Dear All,

I have made sure making this newsletter is a monthly habit just as it is to play Futsal in Magallanes every monday! Welcome to this month's installment. As usual, I will be breaking down the nformation into categories so that people can filter through to find what they want. As the saying goes though, someone's garbage is probably someone else's gold! Happy reading, enjoy playing Futsal!

1. National News:
2. Developmental Programs:
3. The Beautiful Women in the Beautiful Game:
4. Equipment:
5. Coaching:
6. Youth:
7. NCRFA SuperLiga:
8. Other Notes:

National News:
Ladies and Gentlemen, the venue for the Asian Cup (Held yearly) next year has been announced, and this is Macau!!! Big chance we can join, the expense shouldn't be as much as this year's edition when it was held all the way in Iran after AFC moved it from SARS-Infected Japan. On the double side, this also serves as the FIFA Futsal World Cup qualifiers, with the top finishers qualifying for the Futsal World Cup, to be held in Chinese Taipei a few weeks after(Another country we can easilly fly to provided we qualify)!!!

We are aware that these championships are very competitive and I invite everyone to take the initiative and help the country prepare for such a task. In the pipeline is developing centers for National Pool Players, eventually to form the basis of the lucky and strongest ten men that make the team and displays Philippine Futsal to the rest of Asia, and hopefully the rest of the world! Watch for more news, i'll get into the details when more concrete events happen. all I can say that there is a projected rollout hopefully by November this year. People can take initiative by doing the following:

- Keep playing Futsal! If you don't have anywhere to play, let me know through this email address. Either I can help refer you to a club that plays regularly, help you start a Futsal Group, Develop a Venue, or even just plainly help introduce you to the sport.

- Know anyone gifted with potential? Do let us know. It'd be a big help if people help us identify good talented players with huge potential. The youngest goal scorer in Senior Level Asian Futsal(Football also, but I am not sure) is from here! playing in the last ASEAN Championship, Gino Tongson of Ateneo High School(Barely 17 ata). We hope to unearth more gems and model professionals like him!!!

- Participate in tournaments. We practice to play well in tournaments, we play well in tournaments to make it to big tournaments. Lastly. We win big tournaments to make it to the top! There are groups that are coming up with tournaments, please participate. Do well, and you know what may come next!

Saying those things, I am doing what I can, together with the PFF and the NCRFA, in getting development programs off the ground. Recently, Mr. Joaquin Preysler of the PFF, has gone to 2-3 more provinces in the country in the past month, promoting the sport to much success and enthusiasm. We are very optimistic, read the related item in the equipment part of the newsletter!

Developmental Programs:
I am very proud to announce that there are people that have gone out to promote Futsal agressively. For this month's honor roll, please join me in commending the following people for their efforts:
- Mr. Alden Kizon(Blueguards) for putting up a Futsal Clinic in Dapitan Center in the City of Manila especially for street children, and also for the senior clubs to call home!

- Mr. Vanni Tolentino & Co. (Formerly Rockwell Futsal Club) for helping start up Hat Trick FC, I believe is the 1st Soccer Oriented Events Management Firm/Business of its kind and their Mayor's Cup project, starting with Pasay.

- Mr. John - D Borra and Mr. Cris Dominguez of UA&P for initiating the 1st Women's Futsal League. 12 teams are playing!!!

- Master Sgt. Ravelo Saluria PA for helping spearhead Women's Futsal through the WNCAA and helping it continue this year for the second year running as part of its official program.

I would also like to thank the coaches of Polytechnic Univesity of the Philippines. As I said, most of the Futsal Development has been going on in the North andCenter of Metro manila. with P.U.P. asking for the possibility of developing their campus for Futsal in Sta. Mesa, we will have a venue with huge potential in the north of the Metro! I promised them that I will work on something.

Futsal is still in its infancy in the world(Maybe not Brasil and Spain though but we'll get there ). There are alot of opportunities, and in our country, the ff. have the greatest potential: Public Community Centers, Women's Futsal, and Youth Physical Education Programs. In sport, even the highest level of Football and Futsal, a great deal of winning is dependent on the country, breeding and finding "The Golden Generation". A group of hyper talented indviduals that blend into a team that dominates the game. Some Football Examples: AC Milan of the late eighties (Maldini, Baresi, Tassotti), Brasil 70' (Jairzinho, Pele, Carlos Alberto), France 98-2000 (Henry, Zidane, Trezeguet). These are just examples. but they didn't fall from trees or were found accidentally! A golden generation is identified when more and more talented individuals are given their chance to shine, Whether in a public play park, mini leagues, or even schools! It will take time to adopt this stance. But as far as i'm concerned, were moving in that direction!

The Beautiful Women in the Beautiful Game:
Pele once said that Football was the Beautiful game, and seriously, it is!!! I was very excited with the initiative of a a number of women's coaches in getting together and doing something from early this month, to mid-October. They are currently having their league, held at the University of Asia and the Pacific, most games are on Sunday Afternoon. I am at the tournament as often as I can because the level of enthusiasm and the improvements game after game are just awesome! Just a few notes though:

- The Spirit Award goes to University of Asia and the Pacific. Their motivation to win is evident, till the end of the stop clock!

- The Skills Award goes to Woodrose. It pays to know the basics of Football also. A number of their squad memebrs have participated in the famed "Gothia Cup" in Sweden. Yes, i know, the story that was in the Philippine Daily Inquirer a few Sundays ago that my sister wrote(She's better than me...).

