Futsal is another small-sided soccer derivative. It is played five-v-five, with one of the five from each team designated as goalkeeper. The game is played on a hard court slightly larger than a basketball court, indoors or out. It is fast, furious and develops great foot skills. I'd never seen skill like theses young kids - Kai is only nine - have.
It was a great experience for the kids. The first day they played against a local club called Ferro Carril.
After the games, Ferro Carril treated us to a bar-be-que, our first of many tastes of Argentine beef. Yum!
The next day all of us got to tour the facilities at Club Athletico Boca Jrs., one of the top, most storied soccer clubs in South America. They also have futsal, basketball and volleyball. A bit about the tour first.
The facilities are absolutely top-notch as befits one of the top clubs. The stadium, called La Bombenera or "The Candy Dish," is incredible. It is said that on match days, the noise and stomping in the stadium can be felt in houses in near-by neighborhoods. Fans call it "a temple" and enter with reverence and bowed heads To make sure the opposing players display the proper reverence, the visitors' entrance is low, forcing players to bow their heads (i.e., duck) as they enter.
The kids trained with the top coaches from Boca's first division futsal team. What an experience!
The next day was the complete opposite end of the spectrum, from one of the very top clubs to one of the very poorest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires at an organization called Pequeños Pasos (Small Steps). The organization started 10 years ago to help kids in the 'hood who weren't in school get there or to help those who were in school succeed. It has expanded to help adults as well with sewing, cooking and computer classes.
Their futsal court is several blocks away from the main facility. Fortunately for us and for the neighborhood kids, the court is covered. It rained quite hard while the kids were playing.
The other thing we did at Pequeños Pasos was to deliver shoes and other soccer gear that was donated by people in the states. The Pequeños Pasos kids were great - helpful, excited, enthusiastic, welcoming, but not at all deferential which I was very glad to see.
The other very cool place the kids got to play was at Estrella de Boedo. Boedo is a neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The Star (estrella - in Argentina the double LL is pronounced with a "ch" or sometimes soft "g" sound, so "es-tra-cha") is a futsal/basketball/handball (another strange hybrid game, not the game similar to squash; it looks to my totally untrained eye like a mash-up of soccer, basketball and rugby) facility built under a highway.
We all commented about what a great creative use of space this was - and that it could never never ever ever happen in the states!
Boedo is also the home of San Lorenzo club. We got to see their first division futsal team play twice, and the kids got to train with the first division coach and play against their youth teams.
Right outside the San Lorenzo facility is a restaurant we ate at the second time we saw them play, and two very cool murals.
A whole post about food is coming soon!
1 comment:
Totally love this blog!!! Miss you!! And miss Argentina!!
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