We are immensely proud to witness several Futsal Escocia youngsters realising their aspirations of becoming full-time professional football players.
Alasdair Davidson, Summer Laird, Erin and Jessica Husband, Alfie Hutchison, Liam Kennedy, Logan Raeside and Keir McMeekin are just some of the players who have went on to achieve contracts at clubs including Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Raith Rovers.
It is important to recognise that we do not want to take credit for their success as we believe that success comes from within, however, we do hope that they look back at futsal and believe that it helped them in their journey both on and off the court.
At Futsal Escocia, we believe talent is only part of the story. We have seen a number of talented players who haven't succeeded.
What are the real difference-makers? There are a number of factors but Effort and Environment are vital.
"The biggest challenge any player has is with themselves".
Whether it’s our youngest Futsal Niños or our senior players competing at national level, the surroundings we create – physically, emotionally, and technically – set the tone for everything that follows. It’s not just about playing the game. It’s about living and enjoying the process.
Every session at Futsal Escocia is designed to reflect the reality of the game. We are not massive fans of mannequins or coach dictated sessions and prefer to create game-like scenarios, where technical ability, decision-making, timing, and reactions are tested under pressure.
Themed session plans include small sided games, overloads, underloads, attacking and defending actions, and transitional moments that mirror matches.
Sessions are fun but focused, keeping energy high and engagement real.
We believe that this style of training sharpens technical quality, but more importantly, it trains the brain: how to think quickly, adapt, and make better decisions under pressure. It is one thing being able to do something in a 1-2-1 session or against a mannequin, but can you do it in a competitive environment?
While creativity is key in futsal, it thrives best in a structured environment. Our values set the foundations to prepare our players not just for a career in sport but for life in general. At Futsal Escocia:
Players are expected to arrive on time, be prepared to start on time, and to be respectful of their teammates, coaches, and opponents.
Mistakes are allowed, they are even encouraged – laziness and disrespect are not.
This environment fosters professional habits, even in our youngest players. The expectation is simple: show up with the right mentallity, and the rest will follow.
Our core values include effort, and it is imperative to underscore that a commitment to maximum performance is expected from all members, regardless of their skill level or experience.
We reward attitude over ability. The culture we’ve built is one where players and parents understand that effort is non-negotiable.
"Potential means nothing without a work ethic and ambition to match it".
Whether you’re 5 or 25, effort is the standard that connects every player in the club.
In this way, effort becomes non-negotiable. It’s embedded in every sprint, press, block, recovery run, and back-post run. There are no shortcuts.
This is something we have been focusing on with our groups this week. The right kind of competition brings the best out of players – not by creating pressure, but by creating purpose. We take into consideration various different elements including level of ability, players personal objectives, biological age and mental age. Each player is on their own journey. Some will need to play up levels/age groups whilst others benefit from moving down. At times we combine both.
Mico Martic, a well respected and top futsal coach, speaks about creating a jungle environment where players compete against others and themselves – can you beat your last score? Can you raise your performance today?. Challenge the players through competition. We believe that that is an area that is lacking in youth football in Scotland. Children need to understand winning and losing, and not just from a sporting perspective.
With the establishment of this environment, a ripple effect ensues, ultimately motivating players to strive for enhanced performance. The result is more developed players with a desire to continually improve.
Our coaches are certain that individuals such as Liam Kennedy, Alfie Hutchison, Erin and Jessica Husband, Logan Raeside, Keir McMeekin, and many others within that age group, developed by establishing a competitive atmosphere that extended beyond the futsal courts.
This environment ensures that players are constantly challenged – not just to perform, but to grow as players and people. It's not about winning every match; it's about becoming a better version of yourself every day.
Final Whistle: The Futsal Escocia Way
The environment we’ve built at Futsal Escocia is intentional and it is something we are proud of.
We recognise that there's players who just want to play the game for fun and we treat those players differently, however, there are also others who have the potential and ambition to become footballers. If the last 10 years has shown us anything, it is that anything is possible with the right effort and application. The list of players we detailed previously supports this.
Success doesn't happen overnight. It comes through effort and ambition, but the environment you create can most definitely assist that process. We would like nothing more than seeing the next batch of Futsal Escocia kids having the same levels of success and those wee have mentioned go on to achieve great things in the adult game.
We see a lot of football academies out there who are misleading players and parents just for financial gain. We are committed to a long-term strategy that values honesty above all else. If we think your child needs to work harder or apply themselves better, we will say that. We have previously lost players from pro environments by doing just that, however, none of those players are still playing at a pro level. If they took on the advise positively earlier in their journey, maybe things would be entirely different, we will never know.
From the first touch in a warm-up to the final whistle of a session or competitive match, every detail matters. We nurture not just skilled players, but disciplined, driven, and game-intelligent individuals.
Do you want to join us on your journey? Check out our schedule here:
