Games start Nov. 18th!

Rule discussion with Referee Simon
League A will begin promptly at 6:00 with a rule review and introduction from Referee Simon.  The first match will begin at 6:10 after the review and introduction are completed.   The League Z rule review will begin at 7:30, games beginning at 7:40.  On thursday there will be a 10 min warm up period at the start of each league time period.

Practice time happens while your team is not in a game
We will be working with players on skills and  tactics during the games that their team is sitting out.  This includes watching the play and commenting on events, tactics, and positioning as well as players working independently in small groups on passing, trapping and dribbling.  This tuesday players should focus on cushion trapping and side foot passes in addition to watching the games to improve their understanding of roles and positions in futsal.

New skills introduced every Thursday
On Thursday Coach Mitch will introduce a new footskill for players to practice.

All teams will play 4 short games (12 min each)
During our first two weeks we will try playing 12 min games (with 1 min for transitioning), each team will play 4 games. Schedule of games, with the same pattern for both leagues :

1. Red/Orange        Vrs    Yellow/Green   [A 6:10]  [Z 7:40]
2. Yellow/Green     Vrs    Blue                  [A 6:23]  [Z 7:53]
3. Red/Orange        Vrs    Blue                  [A 6:36]  [Z 8:06]
4. Red/Orange        Vrs    Yellow/Green   [A 6:49]  [Z 8:19]
5. Yellow/Green    Vrs     Blue                  [A 7:02]  [Z 8:32]
6. Red/Orange        Vrs    Blue                  [A 7:15]  [Z 8:45]

Shin guards, clean shoes and team colors 

• All players must whear shin guards.   (I found a shin guard at the ACC on Thursday).
• Wear CLEAN shoes!  
• Wear your team color!   Double check the list-- some players are confused about which team they are on.

Important safety reminder 

Players are reminded to play with control and to avoid striking the ball out of control, and especially striking the ball high.   Hitting the ceiling, lights or sending the ball onto the upper level is a yellow card offense, and includes a penalty period of at least one minute.   

Futsal is not the same as indoor soccer. Read the full explanation of rules linked here. 

Some key futsal rule differences   

1. Futsal is minimum contact, not a contact sport like soccer.
2. ACC futsal requires players to use extra control due to the mixed use facility
3. Yellow card offenses include a penalty period (1 player deficit) at least 1 minute
4. Striking lights, ceiling or upper deck of facility is a yellow card offense.
5. All kick-ins must be taken promptly (4 seconds) or they are forfeited to the other team
1. Defending team must give 10 feet from ball.
6. Goal kicks can be taken from anywhere in the goal area
7. Shots are only scored if knee high or lower, and from within the goal area
8. There are no goalies, there are just field players

Initial Rosters for Youth Futsal

Here are our initial rosters for Youth Futsal 2014 at the ACC.  We had a short time turn around, so these are our current best effort to make teams that are even within both leagues, and to reflect player preferences for playing at the same time as siblings. 

As we get to know the players better we may need to adjust teams to foster better balances of players within and possibly across leagues.  

Thanks for all of your help Thursday night!

Update: 

Practices and games for A League are from 6:00 to 7:30, and Z League is from 7:30 to 9:00. 

I am very much looking forward to helping all the players improve and enjoy the game of futsal.  This week our practices will include work on the obstacle course from Thursday, the team passing exercise, and short scrimmages.  

All players should wear a shirt of the color of their team to practices as well as games.  We have pinnies to alter teams if needed.   Games are played 6v6, and therefore if we are short players on a team we will draw players from the other teams in the same league / time slot. 

All players need to wear shin guards, and it is really helpful if you can help make sure the players have *clean* shoes.   The gym floor becomes very slippery with dirty shoes. 

Thanks for a great first night!

Video clip of the great futsal style goal by Sevilla. 

Youth Futsal at the ACC got off to a great start tonight (Nov. 6th, 2014). Big thanks to all the parents and coaches who helped out with our first night.  The players seemed to have fun and it looks like we will have a super season.   

The video clip above highlights the great team play and precise, quick passing that makes futsal so fun.  I am pretty sure that all of those Sevilla players grew up playing futsal.  

Futsal Skills and Assesment Avtivities

Nov 6th - Dec 18th 2014 

Tuesday and Thursday Evenings, 6:00 to 9:00

Recreational Youth Futsal League

Athens Community Center   

 

Skills assessment begins Nov 6th at 6:00 pm.   This is a learning focused league which aims to help all players develop, improve and have fun playing futsal.   Ted put together a three page overview of futsal skills that we will work on, the fun assessment activities we will do, and an overview of the three key roles in futsal.  Please take a look!

• Overview of futsal skills, assessment and player roles
• Three page handout   (feel free to leave a comment on the document)
• If any parents can stay and help with the assessment that would be great!
• Bring your smartphone or stop watch

• Materials
• ACC Futsal Information sheet
• Futsal Registration form (print this and bring to ACC)
• Rules for Recreational Youth League Futsal

In Brief:

• Players
• 5,6,7, 8th grade soccer players
• New Futsal players welcome
• Bring your friends, indoor shoes, shin guards
• Teams
• Teams will combine friend groups and ability levels
• Create balanced, coed teams in two leagues
• 8 players per team, 6v6 on court
•  Participation limited to first 48 players
• Sign up before November 2nd! 
• $32 includes practices and games at the ACC
• Nov 6th is rules, skill practice, form teams
• Nov 11,13 practices and scrimmages
• Nov 18 to Dec 18 games (except Thanksgiving)
• Two Coed Recreational Leagues 
• "A" league:  medium pace and younger players (6:00 to 7:30)
• "Z" league:  faster pace and older players (7:30 to 9:00)
• Teams and leagues organized to emphasize parity, learning, and recreation

Youth Futsal at the ACC: Early Winter League

Nov 6th - Dec 18th 2014 

Tuesday and Thursday Evenings, 6:00 to 9:00

Recreational Youth Futsal League

Athens Community Center   

 

The Athens Community Center is offering a Recreational Coed Youth Futsal League for players in grades 5,6,7 and 8.  Our hope is that this fun, fast paced game can be enjoyed by many players in the Athens community.  This is a learning focused, recreational league where emphasis is placed on skill development and team play.  

