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I knew that educating soccer coaches, players, and parents would be difficult based on the popularity of Futsal in the US. However what I learned today was very depressing. I have started to put together a few teams with skilled players that can compete in the newly formed Futsal Premier League. I did not want to just collect money from players and show up with any team. I want to train a good group of motivated kids and have a good base to compete in league play. There are no Futsal teams in my area, so none of the kids are committed to Futsal for the summer.

The first thing I did was contact a few players that are very good and I knew personally. I started with 3 players. Futsal is only 5 v 5 so we don’t need many substitutes. After getting 3 good players, I set out to recruit a few more at the local soccer fields.

I then sent an email out to all of the soccer coaches in the area and explained to them that I may speak with one or more of their players. I tried to do the right thing by explaining that the Futsal academy was not associated with any club and poaching players was never a goal. I also offered postings for coaches who were interested in coaching with the Futsal Academy. The goal was to work together with all the clubs in the area to create the best teams to compete in the Futsal Premier League.

I saw a very good player and gave a flyer to the parents about Futsal. I didn’t want to recruit until I spoke with the soccer coach personally. The following day I contacted the coach and explained the Futsal Academy. That it would help the player with game intelligence, quicker feet, and movement off the ball. I explained that the Futsal Academy would not interfere with any of his soccer training and/or club season. I explained my goals again about uniting the clubs and creating a Futsal Academy and why it was important to work with all the clubs.

The answer from the soccer coach is what led me to write this article. He explained that his club was tired of losing players to teams in the area. He said that he would not be discussing anything with the player because he didn’t want to lose the player. Although I appreciated his honesty, I could not help but feel disappointed. Not because the soccer coach wouldn’t speak on my behalf, because I can always reach out to the player and family myself, but because it reminded me of how soccer coaches and clubs hold players back so that they can look good as soccer coaches and clubs.

The clubs and soccer coaches, who should be advocating and promoting player development with players, are willing to hold players back so that they can benefit. They look at players as numbers and dollar bills. They may find programs or services that can help the player reach new heights, but soccer coaches are willing to hide these tools from players for fear of losing them. How selfish is this? Think about how many players have been hindered because the parents don’t know any better and the soccer coach refuses to actually help this player so that they can keep them. And I have seen this over and over again.

In case you are wondering, I have personally sent players from my smaller club to a larger club where I thought the player would flourish and I can prove this. Why have I done this? Because I know it’s about the player, not the club or soccer coach. The players give everything they have for the club and the parents pay for their child to play there. Why do soccer coaches feel like they own these players? Why aren’t coaches and clubs actually serving their players like the loyal customers that they are? The best players pay the same fees that the bench players pay, yet these skilled players make your team look really good. These players are repaid by thwarting their soccer player development.

I was upset, but again very grateful that the coach was honest with me. I know his fear is real and it demonstrates what the priorities of the club are. Clubs are fighting over kids, not because they want to serve them, but because they want to look good with wins and grow the bottom line. The truth is that the more kids in a club, the more money it is generating. What’s the big deal with this? Well clubs in other countries are actually developing players, that’s their main priority. They want to develop a player to play on the first team and they will do whatever it takes, including exposing the players to new ways of training.

I hope parents realize what is happening in the “club scene”. Unfortunately many of them have very little soccer player development knowledge and are being taken advantage of. This is sad not only for the parents and the kids, but for the soccer community as a whole. How can we ever create world class players when everyone is trying hide them from from each other in fear of losing them?

My E-book on player development for parents will be coming out soon. If you would like a free copy, send me an email.

The post How Greedy Soccer Coaches Thwart Player Development appeared first on Youth Soccer Evolution.

This a picture with Me and Coach Tozer!

• Why Futsal is critical to player development
• What kind of an impact it will have on player development across not only the United States, but the entire CONCACAF region. He also discusses the impact it will have the USMNT (futsal and soccer teams).
• During the podcast, we discussed how the idea about a professional futsal league was born and the plan for success.
• What some of the goals are moving forward for the Professional Futsal League
• How to get involved and support PFL
• New Futsal coaching certifications

And I have an awesome announcement….. This Podcast is now sponsored by My Team Spot.  MyTeamSpot is the ultimate team management tool for coaches, parents and players. Customize your dashboard, contact players and parents, schedule practices and games and provide real-time updates, team histories, events and much more.use PROMO CODE YSE60 for a 60 day free trial for our listeners. Thank you My Team Spot. 

Drew Ducker and Falcao

Futsal Coaching Seminar and Futsal Player Camp with Drew Ducker. Click on the links for additional information. Don’t forget the YSE Promo Code for a discount!

