PHOENIX FUTSAL PROGRAM

Futsal is a fun, fast-paced and exciting small-side soccer game. Played on a small indoor court it develops technical skill and ability as players get hundreds of touches on the ball each game. GSA is proud to offer this unique experience to our players.

The Phoenix Futsal program is an invitational and/or tryout only program.  Phoenix Futsal combines our league play with Futsal-specific training and adds competitive events and tournaments to the curriculum.  This program is only available for competitive players.  Recreational players should check out the Winter Futsal League's Recreation Division to participate in Futsal at GSA!

PHOENIX FUTSAL - WINTER 2024 INFORMATION

Training Environment

All training will be managed by paid, professional staff.

Training on average 1 time per week in November

Training on average 2 times per week in December

Training on average 2 times per week in January

*We will have training locations at our facility in Snellville at South Gwinnett Park as well as various courts and gyms in the Dacula and Lilburn areas.  More courts will be secured if needed.  Players will not choose a training location, but we will outline the training schedule and locations prior to your official acceptance into the Phoenix Futsal Winter Program.

Training will incorporate technical, tactical, and full-sided scrimmages to improve players skills, decision making, mobility, and overall Futsal-ability.  All training will be led by paid, professional coaches who are certified in Futsal coaching.

Match Environment

Friendlies in November - tentatively set for Nov 25-27th (date will vary by team/age group)

Friendlies in December - date(s) are TBD

*We are considering hosting an inclusive event for other futsal teams outside our program to join us for competitive friendlies, but we may also just schedule matches internally (TBD).  Players will be invited to participate in a minimum of one “set” of friendlies, but depending on participation may be invited to both.  Friendlies will be 2-4 matches per event.

Attendance at a minimum of 1 Futsal Tournament.  Roster will be set by Phoenix Futsal Staff and will take into consideration player availability.  Rosters will have a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 8 per team.  More events will be added to the list of possible events as the various Futsal entities update their winter calendars.

Events/Tournaments and Friendlies will be coached by Phoenix Futsal professional staff coaches; we will require a team parent to step in and act as manager at events to help with communication and other logistics.

Sample Futsal Events - Winter 2024

Dec. 21-22 | Knoxville, TN

Jan 11-12 | Naples, FL

Jan 4-5 | Greensboro, NC

Jan 17-19 | Charlotte, NC

Jan 11-12 | Atlanta, GA

*More to be added as entities update their event schedule

GSA Winter Futsal League will run Dec-Early Feb, and will have a minimum of 7 matches.  Players selected for the Phoenix Futsal Program will be required to participate in the league as a pool of players that staff will set rosters for throughout the Winter based on a number of factors.  This league is a backbone of the Winter Futsal commitment.  It is open to teams from outside the Phoenix Futsal Program including teams from other Futsal or Soccer clubs, but we expect this to be a fun “tuneup” for late Winter tournaments/events.

Costs

$315 per player for the Phoenix Futsal Program

$135 per player for the GSA Winter Futsal League

$450 total cumulative cost

*The cost includes all training, court, referee, Winter Futsal League, and the friendly fees.  It does not include the uniform or player registration for tournaments.  Payment plans will be offered for the Phoenix Futsal Program but NOT the GSA Winter Futsal League (you will register for each program separately, but both are required).

Event Fees

The tournament/event fees for the tournaments above will range from an estimated $300-425 depending on the event (number of days, tournament fees, anticipated travel costs, etc).  The fee will cover player registration, team tournament registration, and all staff costs.  The events (tournaments) are the pinnacle of the program, we would ask that every player be open to participating in at least one event.  Once pools are formed we will be able to provide more clarity on which events each pool or team will attend.  Player availability and financial capability will be taken into consideration before assigning teams to events or players to those teams.

Uniform Costs

Existing GSA players will have no additional fee for uniforms; we will use the typical training and match attire.  Non-GSA players will be asked to purchase a minimum of one training top, and our home/away match kit.  Total cost before S&H and tax is estimated at $210.  This uniform will be good through the entire 2024-25 year; we will be offering a Spring/Summer program, so players will use the same uniform if they participate in that future program.

*Players are responsible for purchasing their own flat soled Futsal shoes; no turf shoes or cleats as Futsal is played on a hard surface.

