The smoothness found in a bottle of Jack Daniels is legendary. It comes from charcoal filtering known as the Lincoln County Process. Locals refer to it as The Extra Blessing. Over a week's time, the whiskey drips through sugar maple charcoals. The resulting spirit is then officially labeled as Tennessee Whiskey, distinct from bourbon. So... Continue Reading →

Ballistic United Soccer Club (BUSC) USDA u12 is training 2x per week this summer in preparation for USFF's National Championship to be held in San Jose, CA. There are a handful of players with experience, but most of the boys are new to organized futsal. In their expressions and reactions, you see futsal's magic. Howls... Continue Reading →

In US futsal circles, it's long been felt that the first great American soccer player would have futsal roots. Christian Pulisic's quick decision making, close control, precision passing and off-the-ball movements all scream futsal. Bleacher Report's recent article details the extent to which Mark Pulisic went to ensure his son played futsal at an early age.... Continue Reading →

When I first came across competitive futsal, what struck me the most was the urgency of play. The hounding defenses, rapid transitions, and lightening quick shots were tough to process. It all seemed a blur. In every second of every game there was the urgency to score or be scored upon. There was no down... Continue Reading →

In much the same way the NBA's tactics evolved in recent decades, so have futsal's at the highest level. One of the sport's great minds and tacticians is Xavi Closas, head coach of FC Barcelona Lassa B. Along with his long time friend and coaching partner, Oscar Alonso, the two have developed a highly respected... Continue Reading →

Ballistic United's and Mustang Soccer's USDA Academies will enter teams this July into United States Futsal Federation's national championship in San Jose, California. Many of the clubs' current players have previously played in the event and directors Andrew Ziemer of Ballistic and John Doyle of Mustang see value in keeping their players active during the summer... Continue Reading →

In baseball there is an old adage about being strong up the middle. The idea being that a team strong at catcher, shortstop, second and center stands more of a chance of winning championships. Their placement in the middle of the field allows them to be involved in more plays, so they impact games on a... Continue Reading →

Futsal's roots into youth soccer continue to grow and deepen in the East Bay. Ballistic United Soccer Club of Pleasanton and Mustang Soccer of Danville are large, respected USDA clubs in Northern California. Their adoption of futsal during the soccer season shows the value being placed on the sport. From u8 to u11, both clubs have... Continue Reading →

This past year, I had the enormous privilege of observing and learning on three separate occasions from some of FCB's top youth coaches: Xavi Closas, Oscar Alonso, Pep Ruiz and Sergi Lopez. As you can imagine the X's & O's of the tactical discussions were brilliant, but I also took a close look at the way... Continue Reading →

We don't do drills on cones because I beat the cone every time. - Xavi Closas, FC Barcelona Lassa B Decision making is found in every FC Barcelona drill. Practicing scissors on a defenseless cone isn't in the curriculum. Since futsal requires decision making of the highest quality, it is factored into every exercise. From... Continue Reading →