Youth Sport Weekend: Futsal Fun! (with linky)

Today was the last Futsal (indoor soccer) game for my big girl Flash!

Flash just loves playing Futsal and it doesn’t seem to bother her, or the boys, that she is the only girl on the team. When she plays Futsal and soccer, the pressure of her high-level individual sports of swimming and athletics melts away into the fun , enthusiasm and camaraderie of team sport. She is by no means the best player, and their team doesn’t always win. Even though everyone, including Flash, likes to win, she is really learning that  winning and being the best is not as important as being part of the team.

Flash has been playing soccer since she was 4 years old, but this was the first season that we have played Futsal. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t complexly sure about the indoor soccer concept  at first, but  Flash just loves it. and it has completely won me over!

Because of the smaller playing space and the bigger, harder (slower) ball, Futsal is really good for ball control and skill development in soccer. Because the play is so fast, it teaches them to concentrate and to follow the game more closely. Playing Futsal over the summer also keeps their match skills and fitness levels up for the winter soccer season. We find Futsal is fast, exciting and just a whole lot of fun!

For the parents it’s great too, because we get to sit comfortably and chat watch instead of standing in the cold. The games are quite short, and they seem to go even faster because it’s so exciting. ….and I don’t have to worry about flash getting sunburnt or having the games rained out!

The one hesitation I have with Flash playing Futsal is that injuries seem quite common. Just this year, I have has friends from older futsal age groups with a broken arms, damaged knees and ankles. As with any sport, there is a inherent risk of injury, but I think the risk is kept minimal in the younger age groups on the mixed teams, as they are not as aggressive as the older age groups.

I’m glad my daughter loves playing soccer, because I think it is really important for her to play a team sport. I can see in her face, the joy she gets from being part of her team. I have also been reading a lot lately, how over specialization in sport at an early age is detrimental to their later development, so I think playing Futsal is great to keep that variety up.

I also love that she gets to enjoy the social ascpet of a team sport and she also gets learn the valuable lessons of team work.

I’d really recommend futsal for under 10 year old players as a fun and exciting summer game although, I still think it a little odd that outdoor soccer is played in the middle of winter…where players and spectators are forced to endure the cold, wind, rain or sleet! But, in warm summer mornings, we are playing inside?

Has your child been involved in a youth sport this weekend? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below, or on the SportyMummy  facebook page. You can also link the URL of your blog post to the linky tool below. 

One of my aims for this little SportyMummy blog, is to develop a Youth Sports community where parents can support, encourage and motivate each other to support their children’s participation in youth sports. If your children have participated in a youth sport or an active pursuit, you can link up your post with the linky below and share the fun!