USIndoor's Official Magazine is a quarterly publication, dedicated to owners, managers, program administrators and other professionals, startups and providers involved with indoor recreational sports facilities.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/147741
and butter." Many of the boards are dedicated to the sale of advertisements. Dasher boards keep the game fast and require a certain set of skills. "A lot of people like to play futsal in order to develop foot skills. The elite teams play indoor soccer with dasher boards. It's like hockey with a soccer ball." No one plays futsal at the Indoor Sports facilities as their market demands the use of boards. Tom knows much of the history of sports in the Boston area, where he lives now with his family. He is married and has three teenage sons. His wife plays indoor soccer for the coed league at Acton. None of his sons play soccer, but they do play other sports, like their father, who enjoys tennis, squash, rugby, and football. "I like soccer because of the fluidity and the action. Since you move all the time, you have to think a lot more." It reminds him of football, which, he says, began when a frustrated soccer player quit playing around, picked up the ball, and ran with it; he meant serious business. (continued from page 17) awaken to find Dana Carvey standing at the foot of our beds in wig and hose, pondering whether our previous night's game presentation might have been devised by…oh, who could it be….Satan? I have great respect for tradition in sports. I can still be easily set off in a torrent of invectives if someone were to bring up any alleged merits of the designated hitter with a straight face. I have sincere respect for the game, the tradition and the aura of outdoor soccer. Yet, at best it's merely a comparable product to the indoor game…at best. The beauty of the MISL is that it captures the magnificence of soccer and amplifies it, without bringing the outdoor game's Olde World baggage that already has turned off so many American sports fans. The confined perimeter of the arena demands more skill and speed. These assets, in turn, beget more action and more scoring. And it's all done with fans sitting less than a foot from the field of play (without the obstruction of plexi-glass in Kansas City) and to the melodious tunes of the Rolling Stones. Throw in 12 dancing cheerleaders, multiple-point scoring and a bobblehead doll, and you can't get much more American. Remember, it was the MISL that introduced laser lights, half-hour pre-game shows and entertainment spectacles that have become the standard fare of all arena sports, including the NBA and NHL. You may further recall that the MISL had a regular home on CBS, while the NHL had no national TV contract and outdoor soccer couldn't even break into local cable access channels. The first regime of MISL management allowed a great product to unravel, but make no mistake, the product was solid. The MISL was proud in those days. Fundamentals Point to Sticking to What Indoor Soccer Facilities Do Best by Jim Cline nited States Youth Soccer, in rare support of indoor soccer, is helping the traditional indoor small-sided game. Years ago USYS adopted 8v8 play for U-10 and younger. This produced outdoor U9 and U10 teams with a maximum roster of fourteen, perfect for the indoor game. In m a n y instances t h i s added m o r e The leaders of the MISL and today's teams. franchises are awakening to their inherent Now the identity, embracing its uniqueness USYS is exploring smaller sided games unashamedly. No more trying to jam an for U11 and U12. astro-turfed square peg into a round States, including Michigan and Kentucky blue grass hole. Minnesota, have already enacted such This game doesn't belong to simply the programs, and all other states will soccer fan. It's much more generous than that. It gives itself to the hockey fan, the eventually mandate or be shamed basketball fan, the arena football fan…the into following suit. Michigan will sports fan in general. Our outdoor cousins eventually have U10's playing 6v6 and can never claim that appeal, and neither U12s 8v8. This should add additional could we until we stopped being ashamed teams and players that will be good of our roots and our identity. for indoor facilities. Those considering My friends in MLS say, "stop trying to be to install European-style fields and us. We're not even sure we want to be us. super-sized fields should take note, Just be who you are. And be proud of who since this could further diminish the you are." They're right, of course, and finally need for larger 11v11 fields. we as a sport are becoming believers in The outdoor game, even with all ourselves again. We might as well, because the summer is almost over, and there's not a the hype, is not holding on to the kids. person I know of in the MISL who's received In fact, the expense and elitism of an invite to a clam bake in Hyannisport yet. modern outdoor club play may possibly be slowing the development of a Rich Bradley is the Vice President and COO once rapidly growing sport. Soccer of the Kansas City Comets participation in the United States has for the past few years leveled off at about eighteen million players. Most of the recent dramatic growth has come from girls and women. Recent statistics say that 70% of kids quit youth sports by the age of thirteen. This is a major problem for all youth sports. We do not need more training, including indoor "practice." Form A Club or Start a We need more fun. And for the indoor operator fun leads to more participaLeague. See Classifieds, tion and profits. page 28,for Contact As you frantically try to fill your facilinformation. SocCourt Wall Soccer U ities with dog shows and flea markets, just think about your occupancy rate if most kids didn't quit soccer by age thirteen. Before you adapt philosophies of the outdoor training methods to your indoor business, remember the outdoor game is no longer adding millions of new kids. Those of us who h a v e operated facilities k n o w what it takes to achieve success in indoor soccer. We should be careful to subscribe to the political chaos in outdoor youth select soccer. Nor should we accept a role as the economic backup plan for the outdoor game. We are a recreational family sport meant for fun and exercise. We need to make a profit. The indoor game can continue to attract players of all ages. What sport, other than maybe golf or poker, can a forty-something mom or dad pick up and play and not be laughed at too loudly. Indoor soccer, because of the speed and the reasonable size of the running space, is able to take all ages at whatever level. And we do not promise high school play, scholarships, and professional opportunities like many of our outdoor brethren. Indoor boarded soccer has made enormous contributions to soccer in general. Just look at the strength of the outdoor clubs in areas where indoor soccer originated decades ago. We are a legitimate game, technically and significantly different from the outdoor game. We have to be careful not to sacrifice profits solely for the sake of innovation. Jim Cline is Principal of The Goals Group, Columbus, Ohio, and a member of USIndoor's team of professional consultants. GOAL Indoor Aug.-Sept. ¥ 2002 ¥ 23