LINKS

Professional Futsal League              @profutsalleague

Barcelona Futsal team to visit US and play the inaugural Futsal game for the PFL

Follow Coach Keith Tozer @coachTozer @mwfutsalassoc 

USsoccer.com Futsal

Midwest Futsal Association

The post Keith Tozer, PFL Commissioner and USMNT Futsal Head Coach appeared first on Youth Soccer Evolution.

” I think helping people understand that soccer players can benefit from playing futsal is good but what is even better is that some players will be even better futsal players than they ever will be soccer players and when people see these guys in full flow they will excite spectators and grow your audience”

This is something we need to start advocating now that we have a US Youth Futsal National Team and a Professional Futsal League. As Futsal educators and advocates, we should not only think about improving the soccer player, but WE need to start thinking about developing the next Futsal player. We have a new goal and that goal is aligned with what we are already trying to do, develop futsal players for the future.

So from now on, not only will I educate parents on how futsal can enhance the skills of a soccer player, but that your son or daughter may one day become an excellent Futsal player, and there is nothing wrong with that. As a matter of fact it should be celebrated. Futsal players are no joke and are admired Futsal players around the world. Falcao and Ricardinho are just two of the best. Speaking of Ricardinho, I am working on a post about his development. Ricardinho tried out for soccer clubs as a kid, he was told by a soccer coach that he was too small to play soccer. He thought he would never play soccer again. A coach saw him playing and asked him to join their futsal team. In 2010 he won the Futsal Player of the Year award, more on that later. This happens to thousands of kids here in the US. Since the majority of coaches are in the “win at all costs” bandwagon, the smaller “weaker” players are pushed to the side. But now we can offer them Futsal! and just like Ricardinho, they will have an opportunity to continue their love for soccer and futsal. Futsal welcomes every player, big or small. The advantages of size in Futsal are very few (you can always use that big Pivo or Fixo). Now the smaller technically gifted players neglected by soccer coaches will have a Futsal coach waiting for them with open arms. And they will be given the ball and the crowd will request creativity.

Parents, coaches, and clubs need to understand that Futsal should no longer be viewed as only a tool to enhance the skills and development of a soccer player, but as a sport that will produce its own brilliant players. We as coaches and parents need to recognize that and give the opportunity to the kids to develop as futsal players if they choose to go that route. We should be taking the approach of Spain and Brazil by letting the kids start out with futsal and then allowing them to progress to the outdoor game. This will improve their development tremendously for numerous reasons, including the fact that they won’t be playing 7 v 7 when they are only 8 years old. The fact that the US has so much land for soccer fields is actually a curse when you look at it through a soccer player development perspective. Because we have the real estate to build soccer fields all over the place, we think that every child should be playing on a regular size field. So just by introducing the kids to futsal at an early age, the soccer player development process will be improved. Futsal is not going anywhere, the quicker that coaches and parents realize that, the quicker we can progress and start developing players. Youth Futsal leagues are popping up everywhere and as Keith Tozer said, we have the most futsal courts in the entire world (we have 2-3 gyms in every school). The future looks bright for Futsal and Futsal players around the globe.

What are your thoughts about the US developing a world class futsal player? can it be done? or Will we find coaches to stunt their growth?

The post Soccer development shouldn’t be the ONLY goal for Futsal players appeared first on Youth Soccer Evolution.

Check out Coach Tozer’s February 8th class in Milwaukee, WI. (I am not paid for this endorsement).

You already know how much I love Futsal and I believe it’s a critical piece to developing soccer players. I’ve had Drew Ducker on the podcast, Episode 6 discussing his play with the US Men’s National Futsal team. I have a special page on my website about https://youthsoccerevolution.com/futsal/ 

The new Professional Futsal League (PFL) is scheduled to start in the Fall of 2016, and maybe a few tournaments in the Spring of 2015, that’s not too far away. You can go on their website and get additional information at www.professionalfutsal.com. You can also follow them on twitter.

I had to get this post up as I am super excited. I have a few friends directly involved with Professional Futsal that will be guests on the Podcast pretty soon, including Otto Orf from Futsal Factory. Stay tuned and hang on for the ride, this is going to be a fun one. I can’t wait to see the product. But the biggest reason for my excitement is the impact this will have on developing players right here in the US.

I also discuss my daughter’s development as a young player. My focus is not on her turning pro one day, but to be successful at soccer wherever it is she wants to play. This is something that every parent goes through, so I am sharing some of my experiences with you, the listener so that you can learn from my mistakes and also to let you know what is working for me and my child.

This is the video that I discussed in the podcast. My daughter playing barefoot in the living room.

The post Professional Futsal League in USA to start in 2016 appeared first on Youth Soccer Evolution.

