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The men's league is competitive, complete
with standings and trophies. Others are
purely recreational: U8, U10, U12, U14,
high school and coed. "We've also done
kinder futsal and junior futsal classes for
preschoolers." These classes include skill
building, fun games, and an instructor–no
referee or clock. "Last year we added a
first-touch program, which is for parents
and children." Last year, they had 10
parent and child couples. This year they
had 15.
New this year is a U6 half-and-half
league. Inside Sports is hiring hybrid
instructors who are also referees. "In
futsal, there two 20-minute halves. For
the first 20 minutes, the half-and-half
league referees are going to be instructors.
They're each going to take one of the
teams and do drills and warm-ups–almost
like a practice. Then the buzzer will buzz
and they'll get a five-minute break. For
the second 20 minutes, the two teams
will actually play each other, and we'll
have a parent that will be the coach
and the two instructors will then
become referees.
"I think it's going to be really popular.
We had a lot of kids who were four or five
and had done U6 outdoor league, or done our
kinder and our junior futsal classes.
They're ready to play but we didn't think it
was developmentally appropriate to put them
in the U8."
For the past nine years that Melissa has
worked for Inside Sports, she has seen the
popularity of futsal increase.
About 500 kids play during the winter, 300
during the spring, and 100 during the summer.
Another 500 kids play futsal through Inside
Sports' school programs.
"Second session is usually much smaller
because we're in a smaller populated area.
Any kid who's an athlete is a multi-sport
athlete. They come straight from their
outdoor season in the fall to futsal, and
then they go from futsal to basketball.
Usually there's a little overlap in January
or February. They go to t-ball or little league
or spring soccer."
Inside Sports' creative business plan allows
them to use community resources. "It's a
challenge because a lot of people are vying
for the same spaces and the same kids.
We don't want to be in competition with
each other. We are all trying to do the right
thing. It's not necessarily about soccer as
much as it is about healthy living."
