CSA Introduces Futsal Programming

CSA is pleased to announce that we will be offering more high quality futsal training to our members this year through the new CSA Futsal Program. If you have not yet heard of futsal, here is a quick introduction:

Overview of Futsal

Futsal is a 5-a-side version of futbol played on a hard flat surface (court) just a bit bigger than a basketball court, with a smaller, low-bounce ball. Futsal was created in Uruguay in the 1930s as a way to play futbol indoors. It spread quickly throughout South America and is widely acknowledged as a key factor in the development of talent there as well as in Spain and Portugal. Players like Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldinho, and Neymar Jr. all played futsal when they were young and recognize its role in their success in futbol.

Futsal is a great sport on its own merit and its popularity is growing in the US and across the world. In the US we now have both a men’s (est. in the early 1980s) and women’s national team (est. 2024) for futsal and we are looking forward to the first ever Futsal Women’s World Cup in 2025!!

Benefits of Futsal

Futsal is widely recognized in the US for its value in technical and tactical development for young soccer players. The parameters of the game (small-sided, low bounce ball, no walls, limitations on GK, 4 second restarts, etc.) help develop certain skills better than other versions of futbol. Here are a few aspects of the soccer game that Futsal is particularly good at developing:

• technical ability in tight spaces
• 1v1 ability (attacking and defending)
• movement off the ball to create space and unbalance defenders
• quick decision making
• precision passing
• creative and opportunistic finishing
• combination play in tight space
• defending in 2s and 3s
• GKs reaction speed and ability/comfort with their feet.

New CSA Futsal Programs

We are offering two levels of new futsal programming to our members this year. Please note the CSA Futsal program has been implemented and created into CSA as an “add on” program for your child’s development as a soccer player. The programs are set up to NOT interfere with your current club team schedule and, just like our camps and winter training programs, there is no obligation, expectation or requirement to sign up for any program.

Futsal Technical Training: appropriate for all experience levels u6-u19. Focus is on individual technical development and ball mastery. For any players who want to want to focus on improving their technical ability through futsal.

• Training blocks of 5 sessions per block offered. 5x1h training sessions. $125 per block or $400 for all 4 blocks. Make-up sessions will be allowed.
  • Block 1: October/November
  • Block 2: January/February
  • Block 3: February/March
  • Block 4: April/May
• U6-U10: Sunday training
• U11-U19: Friday training
• Players will be separated into smaller groups by ability for some parts of the sessions.

Competitive Futsal Teams: for players u8-u12 who want to experience the highest level of futsal training and competition. Focus is on individual and team development with the goal of competing nationally.

• 30+ hours of team training October-February scheduled around the soccer calendar. Players will gain mastery of both futsal-specific techniques and tactics ($520 training cost)
• Competitions will include minimum of the USYF Futsal League in Rock Hill (Nov-Feb games, 8 guaranteed) and one high level futsal tournament ($200 competition cost)
• Tryout required and number of teams limited. Visit our CSA Futsal website for tryout details.

Questions:

Program Director: Mary Rea