Futsal is different from indoor soccer in several key respects.  (1) Futsal is played with a low bounce ball on hard court surfaces with limited space.  The low bounce ball helps keep the ball on the ground for quick passes and controlled trapping.  (2) Futsal is a minimum contact sport, unlike soccer which is a contact sport.  This means that futsal players are held to a higher standard of self control, and the limits of legal contact are much more strictly enforced.  This is both to elevate the skillful nature of the game and to protect against unnecessary injury.  (3) Futsal at the ACC is played in a general purpose gymnasium and therefore additional restraint is required for all players in terms of rules of play, striking the ball and avoiding collisions.   

The ACC Youth Futsal League invites participation from boys and girls in grades 5,6,7, and 8.  The coed league will begin with a mandatory skills workshop.  During the workshop players will be encouraged to practice and demonstrate their skill with both feet in 5 fundamental areas of play:  dribbling, shooting, ball possession, quick passing, long passing. The goal behind this workshop is to assess player skill levels and to help the coaches and league organizers to assemble teams that reflect the goals of parity, fun, and high quality play.  

We anticipate dividing the league into two levels, the “A” League, composed primarily of 5th and 6th graders, and the “Z” League, composed primarily of 7th and 8th graders.  Players will be assigned into A or Z teams based on a combination of age, futsal skills, leadership ability, and maturity.  (Player preferences will be taken into account as much as possible, within reasonable limits).  We are aiming for three teams of 8 players in both the A and Z leagues. Teams play with 6 field players and no goalies. Within each league we will aim for approximate parity in team skills with the understanding that more balanced games are better learning and more fun for the players.  Practices and matches for A League will be held between 6:00 and 7:30; Z League between 7:30 and 9:00.   

The leagues will work to maximize playing time for all players.   If we have three teams in each league we will plan on each team playing 1 game against each opponent every night.  The league will hold 3 games per night, each team will play 2 games of 24 minutes (1 min for half time) with 5 min of warm up before each game.  The exact plan for game length and organization will depend on the number of players in each league.  

The league is seeking parents and other adults in the soccer community who are willing to coach a team in the Recreational Coed Youth Futsal League.  Please contact Erin Helms [ehelms@ci.athens.oh.us] to learn more about getting involved in this exciting new league

• Materials
• ACC Futsal Information sheet
• Futsal Registration form (print this and bring to ACC)
• Rules for Recreational Youth League Futsal

In Brief:

• Players
• 5,6,7, 8th grade soccer players
• New Futsal players welcome
• Bring your friends, indoor shoes, shin guards
• Teams
• Teams will combine friend groups and ability levels
• Create balanced, coed teams in two leagues
• 8 players per team, 6v6 on court
•  Participation limited to first 48 players
• Sign up before November 2nd! 
• $32 includes practices and games at the ACC
• Nov 6th is rules, skill practice, form teams
• Nov 11,13 practices and scrimmages
• Nov 18 to Dec 18 games (except Thanksgiving)
• Two Coed Recreational Leagues 
• "A" league:  medium pace and younger players (6:00 to 7:30)
• "Z" league:  faster pace and older players (7:30 to 9:00)
• Teams and leagues organized to emphasize parity, learning, and recreation

Spring Futsal

Turf field futsal. 1:00 to 3:00; Springtime Sundays [Outdoors!]
Location:  Athens High School stadium field. 

To participate in turf field futsal you need to be a member of Athens Community Soccer (ACS) which organizes the Saturday soccer league during spring, summer and fall. You can sign up for ACS online, and enrollment includes a full 12 months of participation in ACS leagues. Another major benefit of ACS membership is that it provides per person facility and accident insurance during events. ACS is $35 annual for adults, $20 annual for youth.  We bring ACS forms to the field. 

ACC futsal, 6:00-8:45; Wednesdays Resuming April 16th [Indoors!] 
Location: Athens Community Center. 

ACC family futsal is free, but you have to pay to use the building. Day passes $5.00, punch passes 20 for $60, or membership in the ACC. Ted usually purchases a punch pass and puts it at the front desk for NEW futsal players to use, and then people who enter using the pass are asked to pay him $3.00. Once you plan to come regularly, you should plan to buy a punch pass.  

ACC late night futsal (9:00 to 10:30)
Winter league plays last 3 weeks on Wednesdays, April 16th, 23rd, 30th.
Spring league, would begin in May, would depend on interest in teams to lead it.  

Late night futsal is a recreational league for teams to practice and play just for fun scrimmage games.   This is scheduled when available during after hours times at the ACC.  Join the futsal email list for details.  

GASA (Greater Athens Soccer Association) supports soccer and youth soccer programs in Athens.  GASA recently purchased goals for the Walmart fields, and new goals and the equipment pictured above for Athens Futsal.   Futsal in Athens would not be possible without the support of GASA.   If you enjoy Athens family futsal please Donate to GASA online via PayPal!.  Thanks!


Futsal email list:    send an email to h.t.welser  AT   gmail.com

Turf field weather rubric:
Sunday participation depends on weather, but we are hearty souls, and will plan to play under most conditions: 

sunny and 27 or warmer? = play 
clouds and 33 and warmer? = play
rain 45 and warmer? = play
lightning? = no play