Courtesy: Frederick News Post


Futsal helps players hone soccer skills during the winter

March 10, 2009

By Stan Goldberg

THE 10 GIRLS, five on each team, raced up and down the gym at Trinity School in Frederick on a Sunday afternoon. They weren't dribbling the ball, but kicking it. They were playing Futsal or five-a-side indoor soccer.

About 20 people, mostly parents and siblings, sat on folding chairs
and watched the U14 game between Epic Pride of West Virginia and a team from LUYAA.

The teams are members of the Frederick Futsal League which was founded by Jim Oman in November of 2007. There are 27 teams, almost all from Frederick County, and more than 300 players in the league.

It is a way they can continue to play soccer during the winter and especially develop their foot skills.

"My sister played last year and it seemed like fun," said 13-year-old Amber Spear, a member of the LUYAA team. "It was another game to play. It's different than outdoor soccer, I had to make some changes."

"I've played soccer for eight years and this is my first year of doing this," said 13-year-old Cindy Rockefeller, also a member of the LUYAA team. "It was kind of hard to learn. It took me about three games to get used to it."

But she said it helped her with her ball control and has made her a better passer.

"I will go right from this into my outdoor season," she said.

Brian Ferris is an assistant coach with the Red Venom LUYAA team. He has coached soccer for eight years, but this is only his second year as a Futsal coach.

"I didn't know what it was, I had to do some research on it," he said. "It took me three or four games to get comfortable."

Ilka Armstrong, another LUYUU coach, knows a lot about Futsal. She grew up in Brazil.

"It's huge in Brazil, almost as big as soccer," she said. "Most of the excellent players start in Futsal."

She said in her native Rio de Janeiro, Futsal is like Little League is in the United States.

The sport might be new to Frederick , but it has been around for years. It was started in Uruguay in 1930 as a five-a-side version of soccer for youth competing in YMCA soccer. The game is played by more than 12 million players in over 100 countries.

Futsal is played indoor on basketball courts without the use of sidewalls.

The name comes from the Spanish word for soccer 'FUTbol."

The sport has grown a great deal over the years. A World Championship was started in 1989 and the U.S. Championships in 1985. It is now under the auspices of FIFA, the governing body of soccer.

OMAN, A POLICE OFFICER in Washington D.C., has been involved in adult and youth Futsal for about 14 years. It was 14 years ago that he organized a Futsal police tournament that involved police officers from all over the world. This year it will be held on April 4-5 at Linganore at Oakdale High School, the first time it has ever been held in Frederick .

Oman moved to New Market four years ago and became involved in youth soccer. He wanted to start a Futsal League, but had one problem -- nowhere where to play.

He was running the clock for the U14 games, but took time out to talk about the local league and how it began.

"I would have started it four years ago, but I just didn't have gym space," he said.

But in November of 2007 he received permission form the city of Frederick to use the gym at Trinity School near Harry Grove Stadium, for three hours every Sunday from January through March.

In November he had four teams. By January he had seven, all U10 girls teams. There were about 80 players in the league.

The league is one of several in Maryland, Most are located around the Washington and Baltimore areas.

This year he wanted to expand the league, but needed more court time. He was given permission to play at the Monocacy Valley Church gym on Monday and Tuesday nights. His three hours on Sundays at Trinity were expanded to eight. He now has 27 teams.

"We maxed out," he said. "I didn't anticipate this many teams. I was hoping for 24 and ended up getting a few more. We had the space and I could fit them in."

There are teams now for boys and girls with different age groups. Teams pay a $450 fee to join the league. Oman paid for T-shirts last year, but this year the teams supplied their own uniforms.

Most teams have 10 to 12 players.

Oman supplies the goals.

He said many outdoor coaches volunteered to coach the teams.

"This is a a great way to train our players for outdoor soccer," he said. "Primarily it's a way to develop foot skills, but it also helps with a player's confidence."

Few of the teams can practice because of the lack of facilities.

"If it's a nice day, you can practice outdoors on a tennis court or basketball court," he said.

Oman wants to expand the league next year and add 7- and 8-year-old teams. To do that he has to find another place to play and is working on that. He would also like to start some traveling teams.

"I've very pleased," he said. "To see the kids having fun, smiling. They just love it so much."







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com