Sometimes, the world's most popular sport needs a little bit of spice. Soccer is a back and forth chess match and is typically decided by one or two goals, and with twenty-two players on the field, it is important to keep structure and organization lest the opposing team find the weaknesses and capitalize on it. Because of this, it may be hard to find use for the flair that was made popular by famous players like Neymar or Ronaldinho, especially nowadays. So, where do players go to let loose and show their creative capabilities?
Welcome to the world of futsal. Similar to how pickleball is an amalgamation of tennis and table tennis, futsal can be seen as a combination of soccer and basketball that is lively, intense, and beautiful. Although roughly translating to "indoor soccer", futsal can also be played outdoors, with the only requirements being a court, two goals, and a slightly heavier ball. That is right, other than the glaring difference being futsal having five players a team versus eleven, the ball is also slightly heavier, reducing bounces and forcing players to adapt and be more precise and meaningful with any moves they make. The game is all about flair. The small sided courts combined with the numbers make it difficult to freely move around like on a regularly sized field, so players must use their creativity to find spaces out and score, much akin to how pickleball's necessary skill is finding gaps in the other team and exploiting them. Like pickleball, it is an extremely energetic variant to soccer and typically has higher scores and a higher frequency of skills that will amaze anyone.
However, other than the entertainment factor, futsal can be extremely beneficial for soccer players. As mentioned earlier, the tight space and high energy force players to be more precise with their passes, but futsal also helps with decision making and technique. Every touch in a bigger field is important, but in futsal, a poor touch is detrimental. Locking down that touch in high pressure situations is an important step in progressing as a player, and futsal is one of the best ways to get better at it. In addition to the technical side, futsal also strengthens balance and agility. Because the game is focused more on skill, it usually is not as physical as a normal game, but where muscle is not as needed balance is key. Holding off the opposing player and giving yourself enough space and separation from defending players are essential skills in futsal and translates very well into soccer. Similarly, the closeness of a futsal court means you will hardly be beating only one player; in many cases, beating two or three in rapid succession or passing if off to someone after beating the first player is necessary before getting to goal. However, that ability to beat one or two players quickly is key for players on the wing or in the midfield, further making futsal a great place to train a number of skills in a way that is also fun and engaging.
Brazos Valley Council of Governments is have issued a request for proposal to construct four pickleball courts and two multi-use futsal courts at Anderson Park, complete with parking, lighting, utilities, and detention pond. The additions of the court will see an influx of players both for the country's fastest growing sport and for a sport that will hopefully see a rise in popularity along with how soccer has been. All people want is a place to play their favorite sports, and the city of Brazos Valley is looking to give people that and are looking for a construction company that has quality experience in sports court, utility, and pavement construction to realize their goal. If interested, click here to learn more. The bid closes September 11, 2024 at 2:00 PM CT.