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Mario Mrakovic, Founder and Director of San Diego Futsal
Photo Credit: Carey Schumacker
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Soccer News: Great Coaches on Great Soccer.
SN readers really enjoyed our new series, Great Coaches on Great Soccer. The series launched with Bob Amman from Cal State Fullerton and more than 3,000 people read it. This week SN features Mario Mrakovic on Futsal.
Mario Mrakovic on Futsal: Founder of San Diego Futsal, Mario Mrakovic and speaks his mind on how great players play futsal and how Spain's National Team benefited from this style of training. Mrakovic is also a San Diego Surf Soccer Coach and Grass Roots Development Program Director.
Mario Mrakovic asks: "What does Spain’s Euro and World Cup Titles mean for Futsal and the game of soccer in U.S.? How much proof does one needs to start believing in the training magic of Futsal? Playing Futsal is so easy, fun and good...Is this method even fair and legal?"
What is Futsal?
Futsal, also known as 5x5 indoor soccer, most often played on a hard wood floor -- like a basketball court, is a fast paced game offering a lot of touches with the ball. Futsal is a High scoring game with quick foot skill and a lot of action. The game of Futsal imrpoves endurance, speed, agitity, precision footwork, fast thinking ... manyprofessionals believe Futsal offers key training.
Spain's National Team has excellent footwork. Is team a great example of the benefits of Futsal?
Spain has won the 2010 World Cup title. Their dominance in Europe soccer is clear. Spain’s emphasis on Futsal and the technical development of their players needs to be recognized, especially in America. When watching the national team of Spain, you can see, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the benefits and impact of Futsal.
Who are some of the great soccer players who play Futsal?
Just as the likes of Brazilians, such as Ronaldinho, Marta, Robinho, Kaka grew up playing Futsal, so have a lot of top Spanish soccer stars, who played the game of soccer in schools and on the streets. The physical stature of Spain’s top technical players such as Iniesta, Pedro and Fabregas is also similar to a typical Futsal player.
When did Futsal become popular?
The creation of a professional Futsal league in Spain in 1989 led to significant growth in the small-sided games, and Futsal is now an integral part of the Spanish soccer training and its culture. Spain’s underage international success in soccer has been admired by many European countries. Today, most Spanish kids play a version of Futsal at school and become skilled before they join any orgainzed soccer associations. The Spanish have captured four of the last 10 UEFA U10 Championship titles and have wom more UEFA U17 titles (eight to be exact) than any other country. The women's teams are also considered among the best in Europe.
How can Futsal help soccer players?
The universal game of soccer is rapidly changing. It’s quicker, more technical and tactical, and the ball is in play longer. It is less about physicality and more about technique, first touch and quick decision making – exactly the qualities Futsal helps to develop.
The 2008 European Championships was a watershed for soccer. The elegant Spanish team demonstrated that the days of physical strength over technique have well and truly disappeared. Spanish side showed that the artistry is clearly winning over industry. When you look at the patient short-passing game Spain play and the excellent technique of all players on the team, the influence of Futsal on the Spanish style is more than obvious.
Spanish players can receive the ball with several opponents around them and still retain possession. Such confidence comes from playing in the early developmental years in confined spaces such as Futsal court provides.
Tell us more about Futsal:
Many coaches working with young players in U.S. become distracted by concentrating on the physical development of their players and winning, rather than working on improving players’ technique and competence on the ball. When you see the success that Spain's soccer teams have enjoyed on the international scene, and that Barcelona has had in club soccer, it gives confidence to those coaches who are determined to put skill before winning games.
So, with this in mind, here’s a request to all those dedicated coaches, volunteers and parents involved in kids’ soccer in USA. Put THIS ahead of all the appeals and Morgan Freeman’s voice over in a bid to host the next World Cup at U.S. soil. Put THIS as a first priority and prerequisite and earn the right to host a World Cup tourney; Encourage the dribbles, step-overs and fancy footwork, encourage playing the ball out from the back and applaud that young defender is striding out with the ball at his or her feet. Let the kids express and enjoy themselves and take chances, and if it goes wrong, keep their heads up and get them to try it again. Make them think on their own, let them solve the puzzles by rational thinking, don’t give them easy answers, have them figure things out on their own. We need more alpha dog and less sheep types of soccer player mentalities. Educate and teach by challenging and feeding their thoughts, rather than coaching by telling them what to do. Praise all the self-initiative, creative and imaginative things they do, and above all remember, does it really matter what the score is at youth soccer? Really?
And if you still don’t know the answer – just take a peek at Futsal and the global superstars it has produced, and the Spanish “cheaters” who enjoy success after success…
Mario Mrakovic San Diego Futsal Founder and Director and writes on Futsal for SoccerNation. Mrakovic is also an active youth soccer coach for San Diego Surf Soccer and the Director of the Grassroots program for Surf Youth Soccer.
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