Teams from the West Cumbria Youth League were invited to take part in the annual Futsal festival, giving girls the opportunity to try the 5aside format of the game.
Girls at Under 12, Under 14 and Under 16 gathered at Moorclose Sports Centre throughout the day to test their skills against the opposition with players from Allerdale Leisure, Cockermouth, Bransty Rangers and Maryport Monsters taking advantage of the indoor hall.
With the cold and crisp conditions affecting fixtures outside over the weekend, the girls were sure of a fixture this weekend with the sports hall providing a great surface for the quick and technical format of football. The players soon got to grips with the speed of the game, with teams playing a short passing game to enable them to shoot at the specially designed inflatable Futsal goals.
Later this week, coaches will get the chance to find out more about the skills and techniques used in Futsal with a free coach’s taster session on Thursday evening. Any interested coaches (from boys or girls teams) can attend by registering with Helen Aitchison.
Another Futsal festival is planned for February with the opportunity for more teams to enter and ensure their players are still playing through the winter. An Under 10 festival will take place in early February in Cockermouth before the older age groups meet at Netherhall Sports Centre in Maryport for round 2. This will give the teams another chance to get some experience in the 5aside game with a competition coming up in May.
All teams are still looking for new players to strengthen squads, if you’re interested in playing football or would like to become a coach please contact Helen Aitchison, Girls and Women’s Football Development Officer on 01900 872310 or email Helen.Aitchison@CumberlandFA.com