This was the last session in St Olave’s before we move back to St Peters, so we went out with a bang! The sessions were designed to challenge the players and they really rose to the occasions, amazing to watch and the coaches left with a huge smile on their faces, thank you everyone!

We had one new girl come and try futsal for the first time – welcome Daisy – we hope you had fun and look forward to welcoming you again very soon!

We continued the sessions on transitions with a 2v1 one in half a court and a recovering defender when the attacking player had their first touch. The session was repeated in both ends of the court and a huge well done to the goalkeepers Jess, Heidi and Olivia for their quick distribution and fantastic saves – real hard work for them! We asked the players about the importance of the attacking players first touch, where on the court they should try and receive and their body shape in relation to the goal and the defender. We saw some great goals and quick play with so superb 2 player combinations.

Notable Players of the Session

1st Session – Emily C – The tackling today from Emily was simply stunning, she didn’t back out of any of them and on a couple of occasions the whole sports hall was shaking afterwards! She put her whole body on the line to make these challenges, simply put, fantastic!

2nd Session –Erin A – Another one of our very new players, who has really hit the ground running and showing some fantastic touches and given half a chance she will put the ball in the back of the net. Still a long way to go, but a player we are very happy to have at Bootham!

3rd Hour – Erin E – One of the standout players in this age group, Erin controlled the game today, managed her team with some really good information and positional play. She has all the attributes to go all the way into the ladies’ team and today she really did show them all, top job!

Final thoughts of a coach – we need more matches! Ok there I have said it, but it is something we must do – don’t care who it is against, the level of the opposition but we need more matches!

Let me back track and explain what I mean – when we started the futsal club, we knew that games or matches were going to be at a premium with no other club within a 100-mile radius. It didn’t stop us contacting all and any girls football teams and offering them games. Over the years the links to clubs has grown and we have been able to provide a steady stream of matches at certain levels.

This season we were able to join the West Riding Girls Futsal League and play a tournament in Hull, as well as a few other random games but to improve the players we must play regular competitive matches. To get better you must play against a variety of levels, i.e. sometimes better, sometimes the same and sometimes not as good – these all give you a chance to see what you have learnt and put it into practise.

Personally, I feel that too many coaches treat futsal as a fad, and don’t see the really benefits it can give their players, and hence don’t want to entertain a new format, in essence putting themselves in a new and uncomfortable environment.

I once witness a game in which a very good football team were ‘taken apart’ by a futsal team whilst playing futsal. The players on both sides loved it and the footballing players understood it was a different game with different tactics and techniques, but the coach said it was a waste of time and they would not be back. I overheard one football player taking to her coach about how much quicker the futsal players were, how good their touch was and how they worked so hard without the ball – the coaches reply, they were lucky, and I doubt they would win anything at football. I think he was missing the point by a huge country mile…

Coach Chris

See images from the day: