Futsal Season

By: Desiree Harr

Futsal is a winter sport that is quickly becoming popular as more soccer players emerge into high school.

Futsal is a game of soccer but on an indoor court and with a little different rules. The ball that is used is a weighed ball, it has a weight in it to help keep it on the ground better so it's easier to control. There are 5 players per team on the court at once including the goalie.

The game starts just like an outdoor soccer game with one team starting with the ball. When the ball goes out of bounds, instead of throwing it in, it is kicked in since there is little room for throwing. When the teams would like to sub, they can call a player out and transfer someone else in for them whenever they want. Senior Nick Loeffelholz says, "I love that you can sub whenever, it's a good way to maximize your playing time."

There are two types of teams for futsal. These teams consist of high school teams and there are elite high school teams. An elite team is a faster pace team that is usually more skilled than the regular team.

Futsal also provides an opportunity for soccer players to compete and practice their skills during the off season. The league is run by players from Viterbo women's soccer as a fund raiser for their team and is held at the Viterbo gyms.

When futsal started about 5 years ago, Sparta had a hard time finding a girls team but last year they came into the league with four teams. Lynnea Leis, a senior at Sparta High School says, "I have been playing futsal since my freshman year and it has increased my soccer skill more than I thought it would." Many players notice after the futsal season how much it has helped get in shape and with their skills. Leis continued, "I have met new people by playing futsal because of being on a team with people from other schools because we didn't have enough girls to make a team. I learned new skills and moves from them."

Many girls have played in the past years, but now they have come together to play as a better team. It offers players that are unavailable to play in the regular season a chance to show their skills. Senior Amelia Schmitz says, "I love futsal. It gives the girls who don't get the opportunity to play soccer in the spring a chance to play." Schmitz continues to say, "I think that futsal is a good sport to play if you have no other sport in the winter to do and to stay in good shape."

There are many ways to get ready for futsal. Senior Brianna Brinckman says, "You should do sprint jogs and lift weights at least one month before the season starts." She continues, "If you just run it doesn't help much because you are just staying at a constant speed and during futsal, you don't stay constant. Soccer is about sprinting and showing your skill."

The Viterbo Women's Soccer team encourages middle school and high school students to sign up for futsal. They are excited to see the teams that arise this year.