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Futsal launches into Kent

Forget about fuzzy balls and rebound walls. FIFA rules 5-a-side in the rest of the world is known as Futsal…. And now it’s making a big splash in the UK through the Futsal Premier League, (TheFPL), and it’s associated Academy.

Tunbridge Wells, Kent. June 3, 2004. The Futsal Premier League continues to make progress with its Academy program. Tunbridge Wells was the venue for the latest ‘Coach the Coach’ workshop, hosting coaches from Kent and Middlesex FA as well as Chelsea Ladies FC. The workshop is a precursor to greater things. The FPL has partnered with local providers First Class Football to help develop Futsal in Kent. Along with the support of the Kent County FA, the stage is set the stage for new leagues and schools programs.

TheFPL is launching a new national league, with feeder leagues and youth programs being setup regionally. To help boost development of Futsal, The FPL Academy has also introduced KickStart and Coach Workshops to help prepare coaches and providers to take the game to the masses.

Futsal is the Official UEFA and FIFA version of 5-a-side indoor football. It is fast and dynamic sport, with the emphasis on skill. The game develops creativity and imagination and encourages players to make decisions much more quickly than the 11-a-side game.

Mark Potter of TheFPL commented, ‘Some of the great skills we now see by foreign players in our premiership come courtesy of an upbringing in Futsal’. We believe Futsal can play a really important role in the future of the game in this country, and we’re committed to proliferation of the game through our Futsal-4-All™ program.

The session was delivered by Mark Potter, a UEFA licensed coach with a decade of Futsal under his belt, playing and coaching at international level. ‘It’s always a challenge when you are coaching to peers’, said Mark. ‘Yes, it’s football and all very familiar to these guys in many respects, but there are enough differences in focus and tactics to keep them on their toes. The day was a fantastic success. I think the gang did really well. They’ve certainly gone away on a real high from the session’.

First Class Football’s Ben Tadmor and Andy McAllen have made great strides over the last year in developing schools football programs in Tunbridge Wells. ‘Futsal is so widely played around the world, we’d be mad not to add this to our skills development workshops’, says Andy. ‘We’re excited at the opportunity in working with the FPL’. ‘Futsal is hailed by Brazilian greats such as Pele, Zico, and Ronaldinho as a key contributor to their amazing skill with a football’, added Ben. ‘Maybe we’ve been missing something all along!!’

One special secret is the Futsal ball. Sized 3 for juniors and 4 for adults, it’s slightly less bouncy than a traditional soccer ball, but this makes it ideal for skill work and confidence building. ‘You have to just play with it to believe it. I love it’, commented Paul Dolan of Kent FA, as he performed some pretty nice juggling and dribbling skills.

Nici Rice, also of Kent FA, is particularly focused on girl’s development. ‘The focus on skills, non-contact, and pure football makes this ideal for our efforts in development’, commented Nici.  ‘I see this as a real step forward for us and we’ll be doing what we can to incorporate the game, and the magic ball into our programs. The FPL team did a fantastic job in introducing us to Futsal.’

For information on the Futsal Premier League and Academy, visit www.thefpl.com.
Contact: info@thefpl.com

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Copyright © 2004 The Futsal Premier League