Wow, where did the last 10 years go?!
Condensing the last 10 years into a single blog post is an impossible task, however, a personal highlight has been witnessing the success of the young men and women I've had the pleasure of coaching.
It is incredibly rewarding to see some individuals now playing football full-time, earning a living from the sport, and even representing their country at a national level. It is just as rewarding seeing players continue playing into adulthood, irrespective of the level.
I am immensely proud of Futsal Escocia's achievements. Futsal Escocia has evolved from a vision, to a hobby, then a part-time passion, to a full-time occupation, a limited company, and now a VAT-registered business with a non-profit section supporting our teams.
This achievement is a direct result of the considerable hard work and dedicated efforts of our academy coaches, team coaches, and committee members. It would not have been possible without your support.
Back to the Start
Upon founding Futsal Escocia, I felt confident in the project itself, though I was unsure of its reception amongst the players, parents, and teams. Futsal was unknown at the time.
Introducing something new can be difficult, but emphasising that famous footballers such as Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar, and Iniesta all played futsal has proven to be very helpful. Their endorsement of futsal and its benefits greatly encouraged parents and children to consider trying it. We started advertising 1 session at Inverkeithing and that grew to 3 sessions even before a ball was kicked. We also created an adult legue to introduce parents and more importantly coaches to the game. They would then spread the word about how exciting futsal is.
Once you have the kids in the door, the challenge is retaining them, especially with all the football coaching businesses out there.
To now have around 450 children a week is a remarkable achievement, so we must be doing something right!!
What makes us different?
Variety is essential for any aspiring footballer. Futsal differs from football; the ball, playing surface, and conditions vary, and our training sessions are structured to allow the game itself to guide learning. I believe this approach distinguishes us from other organisations where I sometimes feel they are over coached.
I continuously look to refine my coaching techniques and our programme offerings. My professional development has included coaching development trips to England, Spain, Brazil, and China over the past ten years, culminating in earning my UEFA B License in Finland. These experiences have taken me outside my comfort zone but have provided significant personal and professional growth, enabling me to learn from exceptional individuals across various cultures. Highlights include access to the Flamengo and Fluminense academies in Brazil, Inter Movistar first team and academy in Madrid, and regular access to Barcelona and La Masia.
My key takeaway from these experiences at top level academies is the importance of simplicity and intensity. It was reassuring that we provide similar coaching methods here as to what I've witnessed in Brazil and Spain.
What is our 'Developing the Player' coaching programme?
Our coaching programme is structured into age, physicality, and ability-based sections.
For younger age groups, we prioritise motor skill development, ball handling time, enjoyable games, and small-sided games.
As the children mature and their technical skills develop, we incorporate themed sessions and game-related activities designed to stimulate their cognitive abilities. The themes were something we introduced from day one, but we have added small sided games and testing to the curriculum over the years.
Tactical considerations, both with and without possession, become increasingly important as they reach the teenage years and into adulthood.
Throughout all of the age groups we encourage competition and a "jungle mentality" that I took from top futsal coach Mico Martic. I believe that the training environment you create is another vital component of player development.
Success Stories
We've achieved significant success, with over 140 players advancing to professional football academies, and a remarkable eight players representing Scotland national teams at U15-U19 age levels.
We also have 6 players from our first team who have been capped at international level. 3 of those are from our youth structure.
The above achievements are outstanding examples of what can be achieved with a positive attitude and dedicated effort. The challenge lies in inspiring the next generation to achieve similar results.
What's the difference between our academy and teams?
Our Academy is run as a business with paid coaches, whilst the teams are run as a non-profit organisation with volunteers.
At the team level, we have successfully established a comprehensive male player pathway encompassing approximately 200 players distributed across 19 teams, ranging from under-7 to adult levels.
Our first team participates in the SFL Super League, while our B Team represents us in the SFL Edinburgh league. Our youth teams currently compete in the Futsal Escocia Youth Leagues and other external matches and competitions.
Our team coaches and committee members volunteer their time and do a wonderful job ensuring everything runs smoothly.
What are our objectives for the next ten years?
Our objectives vary across sections, prioritising sustained growth and continuous improvement in standards.
Academy -
Youth Teams -
Adult Teams -
Club & Academy
Leagues -
Nationally -
Our influence extends only to what we provide, however, to ensure futsal's continued growth and development, collaboration with the SFA, SYFA, SFL, opposing teams, relevant facilities, schools, and Fife Council is essential.
Our hope is that, in ten years, futsal will be readily accessible to all, with greater indoor options available.
As I said at the start, it is impossible to include everything form the last 10 years, but hopefully our experiences and success provides other clubs and organisations with the motivation to do something similar. We would be more than happy to help anyone in that process.
Thanks once again to everyone who has supported me and Futsal Escocia on our incredible journey over the last decade. The players, the coaches, parents, teams, sponsors, facilities and supporters. I thank you all and I am extremely excited about what the next chapter will bring.
My personal ambition is for Futsal Escocia to keep developing and evolving, providing players with the opportunity to participate in this amazing sport long after my involvement.
If you want to be part of Futsal Escocia please email [email protected] or check out our academy schedule here:
https://futsal-escocia.classforkids.io/
Russell
