In this month’s article, I would like to talk about some important points about training players in our country and how futsal could help. Nowadays in Brazil, we are not developing special players, the high level technically players who could with a dribble or pass change the course of a match. I’m talking about creativity, unpredictability, decision make… Something that has become rare for an extremely simple reason in my opinion. There are studies showing the number of futsal courts, streets with spaces to play, parks, dirt soccer fields of 7v7 decreases more than 200% every decade in Brazil for real estate reasons becoming extremely rare in all the capitals of the “Country of the Football “I don’t know if you could notice that I didn’t mention 11v11 pitches because these have always been very rare to be available. What I mean by that; with the severe decrease of spaces to play football, many children do not have the opportunity to play “Pelada” or pickup soccer as we say here. This has always been the secret of Brazilian football. Play without responsibility, without a coach, different balls, in small spaces that require much more ball control and technique, on different surfaces, with different ages or gender. A place that anyone is accepted without regard to social class, gender, or color. A real space for each player to demonstrate their personality with the ball in their feet, not forgetting the social and socio-educational part that this experience brought us. In these fields or courts, the rules are defined by the group thus forcing collective decision making and not just individuals. When these players start training on bigger fields and with a coach they are already 13 to 14 years old and have time to polish this diamond, since they already have all the technique, creativity, unpredictability, and something very important that pickup can help, competitiveness! Since there is nothing worse than losing to your friends, and you have to wait outside with your team to return to the field while the winners remain on the court. Most of the Brazilian historical football players have been groomed in these fields or courts, mainly Futsal. Of course, there are other factors like watching soccer, especially from inside the stadium as we were raised doing.Please, I ask each parent who is reading this article to encourage their child to play this way, call your brothers, cousins, neighbors, friends … for a game on a particular day of the week … All the kids by themselves without parents, coaches, referee, cones. In this way, we can help to develop high-level players and people prepared for life. This way we make soccer more available for kids to play, and not just for those who can pay to play. Soccer is a cheap sport which you don’t even have to buy a nice ball or a football cleat, those things will not help you to be a better player most of the times. However, the time you will spend with “your best friend” the soccer ball and having fun while playing will.
Soccer is a lifestyle…and a great way to live your life!

Obrigado,

Roberto “Vella” Velloso