“When I was a young boy in Argentina, I played futsal in the street and in a club. It was great fun and helped me to become the player I am today.”
LIONEL MESSI
A SIMPLE PHILOSOPHY
Of course we want to develop the best futsal players we can, but our core values are having fun, learning the game, and being inclusive.
Having Fun
We focus on learning through playing games and creating an environment that allows kids to explore and have fun. Young people vote with their emotions. If they like something, they will want to keep coming back to it. That’s how we want them to feel about our futsal sessions.
Learning
Our coaching aims to maximise the playing time for each young person, not sitting around listening, or watching others. We give freedom for players to be creative, explore their abilities, and discover for themselves in a safe learning environment, with encouragement not criticism.
We treat children as children, and offer age-appropriate coaching that is tailored to their ability and goals.
Inclusivity
Futsal is a game for everyone. We welcome all abilities to our sessions and put effort into making sure everyone feels accepted, valued and encouraged. We also require the children to maintain values of respect, sharing and kindness towards, each other, coaches and opponents.
BALL MASTERY AT THE YOUNGEST AGES
In the earliest years of playing futsal or football, it is extremely important that players develop ability and confidence in manipulating the ball – what we call “ball mastery”.
We focus on this aspect more than any other with our youngest players, developing it through a mixture of fun exercises and games. We don’t try to treat kids like adults – tactics, physical conditioning and winning games are secondary to learning to master the ball.
“I feel that we’ve got to do something in this country pre-coaching, before [the age of] 8. We’ve got to get up a system that all they can do is manipulate the ball and be at home with the ball. And from 5 til 8 don’t coach them, don’t let them pass the ball even. Let them play 1v1s and manipulate the ball, feel comfortable with the football. That’s what it’s called: football. It’s not head ball, chase-ball or kick-ball; it’s football. So you’ve got to master that football, then you can go at 8 years of age you feel that it’s part of your body and then it goes on from there.” Glenn Hoddle
“The good players, the best players, always know where the ball is. They don’t have to look at it – they see the space instead, which is the most important thing in football. I think they can do that because, in their youth, they played a lot with the ball. It worked for me and it would be the advice I give to every young player now: practise, practise, practise.” Denis Bergkamp
“‘I watch all football but rarely find it interesting. I see way too much pinball football. The ball just goes to and fro, with teams unable to hold onto it. There are very few players who can dominate the ball – mostly it’s the ball that dominates the player. The coaches and trainers ought to take that to heart, as they are the ones responsible.” Johan Cruyff
“My dad would give me tests, getting me to dribble down the pavement with my ball to the shops and back, timing me, and then making do it again, only quicker. When I did a paper round, I used to kick a ball with me all the way, in and out of the houses.” – Gazza