- The Strength Award goes to P.U.P.. Futsal is all about explosion and speed. Watching P.U.P. play at their level is a pleasure. Their entusiastic coaching staff tells you half the story why the girls perform well!

My choice for the finals? Maybe a speedy match between Ateneo College and P.U.P.?
Please come to UA&P to enjoy the sunday aftrnoon games. Wanna know more? Please email me for more details!

Equipment:
With the help of Mr. Binder Singh, an officer in one of the main groups in Indonesia developing Futsal, he has sent me a sample ball made in Indonesia. Mr. Preysler, myself, and FIFA Futsal Referee Jerry Andres tested it and were very satisfied with its performance. The cost is fairly cheap and we are looking for ways to bring it in the country "en masse" before the end of the year so that it can be used to promote the sport.

Remember my earlier paragraph about developing the sport nationwide? One of the barriers of the sport was the availability of the equipment and its pricing. Adidas is priced too far away from the common filipino. We have locally distributed and affordable alternatives like "Pan" and "Molten" from BOBMAN TRADING of Mr. Bob Manlulo and we look forward to more people bringing in more equipment, spreading it throghout the Archipelaego. My estimates is that the local spending tolerance is around P500-600 for a competition level Futsal Ball, and P300-500 for shoes. the shoes part is solved by getting any canvass shoes from Divisoria or other Public Malls. The "Dragonflys" are the best! Look at the selected link of the week to give you more of an idea what Futsal Merchandise around the world is like.

I have succesfully made copies of the FIFA 8-18 years old Program CDROM, and also VCD Copies of a Futsal Highlights Selection. Anyone that wants a copy is free to drop me an email and I wil find a way to get one to you. I have sent some to indonesia and I have also promised President maximo of the Cebu FA that copies will be on his way soon! Do take advantage of such aids, they develop the sport much faster!

Another note, I recieved an email from the Director General of ESPN Star based in Singapore. I gratefully acknowledged his efforts in promoting the sport. Lets face it, if most of us didn't see the Tiger/Malaysia 5s on TV, we wouldn't really know what the sport is all about! He asked me about what is happening in the country and I informed him that jsut like the rest of the world, we are doing what we can do develop this variation of the "Beautiful Game".

Coaching:
Yes I know I am biased towards the goalkeepers but please consider it this way, whatever I tell the goalkeepers, the Reverse Psychology should be great for the strikers too!

Tip for the Month:
Keepers, put a lot of training time in dealing with crosses, especially the ground balls (Floor Slicers instead of Grass Cutters). One of the easiest goals to score in Futsal is the combination one-two between two players outplaying a goalkeeper. By being ready to save the first strikers ball and forcing him to pass it for a play to another player to take a hopefully open shot, the goalkeeper's job is only one fourth done. Remain on your feet as long as you can when you "set" for the shot, and practice diving or blocking the first option striker's (The one that won't take the shot because you closed the angle) pass so that you can be rest assured that the second striker will not have a chance to tap or blast it in!

For strikers, you;d know what to do when the goalkeeper thinks he can get away with this

Youth:
There is a rumor going around that two private schools are on their way i establishing youth Futsal Centers by next year. I don't want to divuldge anything final but here's a clue or two: They are both Jesuit Schools and I attended both of them in my younger days!!!

Hope more schools whether private or public look at this initiative. The current business model of most football schools can be expounded to accomodate Futsal Schools. this is very lucrative economic opportunity becaue one of the difficulties of Football Clinics was that you need a field. that is bypassed because Futsal can use any basketball court or hall readilly availalbe throughout the country. I ask private groups to take a look into this investment, believe me, there's a lot of opportunity here! Futsal has the potential not only to improve Football or even become professional one day, it has the potential to create jobs, therefore help stimulate the economy!

NCRFA SuperLiga:
In my capacity for the NCRFA, we are at the planning stages of a multi-division Futsal Superliga. Everything is in the planing stage and have submitted my tournament proposal. that though is only half the job. In the end of the day, the SuperLiga is for the players and for the clubs. We at the NCRFA encourage feedback so that we may serve our members better. So please do give me feedback, and I will make sure that your concerns would be attended!

Other Notes:
I'd like to thank those that called PFF and Mr. Preysler to give their feedback about Adidas hosting the "Adidas Thunder" Futsal Tournament. It has been moved to a later date in order to be able to accomodate more teams and hopefully fine tune its format for maximum impact. If the new plans are finalized, rest assured, the people at the PFF will let everybody know!

Lastly, people are still invited to play in Magallanes Village Covered Court every Monday night from 7:45-10:30PM. We started off months ago with 6 people and now average 30+ every session. Its open toe veryone so please do pass by. The people hosting it is Sunday Football club of Jet Lacson. He assured me that if more poeple were interested, he will work on reviving his license to use the Ateneo College Gym Mini Futsal Courts every Thursday evenings. Those interested, feel free to drop an email and I will refer you to him!

Phew, that was another finger bender of a letter. It used to take me 10 minutes max to make a newsletter. now it takes me 30 minutes because of al the developments! Cheers to everyone!!!

Sincerely,

Miguel G. David
Coordinator
NCRFA/The Futsal Group

Futsal link of the week, the stuff is really cool so take a look inside!!!
www.topper.com.br

Please also check daily for news at these great sites:

www.futsalplanet.com - Mico Martic is an Advocate of the Game!
www.futsalonline.com - Tim Sheldon brings the World of Futsal closer!