Pupils kick off the winter chills by learning soccer skills

The schools played in a Futebol de Saläo (five-a-side) tournament at the sports complex to help the young players socialise with their fellow pupils while improving their soccer skills.

The programme headed by Mike Hughes and runs separately from the regular junior leagues, focusing primarily on building a child’s overall soccer skills.

Hughes said, “All children in Brazil began their football education with Futebol de Salão, it was played by all of the great Brazilian players from Pele to Ronaldinho. It is the sport through which they learned to play football.

“The Supersport United Soccer Schools programme is of a long-term nature, with the emphasis placed on the individual rather than a team methodology. We believe the game should first be seen as an individual pursuit, and complete domination and mastery of the tool of the game, the ball, be attained.”

Using a smaller ball and with the greater emphasis on individual skills, the tournament saw all the players implementing the techniques they had learnt.

Hughes concluded, “In the end the winners of Saturday’s games were the children and football.”