Link to interest form (closes Sunday, October 20th at 9 p.m.):  https://forms.gle/5Ypv9sjMnEK1T59L8

FAQS

1.  Do I need special equipment?

Players will need typical equipment: shinguards and flat soled futsal or indoor shoes (no cleats or turf shoes).  We will supply the futsal balls for training and matches.

2. Practice times/days? Is this feasible with high school soccer? 

Yes, we can work around high school soccer with times on weekends and certain days of the week which are less congested.  Times will be set between 5:30-8:30 (start times) on weeknights.  On the weekends, we have space on certain days as early as 8 am and as late as 9 pm.

3. Practice location and space? Will there be 4 teams on 1 court at a time? Will each team have 1 coach during a practice (8 to 1 ratio)? 

• 
  South Gwinnett Park and Dacula High School
• Brookwood HS is a possibility as well as an additional court expected in Dacula by early January
• Estimated 12-16 kids per session on a single court (equivalent of 1-2 teams per court)
• Estimated 1-2 coaches depending on a lot of variables
• Limiting the coach:player ratio to 1:7 or 1:8 significantly limits the activities you can plan.  Sessions will be fast paced and intense.  We prefer to train with a minimum of 12 players in a group to ensure topics can be addressed appropriately.

4. Cost? It mentioned $400 per tournament, I know that was approximate but is that per team or per athlete? 

• $450:  This covers all training, participation in the Winter Futsal League (7-8 matches), registration with US Youth Futsal, court fees, etc.  Tournament fees are separate (see below).

5. What will practice structure look like? scrimmaging or skills? Small goals or futsal game size? 

• A heavy emphasis on technical skills related to Futsal and 1v1-4v4 activities.  We will scrimmage in most sessions, so teams have an opportunity to continue to become more familiar with the style of play and rules of Futsal (scrimmaging is very important but will not be 100% of the session).
• We will use a variety of goals including small goals and full-size Futsal goals

6.  When will training occur?

• Our goal is to provide 12+ training sessions as well as opportunities for more match play (outside of the WFL) in the way of friendlies internally and with other teams outside our program.
• Training should be expected on literally any day of the week.  While soccer is still on going, we will use Fridays-Sundays.  Once soccer is mostly concluded, we will train on weeknights and/or weekends depending on the week, the staff availability, and player pool needs

7.  Will we train and play on set teams?

• Training will likely be with the same consistent people, but we will be flexible to help players attend other sessions if they should have to miss their assigned session for any reason.  The winter season is tricky due to the overlap of the soccer seasons, holidays, and gym availability because of the holidays.
• You should expect to be assigned to a training group, teams for the Winter Futsal League will be set by the coaches in the age group.  Because we are limiting the participation, teams will likely be dynamic to give staff the best chance to create competitive matchups (We will likely be playing other teams/groups within the PHX Futsal program).
• Coaches will invite players to participate in tournaments/events/friendlies

8.  Do we have to commit to attending tournaments?

• We do expect all players to participate in at least one tournament, and can participate in more if they are willing.  We would love for all players to participate in two tournaments because it’s, arguably, the most fun part of the entire program!

9.  Why are the tournaments more expensive than soccer tournaments?

• Futsal events tend to be more expensive in general due to the overhead costs associated with renting indoor space as opposed to outdoor space.
• There are less local futsal tournaments, so when we travel, we have to pay for the staff to also travel (most of the increased costs are due to travel costs)
• The largest reason is really due to the roster size.  We intend to keep rosters at 7-8 players which means there are just less players to split the costs across.
• We anticipate the tournament fee to be in the range of $200-$300.

10.  If there are enough players in a certain age group, would there be 2 teams or more? 

• Yes, based on the initial interest we expect 2-3 teams in most single year age bands when it’s all said and done.

11.  Regular league games who would we play?

• The Winter Futsal League (WFL) will have a variety of teams.  We will work the schedule in whatever manner we need to in order to create competitive matchups.  This may include playing:  Older/younger teams against each other, girls teams vs boys teams (generally a year or two younger boys vs older girls works well), other non Phoenix Futsal teams registered in the league, etc. 
• It’s important to note that, in general, Futsal does not have as much “structure” as outdoor soccer.  It’s still very much in its infancy from a league standpoint.  That said, we are blessed with a large player pool, so we are generally able to get competitive matches without having to look to hard or far