Macksam Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I saw this tweet on the PFA's official website. Even though I personally don't like MLSE, I have to admit their focus on TFC has been admirable these last couple of years. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. I think a huge grass roots initiative that would bear fruit both on a marketing and youth development standpoint would be to build hundreds (if not thousands) of these courts (along with basketball ones to cross brand with the Raps) throughout the GTA and run summer leagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Got to make Kaka feel at home Nice surface. I like your idea. With 2 sets of lines it is pretty easy. I've played in gyms with 6 different sports lines on the floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macksam Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Creating hybrid surfaces could also work. They create things like these all over the Netherlands (granted I think they have more mini field turf pitches) and France. I think it would take things to the next level for us by making it the sport of choice for the inner city kids next to Basketball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shermanator Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I like the idea myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 A new futsal league is starting next year in the States, the PFL. The Barça B futsal team is playing a tournament vs. a US and a Mexican selection in FriscoTexas these days, think it is to promote it. Seriously though, sure, lay out the lines. But don't get obsessed about perfect courts, you can play anyways, even it if court is basketball size (shorter). Playing futsal is okay for getting kids some skills, but the games are totally different and once you choose one, you can only really play the other for fun, not for training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macksam Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 ^^^^ Another avenue could be to build thousands of mini field turf pitches across the city like the UEFA Grassroots Movement. Encourage kids to play 3 on 3. Again, I think MLSE are more grand with their vision of TFC than when the team first started. However, they have the potential to tremendously increase that vision and take this club to a massive level and this would be one of the building blocks to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 ^^^^ Another avenue could be to build thousands of mini field turf pitches across the city like the UEFA Grassroots Movement. Encourage kids to play 3 on 3. Again, I think MLSE are more grand with their vision of TFC than when the team first started. However, they have the potential to tremendously increase that vision and take this club to a massive level and this would be one of the building blocks to do it. No. Stick to futsal for small sided games. Way less maintenance compared to fake turf. You could have 3 small playing surfaces marked out side to side on a futsal court for 3v3 play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 I am against 3x3 as only two passing options is too few. I have the ball, I can go there, or there. That is it. That is not football, sorry, and it forces players to be very active to get free, as opposed to a 5 on 5 or 7 on 7 with keeper, where you have to make more complex decisions. And not just run your butt off. 3x3 is typical of people who think they kids will get more touches, but hey, you need down time playing too, lulls, fade out and come back in, and 3 on 3 does not give it to you. So you end up putting conditioning ahead of ball skills and off the ball movement. And nullify the whole point of the theory. Futsal's keeper plus 4 gives you a lot more, as does good old 7 a side played across a normal field, wonderful. By a certain age, though, I think you have to go up a size, pitch and players, otherwise kids never get to run into space, by age 10-11 they finish a futsal match and they are not even tired because the running is easy on them. The game finishes and they go out and play pick up on their own. That is not good,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macksam Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 ^^^^ It works well for the French. The second year for kids (at 14 I think) in the country's big national training centre usually entails 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 play on small pitches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 ^^^^ It works well for the French. The second year for kids (at 14 I think) in the country's big national training centre usually entails 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 play on small pitches. Just to be clear: by no means are French pre-teens only playing 3x3 or 4x4, they are just drills amongst many others. Good drills for 10 min high pressure short passing and off the ball movement. So a complement. No pro team in the world trains by playing futsal, proper futsal. Because it is a fundamentally different game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Just to be clear: by no means are French pre-teens only playing 3x3 or 4x4, they are just drills amongst many others. Good drills for 10 min high pressure short passing and off the ball movement. So a complement. No pro team in the world trains by playing futsal, proper futsal. Because it is a fundamentally different game. There is a study of youth academies done by the European Club Association (ECA) a couple of years back. It included 9 in depth case studies of well regarded youth academies including Barca, Arsenal, & Ajax among others. It lends support to what you say. Ajax's U-8s played 4 on 4, but that was it for less than 5 on 5 at the very youngest age. Kids would move through 7 on 7 and some times 9 on 9 before starting 11 on 11 no later than age 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macksam Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Just to be clear: by no means are French pre-teens only playing 3x3 or 4x4, they are just drills amongst many others. Good drills for 10 min high pressure short passing and off the ball movement. So a complement. No pro team in the world trains by playing futsal, proper futsal. Because it is a fundamentally different game. I don't recall saying any team did. This whole idea was suggested so the GTA youth can better develop raw talent. I also didn't say French youth only played 3 on 3. Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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