Courtesy: The Cincinnati Post

Futsal improves ball skills

By Terry Boehmker

Post staff report

While he was visiting Brazil three years ago, Scott Shipp turned on the television in his hotel room and saw professional soccer teams playing an indoor version of the sport called "futsal."

When the Campbell County boys' soccer coach found out that Brazilian children grow up playing futsal because it improves their skills, he decided to introduce the game to his high school team.

"I use it as a training technique because it teaches you how to dribble better and get past defenders in one-on-one situations," Shipp said.

"Anytime we have bad weather and can't practice outside we go inside and play futsal and we get a pretty productive practice in."

Futsal is played on a basketball-sized court with no sidewalls. The goals at each end are 3 meters wide and 2 meters high.

Each team has four field players and a goalkeeper. They use a ball that's smaller and heavier than the one used for outdoor games.

"You can't kick (the ball) very far," Shipp said. "You have to be able to control it and pass it to advance when you're on the attack. That teaches players how to move the ball more effectively."

Futsal has been a popular game in South America for several decades. There's been a United States Futsal Federation since 1983, but the game hasn't gained much notoriety in this country.

"Americans are way behind the rest of the world in soccer training," Shipp said. "One of my coaches is from England and he played futsal in several leagues until he got here."

Campbell County soccer teams have been playing futsal in practice for four years. Shipp said the game is one of the reasons he's seen a steady improvement in his players' ball-handling skills.

"Learning to use both feet is crucial in soccer and futsal really magnifies that," the coach said. "If you can't use both feet in futsal, you're dead. The field is so small and the ball is so heavy if you can't use your opposite foot the ball will be gone."

Senior forward Nathaniel Schneider is the leading scorer on Campbell County's 7-1-2 team this season. He said playing futsal in practice helped him improve his ball-handling skills.

"The ball's much too heavy to put in the air," Schneider said. "You have to keep it close to your feet and develop a good touch."

Schneider enjoys the game so much he talked to Shipp about organizing an intramural futsal league at their high school during the winter.

Shipp likes that idea. He said futsal is the ideal way for players to develop their skills during the off-season.

"Kids could get better playing pick-up games than one of my practices," Shipp said.

"That's what happens all around the world, except here in our country. When we start seeing kids turning basketball courts into futsal courts that's when we'll come closer to winning a World Cup."



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