Our club just registered U12G, U13G, and U14G teams with NCSL/St. James futsal league. Should be fun!

My boys, 14 and 11, absolutely love Futsal. They play for fun every winter. My older one would love to do more of it year round, but with outdoor schedule there isn't much time.

FWIW, when they were younger they preferred indoor soccer---where the ball never went out and you could do wall ball passes, bang off board, etc. But, by 5th grade they much preferred Futsal. They both have really great ball skill so that is probably why.

There are so many more touches in Futsal and it is more action-packed then outdoor because the scoring can change so quickly---like basketball. It makes it much more fun to try and get in a buzzer beater.

They have played some big Club teams where those teams consisted of launching the Futsal ball as hard as they could and running. It doesn't translate as well on the Futsal court. The kids/parents I know that hate Futsal, hate it because they/their kids can't keep the ball in bounds due to lack of good touch.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are talking bad but can’t deny that Puma Elite did in fact win state cup on every level for girls

But not with many if any outside kids.

Haters will hate

The person asking is not with FCV. Their kid will likely not make a top FCV futsal team. Not hate, just reality. FCV futsal is good if you are in FCV other than that it is mostly a money grab.

+1. Very few clubs participate in competitive futsal. Winning State Cup is nothing to brag about when nobody bothers with it.

Says kick and run parent.

No, really, past a certain age competitive futsal just isn't worth it. The gains made on the technical side of the ball become minimal and the tactical aspect of futsal offers little value to 11v11 soccer. By 15 play futsal or soccer.

Well put. But that’s not what you originally said (if you were previous poster). And most top players who are younger are playing. Kick and run players and parents hate it. And if you think the ability to think and play in tight spaces is something that matters less over time, stop watching MLS and watch better soccer.

+1 Yes. Agree 1000%

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different person here.
I disagree with your assessment that kick and run players dont hate futsal. They might like to play but they dont like the technical aspect required to play Futsal. Very few "kick and run" players have the patience or determination to hone their skill to the point they enjoy and thrive in Futsal. Call them what you will, kick and run or just call them kids. No need to peg them as "kick and run".
I know some of the most talented outdoor players that cant stand to play futsal. its just not something they cant do as well as play outdoor. As a result they opt out and stay with outdoor. No knock against them but it is a much higher level of tight space quick decision one touch play that only grows through exposure to Futsal.

This is not quite true. Professional players have a much higher level (faster, more precise, quicker decisions over a large area) of play than futsal players can ever have. Futsal actually works against higher level play by having a heavier ball, fewer playmaking choices (e.g. smaller area, fewer players), and consistent play surface. If you want to grow technical skills, it’s both better and harder to do it with a real soccer ball in an outside setting.

This is correct, and in Europe, generally either play Futsal or outdoors but not both. That said, Futsal is useful at the younger ages (I'm talking the U10s, U11s, the little ones). It gets them a lot of touches in, a lot of shots in, and they have fun. Once they get older, you are right. The weighted ball makes everyone's touch look good and players doing a lot of Futsal have a heavier touch when they go back outdoors.

LMAO.

Just imagine how good this guy's touch could've been if he hadn't ruined it with all that futsal, right? https://youtu.be/w0KuhXbKeMo

LMAO

Just imagine believing one YouTube video proves a point, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different person here.
I disagree with your assessment that kick and run players dont hate futsal. They might like to play but they dont like the technical aspect required to play Futsal. Very few "kick and run" players have the patience or determination to hone their skill to the point they enjoy and thrive in Futsal. Call them what you will, kick and run or just call them kids. No need to peg them as "kick and run".
I know some of the most talented outdoor players that cant stand to play futsal. its just not something they cant do as well as play outdoor. As a result they opt out and stay with outdoor. No knock against them but it is a much higher level of tight space quick decision one touch play that only grows through exposure to Futsal.

This is not quite true. Professional players have a much higher level (faster, more precise, quicker decisions over a large area) of play than futsal players can ever have. Futsal actually works against higher level play by having a heavier ball, fewer playmaking choices (e.g. smaller area, fewer players), and consistent play surface. If you want to grow technical skills, it’s both better and harder to do it with a real soccer ball in an outside setting.

This is correct, and in Europe, generally either play Futsal or outdoors but not both. That said, Futsal is useful at the younger ages (I'm talking the U10s, U11s, the little ones). It gets them a lot of touches in, a lot of shots in, and they have fun. Once they get older, you are right. The weighted ball makes everyone's touch look good and players doing a lot of Futsal have a heavier touch when they go back outdoors.

LMAO.

Just imagine how good this guy's touch could've been if he hadn't ruined it with all that futsal, right? https://youtu.be/w0KuhXbKeMo

The value in futsal is in the practice and would be in just open “winner takes next” pick up games. Unfortunately, they create a league with refs and costs etc. it would be more effective to rent the YMCA a few nights a week, get 15-18 players out there and play pick up. Then a few times a week get Gus D. to teach your kids foot skills. State cups and regional tourneys are not worth the time and $$$. Other than that have your kid play b-ball or hockey or volleyball during the winter to work different muscle groups and avoid burnout.