For two long exciting days, I had the chance to learn from the best. This opportunity is not going to be around for long, so I figured that I would take the course now.It’s not that I don’t think the course will continue, but I don’t think coach Tozer will be able to keep up with the demand and coach every course, pretty soon someone else will need to start instructing. I already knew a little about Futsal coaching before going to the class, but I was still overwhelmed by the amount of information they packed. From the history, to the formations, tactics, and player development, we got to see it all.

We also got a chance to work with many of the Great Lakes Regional Youth Futsal players trying out for the US Youth Futsal National teams. It’s still astonishing how underdeveloped Futsal is in the United States. Living in the information era, when we can speak to anyone in the world with a simple internet connection, yet we are still trying to explain Futsal to soccer players and parents who have played their entire lives!

With coach Keith Tozer at the helm, Futsal in the United States has a good start. I hope to continue working close to coach Tozer and learning from him. Since finishing his course, I am now capable of understanding the tactics used in Futsal. More importantly I am capable of instructing the systems of play, the techniques, the movements, and patterns. From the Futsal 3-1, 2-2, to the Argentine’s 4-0. Another way the course had a huge impact on my Futsal education was on my continued educational development. I am not able to view videos, listen to other coaches, and watch Futsal matches, and understand the patterns and techniques.

From speaking to coach Tozer, he obviously hopes that Futsal continues to grow in the US. Although the US Soccer Federation has yet to offer any futsal courses, coach Tozer has been offering Futsal Modules in A and B USSF licenses. It’s only a matter of time before Futsal explodes in the US. The quicker we start preparing the coaches for this sport, the better off we will be as players, coaches, and as a soccer nation.

Futsal across America is also helping to bring Futsal courses. I believe they have translated a course from the Spanish Federation. I hope to get the details and report them to you.

Any feedback or comments, please reach me at Ernesto@YouthSoccerEvolution.com

The post Futsal Course Education Level in the United States appeared first on Youth Soccer Evolution.

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Ok, so you’ve heard about futsal. It sounds like this foreign game played by foreigners. Well remember that was Football (soccer) before the immigrants brought it here. Now we are in love with that game, Soccer. Many people think of Futbol (which is Football in Spanish) when they hear Futsal. I’ve seen many people spell it FUTSOL. Others think that the ball is real heavy, while others have never even heard of it.

Well let’s look at the reason it’s called Futsal. Futsal comes from two Spanish words that were combined. Futbol (football) and Sala or Salon (indoor) were combined to make the word Futsal. In other countries they may call it Futbol de Salon.

Futsal was invented in Uruguay, but it was Brazil that adopted it and made it what it is today. Brazil started winning all the world cups and developing player after player, non stop. Everyone knew that if you wanted a good player, you had to go to Brazil. The one constant that was found was that Brazilians played a lot of Futsal and street soccer, which are similar. Futsal and street soccer were perfect for Brazil for several reasons that you can read about here. But just to name a few, there was a lack of funds for grass pitches, the fabelas were overpopulated, and the goals were smaller. So in the crowded cities, small concrete courts were used as their soccer fields. When the game went indoors, not much changed. The floor was smoother, the temperature was controlled, and the rules were modernized.

When other countries started focusing on player development, they did what we all do today, go find what is working and copy it and/or make it better. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just do what is already working. Pretty soon Spain adopted Futsal as a form of player development and it was their success as well that increased the popularity of Futsal throughout Europe.

Today, Futsal is the fastest growing sport in the US. Futsal is here to stay in the United States, even though many people may still have their doubts. The US Youth Futsal Association now has leagues across the United States and is growing at a very rapid pace. Futsal is not only being played in the winter, but also during the summer months, as well as in southern states where winters are very mild. The US Soccer Federation has finally started their US National Team and US Youth National teams. Today Futsal is rapidly expanding across the US and this is great news for everyone involved with soccer because Futsal only helps you be a better soccer player. Keith Tozer, US Futsal coach, is at the helm and leading the charge. He is also the US Youth Futsal technical director.

Want to Maximize Player Development as a player, parent, coach, and administrator, get the Ebook!

The people that will benefit the most from this revolution is you and me. Parents and their kids who play soccer. Why? because Futsal will be played by our kids at one time or another due to its popularity. Playing Futsal will make a huge impact on their development. Futsal forces players to use their feet, control the ball, improve coordination, and play in tight spaces. These are all factors that contribute to increased player development. The ball is constantly played on the ground, it’s rare that the ball leaves the floor. This forces the players to use their feet and with that comes foot skills improvement.

Everyone that starts playing Futsal immediately falls in love with the fast pace of the game. The only players that don’t like Futsal are the ones that can’t control the ball.

If you have any questions about Futsal, send me an email Ernesto@youthsoccerevolution.com. I currently own a Futsal league and train all of my players using Futsal.

The post Why Futsal is here to stay appeared first on Youth Soccer Evolution.