Over 700 of the best young futsal players in the country will fight it out to be crowned champions in their age group at the National Youth Futsal Championships, held over three days from tomorrow in Palmerston North. But it’s not just the results on the court that will matter with a large focus also being placed on the development of players, coaches and referees.

Nearly 60 teams are set to converge on the Central Trust Energy Arena and will compete across seven categories – U-12 Boys, U-14 Boys, U-14 Girls, U-16 Boys, U-16 Girls, U-19 Boys and U-19 Girls.

The high participation numbers and enthusiasm of all involved make this tournament one of the highlights of the futsal calendar and underline the scale of progress made in the small-sided game.

“It really is one of those events where you have to sit down for a few minutes just to appreciate how far we have come in the futsal space,” says Josh Margetts, Futsal Development Manager for New Zealand Football.

“The enjoyment of the players throughout the three days makes all the hard work behind the scenes worth it.”

The event provides an annual opportunity for players to test themselves against their counterparts from all over the country and even further afield with several teams from Australia also taking part.

“That variation in opposition is a massive drawcard for the players, along with the prospect of developing themselves in a competitive, enjoyable and safe environment,” Margetts says.

But it’s not just the players who will use the tournament to develop their talents with coaches, referees and administrators doing likewise in an atmosphere geared towards personal growth.

“While everything we do is centred around the participant, it is important to recognise the support activities that go along with getting the players out on the court. The countless hours that have been put in by federation staff members, team managers and parents is the driving force behind a well-run event,” Margetts says.

“In addition to that, the continual coach education that is happening around the country is starting to pay dividends with the vast majority of coaches at the youth championships having achieved their Futsal Level 1, Level 2 or OFC/NZF C Licence coaching award.”

The event is meanwhile an important part of the Futsal Referee Development Pathway with promising young match officials from several federations honing their skills by both refereeing games and receiving high-class coaching.

“There is immediate feedback and the opportunity to put skills and techniques into practice on the same day in their next game,” explains Ken Wallace, Referee Development Manager for New Zealand Football.

“Besides feedback from their peers and other national league referees who have volunteered their time to referee, we have top coaching from Antony Riley and Chris Sinclair, both current FIFA futsal referees with international experience.”

The National Youth Futsal Championships are made possible by the support of the Lion Foundation, Sport Manawatu, Palmerston North City Council, Massey University and the Central Football Federation, who all help enable New Zealand Football to deliver the event.

For all the draws, results and live streaming please click here

For the live streaming schedule please click here

For updates and content throughout the championships please visit the NZF Futsal Facebook page and NZF Futsal Instagram account. 

Article added: Thursday 12 July 2018