Courtesy: Daily San Diego Soccer News


Mrakovic Dishes on Futsal Expansion

By Kathryn Snyder

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Mario Mrakovic of SD Futsal discusses his recently expanded futsal camps and staff, and the success of his SD Surf teams.

XK: You've recently expanded your Futsal camps, how are they going?
Mario Mrakovic: The awareness is consistently growing. The numbers are always steady or picking up.

XK: You've also expanded your staff, who have you added and what roles do they play in your Futsal organization?
MM: We have Jamie Schnieders (Del Mar clinics), Dave Brooks (Alliant clinics) and Chris Fitzsimmons (San Elijo clinics) all helping out. They are all dedicated and passionate about Futsal and its benefits. Carlene Viboch has taken the reigns as the Club registrar and Gaming Director. Rick Viboch will be our Head Referee who will be assigning referees for our upcoming Leagues and Tournaments. We have many more dedicated individuals who contribute greatly by promoting us, spreading the word about Futsal, etc.

XK: What can Futsal followers expect in the future?
MM: We start our first newsletter at XK this January and it will be on a monthly basis. We will be always covering several topics in it. Readers will be informed about SD Futsal monthly programs offered, Futsal happenings in the region/nation as well as worldwide. There will also be a training tip for the month. We will also have “Ask SD Futsal” corner, where readers will ask questions, or give us topics that they like to see being covered in the next issues. Since everyone is familiar with soccer, we will try to explain and relate the Futsal style of play transpiring and changing the future outlook of soccer.

XK: You've competed before in Futsal, can you tell us about the various competitions you've participated in?
MM: I have been taking various teams to Futsal National competitions for over 10 years. We were always quite successful. The kids and the parents always were amazed with the skill level displayed, the speed of play, action packed games, the loud and cheering atmosphere.

XK: Do you plan to play in any future tournaments?
MM: Yes, we are considering some Regional tournaments at the start of the new year, and plan on going to the Nationals in the summer.

XK: You also coach Surf and your team won a Presidio title, right? Tell us about that.
MM: I took over Surf’s Grassroots Youth Development Program two years ago and started to build the team from scratch. First year our two youngest teams struggled against year older competition. However, this season they took over. Surf boys and girls U8 White teams won 90 percent of their games, with an average of 6 plus goals per game. Both teams won first places in the Presidio League U8 top brackets. Never before did Surf have a Boys U8 Champion, and needless to say there was never a double done with U8s. As a coach, I feel really good and proud about this accomplishment. My wife told me that I was unrealistic at the time. Too many doubters were out there that I had to prove wrong. I learned a lot on this journey and hope not to repeat some of the mistakes that I have made. But the history was made, and I am thrilled to have been a major part of it.

XK: How is your Grassroots program going?
MM: In two years since I started to run Grassroots, I have never came across an unhappy parent, or have received anything but high praises and highest remarks. I was only jokingly accused on numerous occasions that I was having either too much fun, or more fun than the kids. Training these kids brings me happiness like no other. Grassroots program and its immediate type of success is really a testament to Surf’s new vision of training, allowing me freedom to teach these kids and not think at all about winning or losing. Our grassroots program is constantly growing and a lot of people contact me saying how happy they are there is an alternative for five, six and seven year olds.

XK: Any closing thoughts?
MM: The game of soccer is becoming an extension of indoor soccer, an extension of Futsal. Soccer coaches use and utilize indoor soccer drills, methods and systems of play in their soccer training sessions. US Soccer is also coming up with new ideas how to improve soccer players in their early developmental stages – through small-sided games! Watch the best soccer team on the planet F.C. Barcelona. They don’t play soccer like others. If you watch closely and analyze how they dominate the opposition, how they keep possession of the ball so superiorly against the best teams in the world, you would see that they play Futsal style across the whole field. F.C. Barcelona coaches spend hours and hours each week studying, watching and learning from Spanish top Futsal Coaches and Futsal Clubs. Futsal is like one of the new seven wonders of the world, you need to see it and experience it to truly understand it and appreciate it.








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