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U.S. Youth Futsal National Teams to be Selected after four-day
Event
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OVERLAND PARK, KAN. (JULY 22, 2014) - Calling it "One small step for
football, one giant leap for futsal," U.S. Men's National Futsal Team Head Coach
Keith Tozer presided over U.S. Youth Futsal's first-ever national player
identification camp last week, with more than 300 players from 25 states in
attendance.
"I was extremely impressed with
the quality of all the teams from each of our five regions," said Tozer, the
association's technical director. "The quality of the players, coaching staff
and organization of the event was excellent. This puts U.S. Youth Futsal at the
forefront of futsal in the United States. I am extremely excited about finally
having U.S. youth futsal national teams."
Participants were evaluated
during three training sessions and four matches, all under the leadership of
Tozer, Director of Goalkeeping Mark Litton and the U.S. Youth Futsal regional
directors and coaching staff.
"The purpose of the event - and
of the Futsal I.D. program itself - is to facilitate the training and
identification of the most talented youth futsal players in the country and to
select the very best for U.S. Youth Futsal National Teams," Director of Futsal
I.D. Soorena Farboodmanesh explained. "The National I.D. Camp follows five
Regional I.D. camps and subsequent Regional training
camps."
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Former National Team goalkeeper
Otto Orf, the Lakes Region Director and a key architect of the program, is
certain Futsal I.D. will have a vital role in the near and long term.
"U.S. Youth Futsal
has put a program in place to identify generations of future players, to educate
them, train them and lead them on a path that will afford them opportunities on
youth and senior national futsal and soccer teams," Orf said. "Futsal I.D. will
have a real and lasting impact on the sport of soccer in our
country."
Esteban Mariel, a former National
Team player and current South Region Director, agreed.
"It was the first
National I.D. camp for futsal in United States history," Mariel said. "It marks
a new era in the growth of the sport of futsal and the fundamental necessity of
futsal toward lifting U.S. Soccer and player development to the next
level."
Central Region Director Ty
Stauffer, whose son Lucas is the youngest player in U.S. Men's National Futsal
Team history, was thrilled to be part of the historic event.
"After discussing the idea of an
identification program for several years, it was awesome to see it happen,"
Stauffer noted. "Players from all over the country were exposed to training led
by Coach Tozer and his staff and they also had a chance to train with and build
friendships with players from different regions."
Darin and Melanie Dewsnup brought
their 10-year-old son Jeffrey from Utah and were incredibly impressed with the
experience.
"Camp was extremely well
organized and thought out!" the Dewsnups wrote on the U.S. Youth Futsal Facebook
page. "Couldn't be more impressed with the staff and coaching! Top Notch!"
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