learn and want to know more about this perspective.
Anonymous
01/16/2026 08:41
Subject: Thoughts on futsal for current u12
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Last year, my son played futsal for the first time as a u11 and absolutely loved it. This year, the technical director in our regular outdoor academy recommended that u12 not do futsal because they will begin playing 11 a side in the spring. He believes it may counter productive to go from a tiny space to a huge field. The argument is legit, however we still signed up for futsal because its fun and my boy has no illusions on going pro.
I wonder what is everyone's opinion.
I know this is purely circumstantial but I listed to an interview by the now retired Brazilian Marcelo from Real Madrid and he mentioned that he played only futsal until the age of 15, then started playing outdoors.
This entirely depends on your son’s outdoor level of play.
If he is elite, then futsal should at most be for fun when out of season with zero structure.
If he is not elite, do whatever, just have fun.
Numerous reasons why at u12 and older futsal is a huge net negative for outdoor play. But take-home is that it takes 2 years to untrain futsal for outdoor players. And age 14 is a big year for elite players.
I think that you will find all of the elite U12 players in the DMV are playing structured futsal on teams in very structured tournaments. This is a comment made with zero experience and very foolish. Do not listen to this “advice”.
I think your definition of elite is too local and broad, D1 ain’t it. You do you.
Elite is not D1. I’m talking academy kids. If you think academy kids aren’t playing futsal then you are only confirming how little you know.