Brasil Futsal Girls Club are the only FA-affiliated girls Futsal club in Essex who offer training opportunities and matches twice a week for under 10s to 14s girls.
With the aid of a Football Foundation ‘Grow the Game’ grant, the club is growing fast and already has enough players for three teams. Brasil are always on the lookout for new players wanting to try Futsal, however, and sessions currently run on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings at Waterside Sports Centre, their Futsal hub in Somnes Avenue.
Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced, small-sided football game which is widely played across the world and is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA. The nature of the game places a large emphasis on technical skill and ability in situations of high pressure, and is subsequently an excellent breeding ground for football competencies which can be translated into the eleven-a-side format of the game.
It is considered to be an excellent development tool for football, and founder Greg Regan has been a long-term fan. He has seen at first-hand how regular Futsal has benefited the girls, explaining: “I’ve been involved with Futsal for around twelve years now and, with the help of this grant, I’m glad I could kickstart this project.”
“Seven of the girls have been playing Futsal regularly for a while now and are current national champions in their age group. But they are being kept on their toes by some of the newer players who are developing fast!” Coach, Sean Eldridge, added: “Fast feet, flair, skill and creativity are the essence of Brasil Girls Futsal Club, and we hope to bring that out in them.”
Many of the top world class footballers played Futsal in their youth and credit it with supporting their footballing development. These include Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The ‘Brasilian Way’ is at the core of the club, and girls are encouraged to put into practice the skills and techniques they have learnt on the practice court.
The club is set to go on tour next Easter to Futsal heartland Barcelona and they’re always looking for teams to play friendlies against. Get in touch with them via E-Mail at [email protected] or visit their website at www.brasilgirlsfutsal.co.uk. Further details on Futsal all over Essex can be found at www.essexfa.com, on Twitter @EssexCountyFA and by searching for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.
