Courtesy: Severna Park Patch


Ever Heard of Futsal?

A sport for all ages, it's a fast paced, high scoring alternative to indoor soccer.

I am a soccer mom. That means a lot of time spent transporting smelly kids all over the state. It also means spending hours and hours of my life on the side of a soccer pitch being either too hot or too cold. So when my daughter's soccer coach told us we would be participating in a new sport that would help our children to develop better foot skills and stay in shape over the winter, I couldn't have been happier. All of the games were to be held at the Maryland Sportsplex, right here in our own back yard and every game is inside. Everything else was just icing on the cake.

In many ways futsal is similar to soccer. But there are significant differences. Futsal does involve goals, a goalie and moving the ball across the playing field with one's feet, but it is a much faster and higher scoring game than soccer. I often describe it to parents who are considering adding it to their children's schedules as a cross between basketball and soccer.

First, it is played on a hard court that is about a third the size of a soccer pitch. It is played with a much heavier and denser ball and with five players instead of the standard eleven of a full soccer game. While soccer has been a part of the American sport's scene for over 100 years, the US Futsal Federation was established only 27 years ago. Even so, until the Maryland Sportsplex opened its doors back in 2005, most county parents had never heard of the sport.

Like basketball, futsal lends itself to pick up games and is played by people of all ages. Kids can begin playing futsal at the Sportplex as young as eight years-old. While many of the teams are pre-formed Green Hornets or Elvaton teams, there are teams from outside of the county who travel to play on our local courts and house teams that your child can join as an individual

Adult leagues are much the same. While some teams are formed by parents who work together or whose children attend the same school or play on the same team, there are several house teams in the coed league. There are no practices and usually only one game a week.

In addition, the Sportsplex has arranged several nights a week for drop-in futsal. If you are not sure whether you or your children would like to be involved with a team, you can drop in for one of these sessions and learn more about the sport firsthand or even make the drop-in sessions part of your weekly routine. The only equipment required to play is a good pair of shin guards and a pair of flat bottomed soccer shoes.

While both of my children love soccer, it is work. There are practices several nights a week and games on most weekends. Futsal offers them a nice break from this stringent schedule while helping them to stay fit and develop speed of play and foot skills in a low key environment. Having it so close to home is an added benefit for the rest of the family. Instead of our lives revolving around a full soccer schedule throughout the week and spending hours in the car on weekends, we are able to have more family time and enjoy a new game with less stress.


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