Courtesy: The Swindon Advertiser

Academy pupils star in FA’s new Futsal video

Friday 12th June 2009

By George Hamilton

TALENTED footballers from Swindon Academy played a starring role in a new FA video yesterday.

Boys and girls from the Stratton school visited @Futsal in Kembrey Business Park for a coaching session run by England’s former futsal national team coach Graeme Dell.

Futsal is a form of five-a-side football played with a heavier ball with a focus on technique and passing.

The coaching sessions were filmed for a video which will act as a beginners’ guide for anyone who wishes to become a futsal coach.

Once the video is edited it will be distributed to up to 2,000 schools over the next three years.

Mr Dell, who coached the national team between 2003 and 2008, said: “They were enthusiastic. They are a great group of kids.

“Some of them picked it up very quickly. I think they enjoyed it.”

In all 12 boys and 12 girls from the school took part in the filming.

Simon Abercrombie, head of learning for Year 9, 10 and 11, said: “The pupils love futsal.

“It is five-a-side so they get a lot more touches on the ball than 11-a-side.

“It is a great arena. To come down and use it is fantastic.”

From September 20, Swindon Academy pupils will be taught futsal twice a week.

Karen Gillingham, 15, from Penhill, said: “Futsal is pretty good.

“The ball is heavy so it is not as bouncy, which is a good thing.”

Brad Stanners, 15, from Stratton, said: “It is a good game. The ball is a lot heavier so it is easier to do tricks. It sticks to your foot.

“I am pleased I got the opportunity to represent my school on the video.”

Simon Walker, the Football Association’s national manager for small-sided football, said the video would form part of a new structure for coaching futsal in England.

He said Level One and Level Two coaching badges, similar to the ones already in place for 11-a-side football, would be introduced over the next six months.

Mr Walker said: “The players that come through futsal are the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Zinedine Zidane.

“They all used futsal as a key component of their 11-a-side football.”







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