Courtesy: Soccer Nation


Super F League Changes Name to US Youth Futsal

US Youth Futsal's San Diego's league was launched by Sean Bowers.

Bowers is directing US Youth Futsal's league, 619Futsal in the San Diego area. Recently Bowers has launched the San Diego Futsal Session for 2011. SoccerNation News interviewed Bowers to discover his long time passion for Futsal and his successes as a well known soccer coach.

The new 619 FUTSAL League offers 5v5 (4 plus a goalie) games played on hard wood court floors with professional goalies. The games are 48 minutes long.

Sean Bowers is a well known name in Southern California soccer as a coach and also as a professional soccer player. As a member of the U.S. National Futsal Team from 1995-2004, Sean Bowers is the most capped player in US Soccer futsal history earning 36 international caps. He led the team as captain of the U.S. squad from 1998-2004. Under his leadership, the US Futsal team won the 1996 & 2004 CONCACAF Gold medal and played in the 1996 World Cup held in Spain and the 2004 World Cup in Taiwan.

SNN: How long have you been coaching?
Sean Bowers: I have been coaching for 15 years on all different levels. I have coached youth, high school, college, semi-professional and professional soccer, both indoor and outdoor.
My coaching career began in Kansas City while I was still playing for the Kansas City Wizards.

William Jewel College (NAIA) hired me as an assistant coach and I stayed there for a few months. It was difficult to find a balance between playing professional soccer and coaching at the college level, as both demand tremendous dedication. I decided to put coaching on the back burner for a while, but that was my first experience with coaching and I loved it. I have had the bug ever since.


SNN: How do you describe yourself as a coach?
Sean Bowers: Wow what a tough question! There are four traits I bring to coaching that best describe me as a coach.

I would describe myself as a passionate coach. I love coaching and I want to inspire all the players that play on our team. Being passionate allows me to show our players the love I have for the game and hopefully some of that will rub off on them. I always tell our players that every time they step on the field they should play like it is their last game to ever play soccer. Playing soccer at the highest level possible is every coach’s dream.

Second, I am a compassionate coach. For example, coaching at the college level there is much more to life than just soccer. Teaching responsibility and accountability to young college players is essential for all of them to be successful in life. Being here for all of the players on and off the field is vital to have a successful soccer program.

Third, I teach each player that they have ownership in their team. I’m a firm believer that people in general will put more effort into something that they feel they have ownership in. At the college level, I promote all of the players to always speak their minds, and for the team as a whole to make decisions that will help our team be successful. This includes what they wear for practice each day so they all match. That’s a decision that helps them feel they are part of a team. Another example of ownership is that I have them write their own mission statement every year so they feel that they are deciding what direction our team will strive to become successful. Ownership makes our team feel like each individual belongs and that each individual voice can always be heard.

Lastly, as a former player I bring a competitiveness that I teach to all of our players. Everyone knows that whether its soccer or life it’s always about competing at a high level. All of us who work know that if we don’t do our job that there is someone else right around the corner that will work harder for our job. Work ethic and determination are the foundations to being successful in life and it is my job as a coach to instill that in all of our players no matter what level I am coaching.


SNN: Players tell me you inspire them, how do you inspire players to achieve their best?
Sean Bowers: I think with the philosophies that are mentioned above help players find themselves not only as soccer players but as who they truly are. Character is a big thing in my book and always doing the right thing no matter what the consequences are. I feel people all share similar qualities and the biggest one is that everyone wants to feel wanted. With all of my teams that I coach, it is very important to show all of my players that I care for them and that each player is very important to the team. Players not only respect me for being an ex player but they respect me because I make them feel part of something bigger…A TEAM!!


SNN: What do you like best about coaching?
Sean Bowers: You know the feeling after you just completed a huge puzzle that took you hours to do. It’s an awesome feeling that you put so much work into something and figured it out. That is the best thing about coaching for me. Taking a group of soccer players and putting all of the pieces together is such an amazing feeling. For college this is a process that starts with recruiting in the spring and goes to the end of our season in November. It is a long journey but definitely worth the time and effort. It is an experience that all players and coaches remember forever.


SMM: Who is your favorite soccer player of all time?
Sean Bowers: I grew up in San Diego so I must say that I idolized many players that played on the San Diego Sockers. Juli Veee, Branko Segota, Brian Quinn, Zoltan Toth, Steve Jungle and Kevin Crow. I am sure I left out a lot of other players. I will also say that I think it is awesome that the SD Sockers are back here and I cherished my time playing for them in 2009-2010 and winning the PASL Championship and US Open Championship. It was always a dream of mine to win a championship with the Sockers organization.


SNN: How long have you been playing Futsal?
Sean Bowers: I started in 1996 when I was called up to the U.S. National team. I was in Kansas City playing for the Wizards in the MLS and I was called up to go to Brazil to play in an Olympic Festival. Futsal was fairly new to the United States, and to be honest, my experience with the sport was limited. Playing futsal in Brazil proved to be a wonderful experience and I continued playing as captain of the U.S. National team from 1996-the World Cup in 2004.


SNN: Why do you like Futsal?
Sean Bowers: I think as a player I always lacked the technical part of the game. That was a major weakness of mine so playing futsal has helped me work on the skills part of my game. Futsal is played with a smaller ball and in a small tight space so using your skill is vital in the game of futsal.
Do you think there is any correlation between Spain and Brazil being among the best teams in the World in men’s soccer? Did you know that there are professional leagues in Spain and Brazil where players make a living just playing futsal? Did you know that youth soccer in Brazil and Spain believe in futsal and many of its youth play the game religiously to better their outdoor skills? Futsal is the best way to technically train for soccer!!!!


SNN: Where is Futsal most popular?
Sean Bowers: Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Argentina, Italy.


SNN: What gave you the idea to launch 619Futsal?
Sean Bowers: A futsal teammate of mine owns and runs the US Youth Futsal organization based out of Kansas City. We have been in talks for a long time about putting a league here in San Diego. I have always put it on the back burner until last year. I read an article in Soccer America on the Women’s National Team and how other countries are catching up due to the lack of the technical side of soccer. That really got to me!!! So I wanted to do something for all of the local youth soccer players to help solve this problem.

I decided to join up with US Youth Futsal and create a league where players can work on their skill year around. Futsal is all about movement, skill, runs, changing speed and communication. There are no walls to pass off of or to make a bad pass into a good one.


SNN: What can you share with SoccerNation News on 619 Futsal?
Sean Bowers: 619 Futsal is based at Miramar College and we use the brand new state of the art Field house gym that has 4 courts for our use. We are centrally located so that teams from the southern and northern San Diego areas can all enjoy playing in the league.

Our inaugural Winter Session will begin November 27, 2011.

Registration for Boys and Girls U8 to U19 is now open - Click Here for more information

Here is a recap of 619 Futsal Highlights:

Boys and Girls U8 –U19
Men’s, Women’s, and Coed
All league games played on Sundays
All games officiated exclusively by Certified US Soccer referees
Hosting regional and national tournaments in the future
Only US Soccer Sanctioned Futsal League in Southern California


SNN: Why hasn't there been Futsal leagues in San Diego / Southern CA before?
Sean Bowers: There have been a few small leagues before using small local city venues, but nothing on this level. I do know that many people have inquired about our new league and have told me they travel as far north as Los Angeles to play futsal.


SNN: How can Futsal help a soccer player improve their game?
Sean Bowers: Futsal is the only indoor game sanctioned by FIFA. If skills development is important, Futsal is recognized as clearly the best form of indoor soccer. But that’s not the only reason.

1) Better Skills Development - Futsal promotes quality touches

2) Safer - Futsal eliminates the injuries associated with wall collisions

3) Less Expensive - Futsal makes quality soccer more affordable

Just watch futsal players fight to keep the ball from crossing the touchline and you’ll immediately begin to see how futsal develops skill, control, and technique. A small field with lines puts players constantly under pressure from other players and out-of-play boundaries. Players must learn to settle the ball rapidly, cut sharply, shield effectively, pass quickly and move into space.

Compared to walled soccer or large indoor field soccer, futsal places a greater premium on ball control. There is no reward for errant passes because the other team gets the ball. There is no reward for errant shots because the other team gets the ball.

There is no incentive to ’kick and run’ because the field is too small and packed with players. Players with the ball must use proper technique to maintain control and must seek out other players in space. Players without the ball must move to ’real’ space and must truly support their teammates.

Futsal places a premium on control and technique. Take away the walls and you can still have as much fun as walled soccer. But there are far more quality touches and repetitions which directly translate to the outdoor game. With Futsal, you make better use of your time and money

I think with the philosophies that are mentioned above help players find themselves not only as soccer players but as who they truly are. Character is a big thing in my book and always doing the right thing no matter what the consequences are. I feel people all share similar qualities and the biggest one is that everyone wants to feel wanted. With all of my teams that I coach, it is very important to show all of my players that I care for them and that each player is very important to the team.

Players not only respect me for being an ex player but they respect me because I make them feel part of something bigger…A TEAM!!

"Futsal is a fun, fast-paced technical game that is ideal for developing foot skills. Some of the best soccer players in the world play futsal because it increases your technical speed on the ball. Futsal will help take your game to another level. I highly recommend playing futsal because you will be able to see and feel a difference instantly," said Jen Lalor-Nielsen, Former US Women’s National Team Player, Head Coach, San Diego Sealions and Director of Coaching, San Diego Football Academy.

Bowers' playing experience also includes our local San Diego Sockers (2003-2006 and 2009-2010 PASL Champions) and the Kansas City Wizards (1996-1999) where he was Team Captain and "Defender of the Year" for two seasons.




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