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Best New Program Award
Population: Less than 25,000
Spring Indoor Co-ed Futsal League
In March of 2010 our Recreation Department started a Spring Indoor Futsal League that was the only one of its type in a 30 mile radius. If you are wondering what the sport is: Futsal is a faster version of soccer that is played indoors with a smaller ball with less bounce and fewer players. Our league was played in the Gypsy Hill Park Gymnasium three nights a week. Many people who play soccer when the weather is nice loved the fact that it offered an opportunity to refine their ball skills in the off season. The game is much faster than traditional soccer and only uses 5 players per side so the scoring is plentiful and very quick.
The impact of the program as a physical activity is great as you play for 22 straight minutes per half with no breaks. Cardio is a premium as you constantly are running for the duration of the game unless you are the goal keeper. Our goal as a department is to fight obesity and offer programs to stay active and fit year round. This program certainly fits the bill as a healthy choice for staying fit.
The program also brings together many ethnicities to one court to compete against one another. We had local Hispanic reporters and TV stations come out and cover our league simply because of the diversity of the players. Several of our players are from South America, Europe and Africa. The level of play from the foreign players have forced the American teams to step up their game as they are learning from them new techniques and a more aggressive style of play. The best byproduct of all of this is the fact that league nights have turned into family nights at the gym. Many families come out to watch the games and cheer on the players. All of the kids have a great time creating their own side games while the real match happens on the floor. Many of the friends that have been made in the indoor league have carried over to form new teams for the outdoor soccer league. The Staunton Recreation Department had 7 teams participate in the 2010 spring league, this year it grew to 14 teams for the 2011 season.
This nomination and blog post was submitted by James Corbett, Athletics Specialist.
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