With the U14s playing their first Youth Cup 2025 game later and a Yorkshire U16 football trial day taking place, numbers were low for training. No worries though — we combined everyone into two sessions and had an absolute blast!

Today, we focused on the importance of using the full width of the court. We set up a game with two teams playing as usual, while all the extra players positioned themselves just off the edge of the court on all sides. When in possession, teams could use these outside players as extra teammates, with the only rule being that outside players couldn’t pass to themselves.

We emphasised the need to play quickly to the outside players, use them frequently, and recognise how this tactic can stretch the opposition. As the session progressed, we introduced a twist — using the end players, but with a one-touch pass and finish was worth five goals!

The players really embraced the challenge, demonstrating fantastic teamwork and decision-making. We saw some stunning goals, brilliant creativity, and plenty of learning in action. Great effort from everyone!

Players of the Week:

First Hour – Beatrix P
Still finding her feet in the game of futsal, she brings no shortage of effort — and wow, does she love a tackle! ‘Fierce’ and ‘fearless’ are the perfect words to describe her challenges on Sunday. She’s also starting to carry the ball more confidently, and we’re excited to keep building on that moving forward. Fantastic job, Bea!

Second Hour – Lena L
In a session full of players training together the for the first time, Lena truly stood out with her excellent communication, encouragement, and trust in her new teammates. She showed a great understanding of the session and did a fantastic job using the width and depth of the court whenever possible. Brilliant work, Lena!

Final Thoughts Of A Coach…

Later this year, we have the incredible honour of taking a group of U15s to compete in our first-ever international tournament in Italy. With each passing day, the excitement is building! We’ve got plenty of fundraising events lined up, and it’s been amazing to see everyone chipping in to make this experience possible.

I have to admit, the sheer amount of planning, organising, and figuring things out has been eye-opening! But every bit of it feels worth it when thinking about what this opportunity means for the players. From a futsal perspective, the girls will face teams with diverse cultural backgrounds, playing styles, and philosophies. Experiencing these differences will undoubtedly enhance their personal development and deepen their understanding of the game.

However, the growth won’t just happen on the pitch. Spending a week with teammates they don’t see regularly, coping with tough results, managing the balance between the excitement of a holiday and the demands of a tournament, and adjusting to the Italian heat and humidity will all be part of the learning experience.

For me, it’s going to be just as much of a learning journey. Observing how games are played and officiated in another country, understanding different approaches to the sport, and seeing how my players respond to these challenges will be invaluable.

I genuinely can’t wait, and I’ll apologise in advance for the flood of Italy posts that are definitely coming — well, actually, I’m not sorry at all!

Coach Chris

PS – the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed the images used are from earlier in the season, I forgot to take any pictures on Sunday…..sorry!