Courtesy: Whitefish Pilot


Futsal league keeps Armory bustling

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

by Matt Baldwin

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do. At the Armory in Whitefish, a newly painted floor has helped take an often quite building and give it new life.

Thanks to a cooperative effort between the Flathead Rapids soccer club and the city of Whitefish, the Armory gymnasium is now bustling with futsal action three days a week. Futsal is a game similar to soccer, but played indoors and with a smaller, more dense ball and smaller goals. The size of the Armory makes it a near perfect arena for the growing sport.

“The city had a non-descript building and were struggling to find people to use it,” said Rapids president O’Brien Byrd. “We looked at the Armory and saw an enormous opportunity.”

The Rapids presented a plan for a futsal league, as well as a cost projection to repaint the floor. The parks department decided the price was reasonable and soon the gray concrete floor was resurfaced with a grippy paint and boundary lines.

“It looks really nice in there now,” Byrd said. “It went from a dungeon to a bright and welcoming area.”

The improvements were paid for with city funds. In turn, the city rents out the gym to the futsal league. The first session was in December and January, and the second session started Feb. 7 and goes through March 20.

Parks and Recreation director Karl Cozad said the futsal league is a wonderful example of partnership between the city and a private group.

“The league is fantastic on so many levels,” he said. “It’s great to see another activity available and a public facility utilized to its full capacity.”

Cozad said the league has also helped draw attention to the facility for other uses.

“Parents want to take out a block of time for parties and have futsal be a part of it,” Cozad said.

The atmosphere of the Armory during futsal games is all about fun. League manager Sean Person has a stereo blasting music and kids are constantly on the move. Teams of four or five play two intense 20 minute periods where there is almost no lull in the action. Point totals often creep into the teens or 20s, making it nearly as fun for spectators as the players on the pitch.

The Rapids league serves a wide range of ages, from U12 to adults. The youngest player is 10, the oldest is 60.

“In the soccer community, there’s a lot of excitement and buzz,” said Byrd, who is also the Whitefish High School boys soccer coach. “And the city is excited to have hundreds of people using their facility.

“All of a sudden the Armory is in vogue.”

Visit online at www.flatheadrapids.com to learn more about the futsal league.




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