Oceaneers Futsal Ride The Tide    The Case for Small-Sided Soccer (Futsal) Small-sided soccer is catching on quickly in the United States and across the world. Today, youth teams rarely play in a full 11 v 11 set-up; instead, most beginner youth teams start playing in a 3 v 3 or 4 v 4 lineup and, as they grow older, begin adding more players into the small-sided arrangement until reaching 8 v 8 or so. Small-sided soccer promotes ball control, enhanced footwork, and increased enjoyment of soccer for young players. Furthermore, recent studies have brought to light that the 11 v 11 game is, in itself, made up of many small-sided games within one larger game. Dr. Don Kirkendall, Ph. D., a professor at the University of North Carolina, recently compiled a list of facts regarding the full-sided game that explains why learning within a small-sided environment can be so important. First of, on average, the ball changes possession about 240 times in the course of a game. This leads to one team scoring a goal about once in every 180 possessions. In small-sided soccer, possession is emphasized through small passes as the ball moves down the field. Increased possession leads naturally to more goals scored. Secondly, the typical shooting situation usually lasts only 10 seconds and rarely involves the same player twice. For this reason, practicing drills using only two players passing back and forth towards the goal can be detrimental. First, defenders should always be involved in the drill to truly mimic the "10-second" reality on the field. Also, as stated, two players will rarely be able to pass the ball back and forth to one another. Adding more players into the mix will more accurately represent the full-sided game reality. Finally, a typical possession involves four or fewer players and three or fewer passes. This correlates with the 10-second rule explained above. After the other team gains possession, whether through a foul, shot, free kick, etc., the dynamics of possession time and actions repeat themselves. In practice, you should group your players together according to where they play on the field, i.e., three forwards, two midfielders and two forwards, all of the players on the left side, etc., in order to practice possession drills in game-like situations. Dr. Kirkendall emphasizes "possession soccer" as a key to success for many teams. When teams retain possession of the ball throughout the majority of the game, they naturally have increased chances to score. Possession should be emphasized over standing shooting drills that do not represent game time reality or facts. Setting up 4 v 4 drills in the penalty box and emphasizing one-touch passing and shooting can all contribute to your teams' increased possession time in the game. The original Oceaneers were founded in the 1970's. They played in the American Soccer League (ASL) and were quickly recognized as a powerhouse in the league. The ASL went out of business in the 1980s.The name Oceaneers remained in the soccer memories of New England's soccer community until David Borts, President of the Rhode Island Soccer Association, revived the name and franchise during 2002. Standings American Soccer League 1974 Season Midwest Division Rhode Island Oceaneers 18 16 2 0 47 9 34 Cincinnati Comets 18 8 5 5 36 31 21 Cleveland Cobras 18 8 3 7 33 31 19 Indiana Tigers 18 5 3 10 21 35 13 Syracuse Suns 18 0 0 18 2 33 0 In the winter of 2002-2003 under the leadership of David Borts The Oceaneers established themselves as New England's premier Futsal Club and was the Champion of Massachusetts Futsal. Under the Coaching of Joe Gomes the team featured numerous New England, National and International Stars as it barnstormed through New England on its way to a dominating Massachusetts State Cup Championship. Players such as "Boy Charles" Jonathan Sogbie (Liberian National Team Star) Philip Klah (RI Stingrays) Alonzo Villesenor (RI Stingrays) Rui Dias (RI Stingrays) Francis Manneh (RI Stingrays) Manny Brito (New Hampshire Phantoms) lead the team to its dominating first season.