Courtesy: Asahi.com

Futsal novice hangs tough despite blazing sun, younger players

09/09/2006

BY SHOKO AZUMA - STAFF WRITER

Under a scorching August sun, I ran around like a kid on the roof of the Tokyu department store next to Shibuya Station. It was 32 degrees and felt hotter. The chance of getting a severe sunburn was real. But I was determined to try futsal and the roof was the place.

In 2001, the roof was given a covering of artificial turf and converted into Adidas Football Park Shibuya.

Simply put, futsal is mini-soccer. One team consists of five players. A futsal ball is smaller and lighter than a soccer ball and is designed not to bounce as high. Futsal has gained many fans lately. According to the Japan Football Association, the number of registered players increased from 95,512 in fiscal 2003 to 120,472 in 2005.

Since futsal is said to be easier than soccer, many women play the game. In my case, I really wanted to play soccer when I was young, but there was no soccer club for girls at the time. So by playing futsal I was kind of fulfilling a childhood dream.

Adidas Football Park Shibuya has offered futsal lessons for women since 2002. Yoshimune Ebihara, a 32-year-old coach, said, "Players wear cool-looking, colorful uniforms in futsal. I think that's another reason why women like futsal."

The class was from 10:30 a.m. to noon. It cost 1,500 yen plus another 525 yen to rent shoes. I was one of about 20 women in the class. According to school officials, women in their late 20s make up the majority of students. Of these, many are homemakers, they say.

Unfortunately, for me, however, almost all the participants that day were young--university and high school students--some even had soccer experience! To make matters worse, although I'd heard the class was for beginners, I soon discovered I was the

ONLY first-timer. Not fair!

Another coach told me: "The first step for beginners is to learn how to stop the ball. Next, when you kick the ball, you have to pay attention to your pivot foot, not just the kicking foot." Since he said that it was difficult for beginners to stop the ball, I just tried to focus on that. He wasn't kidding. It looks easier on TV.

For the last 30 minutes, we played practice matches. Even though I really didn't know how to play, I had to join a team. It was embarrassing. I missed the ball many times.

It was also tough because we have to change positions frequently from offense to defense and back again. I was exhausted trying to keep up with the younger players. I drank two bottles of sports drink during the lesson.

Tired and thirsty, yes. But it was loads of fun. And I certainly would have enjoyed it more if I'd had a clue about the basic skill set. I see a pair futsal shoes in my future!





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