Athens Futsal and Athens Community Soccer have been working to organize futsal programs for January 2016. We thank everyone who participated in our fall programs, and are trying to make the January options even better. Detailed descriptions of the programs and survey/sign up form are linked here, and at the bottom of the page.
We need your help, by letting us know which programs you or your family members would like to participate in. Below is a brief overview. Currently there are three basic ways that futsal programs are organized in Athens: ACC programs, Drop-in programs, Recreational leagues.
ACC Programs
ACC Youth Futsal, Autumn
ACC Youth Futsal, Winter
ACC Youth Futsal is a recreational and instructional league that has been offered in the Autumn of 2014 and 2015. The program helps players develop fundamental skills and have fun playing futsal. The Autumn program includes players from 3rd to 8th grade, with select older players acting as mentors to younger players. We are working the with ACC on the possibility of a Winter program including 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders on Fridays at 5:00, immediately before Family Futsal.ACC Youth Futsal, Autumn
ACC Youth Futsal, Winter
Drop-in programs:
Family Futsal
Women's Futsal
Turf field Futsal
These are low cost and accessible ways for new players to get started with futsal, and for advanced players to act as mentors teaching the enjoyment of skillful play. Our goal is to grow participation in the sport for all players in a manner that is as safe, accessible and welcoming as possible. In all of these programs we work to obtain permission from the facility managers at the Athens Community Center, and the Athens School District to schedule pick-up futsal programs at their facilities. These events are scheduled around the existing uses of the ACC gyms and the high school turf field. We would love to have more offerings of this type, but we are limited by the availability of existing facilities. However, we need as many players and families to describe their interests in these programs so that we can accurately advocate to meet those needs. We work to keep these grassroots programs as inexpensive and accessible as possible.
Recreational league programs
Latenight Futsal
Youth Latenight
These leagues emphasize recreational play for enjoyment and learning. Athens Community Soccer offers latenight programs by renting the Community Center gym after normal operating hours. This allows us to use both halves of the gym (doubling our playing capacity) and greatly expanding the hours available for futsal. Winter hours are in high demand at the ACC, and playing after hours is the only way that we can get gym time mid-week during the busy winter months. We collect fees in order to schedule and pay for the facility rental and staffing costs prior to the season.
A note about Latenight programs, costs and futsal equipment.
Athens Futsal is the futsal facet of Athens Community Soccer, a non-profit, volunteer driven organization. Athens Futsal emerged as a collaboration between Athens Community Soccer, GASA and the Athens Community Center. GASA provided money for our initial purchases of goals, balls, pinnies, and cones. Currently we are working to fund the replacement and expansion of these resources through the fees collected from the latenight futsal programs. Two thirds of the fees cover rental and staffing; the remaining one third is used to purchase goals, balls, and pinnies for futsal programs at the ACC and the Athens High School.
Because of our 2015 fall programs we were able to purchase new pinnies for the futsal programs. If our winter programs fill we will be able to purchase new goals and balls for use at the ACC and Athens High School. We hope to build full sets of equipment at both the ACC and the High school to support programs at both locations.