RVA Futsal is great

Anonymous wrote:Many of the top teams in Virginia dont play VA State Cup for Futsal. Its just not there yet as a program. I was curious if this FCV parent touting their great success was correct. I searched VA State Cup Futsal and on the page is a congratulations to the following teams at Northeast Regionals. They cite 7 teams that did well advancing to the Quarterfinals or beyond. One of the teams actually winning Regionals. Of the 7 teams one team was from FCV and 6 teams were from Alexandria. The team noted as winning Regionals was from Alexandria.
Interesting.
Seems winning at the State level does not equate to winning at the Regional level. Maybe the step up in competition is too much for FCV. Just a thought

Any team can just sign up to play in either of the two different regional tournaments (one in NJ and one in Richmond ), you don't have to win anything at the state level to do that. You have to be the winner or runner up at one of those regional tournaments to make it to a national tournament, and that is what the high level futsal academies are trying to do, play and win at the national level. The state tournament is irrelevant to them. If you look at the results from the two national championships this past year (US Futsal and USYouth Futsal), the only clubs with multiple team's playing at the National level from this area are Alexandra, DC Hyper futsal, and futsalRVA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different person here.
I disagree with your assessment that kick and run players dont hate futsal. They might like to play but they dont like the technical aspect required to play Futsal. Very few "kick and run" players have the patience or determination to hone their skill to the point they enjoy and thrive in Futsal. Call them what you will, kick and run or just call them kids. No need to peg them as "kick and run".
I know some of the most talented outdoor players that cant stand to play futsal. its just not something they cant do as well as play outdoor. As a result they opt out and stay with outdoor. No knock against them but it is a much higher level of tight space quick decision one touch play that only grows through exposure to Futsal.

This is not quite true. Professional players have a much higher level (faster, more precise, quicker decisions over a large area) of play than futsal players can ever have. Futsal actually works against higher level play by having a heavier ball, fewer playmaking choices (e.g. smaller area, fewer players), and consistent play surface. If you want to grow technical skills, it’s both better and harder to do it with a real soccer ball in an outside setting.

This is correct, and in Europe, generally either play Futsal or outdoors but not both. That said, Futsal is useful at the younger ages (I'm talking the U10s, U11s, the little ones). It gets them a lot of touches in, a lot of shots in, and they have fun. Once they get older, you are right. The weighted ball makes everyone's touch look good and players doing a lot of Futsal have a heavier touch when they go back outdoors.

The comment about the weighted ball making everyone look good and heavier touch outdoors doesnt seem correspond with what i’ve seen over the last couple of years. it’s actually been in lock step with touch outdoors but their are some players that look better on the court because of space needed to be covered outdoors.

FPYCparent wrote:For those of us inside/near the Beltway (NoVA), there is First Touch Futsal. DD's NCSL team (now U12) has played in this league for two years, after during Conqueror's in Herndon at U9.

https://www.ftfutbol.com/firsttouchfutsal

I can only suspect that DD and team will be playing in FTF again this winter. The coach has stated that this winter will be the team's last futsal season.

Some of the teams/standings from last FTF season here: https://www.ftfutbol.com/Default.aspx?tabid=2572709

…

NCSL did start its own futsal thing in partnership with The St. James last winter. I don't know how it fared, beyond a few photos posted on Twitter.

What did you think of the Conquerors League?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are talking bad but can’t deny that Puma Elite did in fact win state cup on every level for girls

But not with many if any outside kids.

Haters will hate

The person asking is not with FCV. Their kid will likely not make a top FCV futsal team. Not hate, just reality. FCV futsal is good if you are in FCV other than that it is mostly a money grab.

+1. Very few clubs participate in competitive futsal. Winning State Cup is nothing to brag about when nobody bothers with it.

Says kick and run parent.

The name calling is cute but is the PP wrong? Did FCV defeat any local top soccer clubs to win futsal state cup? Nope.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Different person here.
I disagree with your assessment that kick and run players dont hate futsal. They might like to play but they dont like the technical aspect required to play Futsal. Very few "kick and run" players have the patience or determination to hone their skill to the point they enjoy and thrive in Futsal. Call them what you will, kick and run or just call them kids. No need to peg them as "kick and run".
I know some of the most talented outdoor players that cant stand to play futsal. its just not something they cant do as well as play outdoor. As a result they opt out and stay with outdoor. No knock against them but it is a much higher level of tight space quick decision one touch play that only grows through exposure to Futsal.

This is not quite true. Professional players have a much higher level (faster, more precise, quicker decisions over a large area) of play than futsal players can ever have. Futsal actually works against higher level play by having a heavier ball, fewer playmaking choices (e.g. smaller area, fewer players), and consistent play surface. If you want to grow technical skills, it’s both better and harder to do it with a real soccer ball in an outside setting.

This is correct, and in Europe, generally either play Futsal or outdoors but not both. That said, Futsal is useful at the younger ages (I'm talking the U10s, U11s, the little ones). It gets them a lot of touches in, a lot of shots in, and they have fun. Once they get older, you are right. The weighted ball makes everyone's touch look good and players doing a lot of Futsal have a heavier touch when they go back outdoors.

FPYCparent wrote:

Im curious.. Why will it be your last year playing futsal?

Along the lines of what others have said (or tried to say), DD's coach believes continuing with futsal after this winter (their 4th season of futsal) will not the benefit the girls' outdoor play. Perhaps they will have reached a point where specializing in futsal would be the only way to improve. I'm certain the girls will still be practicing next winter (hopefully, at an indoor venue on occasion), but they won't be playing in a futsal league.

FPYC parent, do the girls on your team have good technical ball skills? I’m curious based upon what the coach said. My DD played in a futsal league this past winter and she loved it. Futsal really exposes players that lack ball control skills.

Anonymous wrote:FYI, '09 Girls Puma Futsal is made up of kids from many different clubs. Older age groups are majority FCV players with a couple of others sprinkled in.

Previous poster is correct, if Puma does take a liking to DD, they will be recruited for FCV.

Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really?!?!?!?

That would be amazing if true.

FYI, '09 Girls Puma Futsal is made up of kids from many different clubs. Older age groups are majority FCV players with a couple of others sprinkled in.

Previous poster is correct, if Puma does take a liking to DD, they will be recruited for FCV.