Courtesy: Soccer Nation


Mario Mrakovic on Why Futsal Is So Important for Player Development

Monday, May 14, 2012

Mario Mrakovic is the Director of San Diego Surf Soccer Club's Grassroots program as well as the founder of San Diego Futsal. Growing up in Croatia, (near Italy) he began playing soccer at an early age, guided and encouraged by his father, who was also a coach. He played with FC Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb, Tekstilac and the San Diego Sockers before becoming a full-time coach.

Well known in Southern California as a highly spirited, fun loving yet technically demanding coach, Mario Mrakovic combines his lifelong love of soccer with a desire to help young players to gain technical knowledge and the skills that they need to become successful. Mrakovic strongly believes in the importance of futsal in a player’s development. SoccerNation spoke with Mrakovic about the game and its place in helping players improve.

SNN: How does Futsal help develop soccer players?
Mario Mrakovic: Rapid, short and quick passing increases your game awareness and the quality of play. The size and the weight of the ball teach you the technical applications on the ball. The speed of play in futsal makes you a faster and smarter thinker. Non-stop action develops you into a more agile, quicker, faster player. The small number of player means less boredom and more fun. Plus, fewer players on the field means more touches for each player, more defending, more transitional play, and therefore faster development.

SNN: Is futsal good for the development of elite player as well as for beginners?
Mario Mrakovic: The term “elite player” does not necessarily translate into a technical or a skilled player. It is only an expression. Allow me to present a wall training to any “elite player” and I doubt that he or she will feel too elite. The wall will win 100% of the time. Futsal training will help your technical abilities at any level. Always.


SNN: Specifically, how can it help training?
Mario Mrakovic: If you play a video game at the beginners, intermediate and advanced level, and then you try out super advanced level, when you come back to the advanced level it will suddenly not feel so advanced after all. Futsal is a super advanced level. This is why so many players and coaches have discomfort around Futsal. You cannot hide in Futsal; you are exposed and a lot of people do not like to be exposed.

In soccer, there are always ways to hide your technical flaws. Unfortunately, there are no “ball technique” courses for coaches, only tactical/training courses. The result is that the player development is just that – tactics and boring drills most of the time because players don’t have the technical acumens to perform the drill. Quality Futsal training will help you improve in a hurry. And when you switch to outdoor soccer, the demands will be much more fun and easier to handle.


SNN: Have you always recommended Futsal training?
Mario Mrakovic: Absolutely. The younger you start, say age 4 or 5, the better you will become as a Futsal or soccer player.


SNN: Is it hard for players to adjust to the different speed and level of play?
Mario Mrakovic: Yes, it is. Without proper Futsal training you will end up playing in a basic Futsal league – playing soccer. The ball will be flying everywhere and it will be an ugly game. So yes, players without proper instruction will struggle, especially in the beginning.

SNN: Futsal is becoming more popular in America now. What impact do you think it will have on the development of our youth players?
Mario Mrakovic: Our youth players are being led by a lot of misguided structures: programs, academies and coaches. Perhaps there is a new vision at the U.S. soccer top, but there is no system and method in place yet for the rest of the pyramid. I spent a month in Europe this winter attending Futsal Euro and different soccer and Futsal training sessions. We are far behind their organization and training motions set in place.

The whole concept of player development is way too complicated in this country. Too often the players receive mixed messages or incomplete messages. The young players should always be taught the three essentials: touch, touch and touch. And Futsal is just that!

If you visit any of the San Diego Futsal Academy clinics or camp trainings, you will see the difference in what we do. I just wish more of the higher-ups would pay attention to our work. I am certain that they could learn something.




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