What an UNBELIEVABLE President’s Day Futsal Weekend at Central Jersey Futsal.

The holiday weekend started with League play on Sunday with many teams playing the game they have come to love in the Central Jersey Futsal 8-week league play.

That was followed by the President’s Day Futsal Cup hosted by Central Jersey Futsal, where over 340 players had the opportunity to compete for medals for the first time in front of their parents in an indoor setting for quite a while. The tournament saw some fantastic play and talent on display on both the girls and the boy’s side.

The weekend included tryouts for the Champions Cup Series and many ELITE players from top soccer clubs and academies came to try and earn a spot in their age groups for the Nationals and Worlds to be played at the end of July in Orlando Florida. Central Jersey Futsal is one of 24 founding organizations for this National and International event which offers a pathway to the top level of futsal competitions, training, and opportunities to be seen be international coaches.

Lastly the weekend would not be complete without the tryouts for the Women’s Futsal team, which Central Jersey Futsal is the exclusive sponsor. Once again top-level talent competed for a spot in the newly formed Elite Player Program which will begin competition at the upcoming USFF Atlantic City Regionals.

The tryouts included players from previous USFF Regional championship teams and in fact a couple of players are two-time USFF Champions. So, the level is extremely high, and the quality of futsal will set the standard for the area’s female futsal players. Central Jersey Futsal is always at the core of bringing futsal awareness to the soccer community, not only as a primary development tool for soccer but as game by itself. We would like to expose youth soccer players to opportunities and pathways to a higher level of competition and exposure.
We thank everyone who attended, competed, watched and made it a great fun futsal weekend.

Developing Elite Players Through Futsal of High Character and Standards on The Court, Field and Life is part of this unique program.

We do not seek to just develop soccer players with their technical and tactical skills that will help them reach the elite levels of their soccer game. We seek to also develop and guide their mental and behavioral habits that will help them in their pursue of a college career or beyond.
There are certain characteristics that elite players possess that help them excel not only at the top level of their sport but in life as well. Quality habits that help them shape an elite mentality and work ethic.
This is what the “Character of Champions” is all about.
Program director, Niko Alexopoulos, is a college level coach who knows what coaches are looking for from elite players. “At the college or pro level all players have high standards, but the elite players stand out because of their Character of Champions mentality” he has quoted saying.
Coach Farrell is a current semi pro soccer and futsal player who knows what elite player mentality is and coaches that methodology to the players she mentors. The fact that not only is she a coach but actively playing at a high level makes her extremely relatable to youth players as they can harvest from her playing experience and how she incorporates the Character of Champions mentality in her approach to her game and coaching style.

We are every excited to have Farrell Pomponio join our Elite Player Training Club as a lead trainer and the Director Of Coaching for the girls. Farrell brings an enormous amount of experience both as a coach but as an active current semi pro player both in soccer and futsal.

We strongly believe that all female players now will have a role model as a coach who is actively playing as well as coaching. They can have an opportunity not only to gain from high level training inspired from Farrell's current semi pro level playing but also be mentored by her on many different topics that are required by player who is looking to play in college or beyond that. 

Elite Player Training Club players, both boys and girls will have a new pathway of knowledge into higher level of playing.

Farrell Pomponio has been in love with the game of soccer ever since she was a little kid, but as she got older, she also fell in love with the game of Futsal. She played for the South Jersey Barons Academy team and was a 4-year Pinelands Regional High School varsity letter holder and starter. She has also played for New Jersey’s 1991 age group Olympic Development Team, as well as New Jersey’s Futsal Team where they won the state championship in 2007.

After multiple scholarship offers, Farrell decided to stay local and play college soccer, where she received a scholarship to play at Georgian Court University. Her freshman year she was a member of the tournament team, in 2011 she won the MVP award, she was selected for All-CACC first team, and received Honorable Mention in 2012. Farrell was a 3-year starter and captain and would have been a 4-year starter if she did not suffer a potential career ending and life altering injury.

She suffered a major injury to the spine which included periods of time where she was unable to walk. This led her to undergo two spine surgeries, which included reconstructive surgery, after the first surgery went horribly wrong leaving Farrell unable to get out of bed and unable to walk for days at a time. Doctors told Farrell there was no guarantee she would be able to return to the sport she loved so much, especially at a high level, and her focus should be on doing daily tasks and getting through a daily routine that she hadn’t been able to do in the condition she was in. With lots of rehab, had work, and determination, Farrell made it back to finish her 4th and final season of college soccer. She was not the player she was before or the player she wanted to be, but she made it back on the field, and that was a big victory.

Farrell was not going to settle for just making it back to finish her last college season, and then hang up the boots. After college, Farrell continued to rehab and worked relentlessly to make improvements in her physical abilities and went on to play semi professional soccer. She played 2 years in the WPSL before moving into the UWS where she has most recently been playing. Farrell has also played some professional futsal starting out in Virginia with VA United FC, and then went on to stay and play local and was a starter for her team as they won the US Regional Futsal Tournament Championship in 2018 with FC Copa and 2020 with Brazuca Futsal.

​When Farrell is not playing the sports she loves, she is working with youth players to help them unleash their potential. Farrell has been coaching and training players for over 10 years.

The game of soccer is changing at a rapid pace. Therefore, the role of the goalkeeper in it as well. Futsal is gaining and extreme level of popularity, not only as a game but as the best tool to help a player with soccer development. Field players are embracing futsal as their salvation with their soccer challenges. However goalkeepers seems to shy away and when they are asked to participate in goalkeeper training and they seem to gravitate towards turf or grass training. 

Only a small number of goalkeepers prefer futsal specific goalkeeper training and in fact are brave enough to take on the challenge. Yes, I did use the word brave, as one must have no fear to stand in a futsal goal and face extremely fast shots from very short  distances and angles. But then again only few will ever become elite at their chosen craft.

Futsal will massively accelerate the level of development for a a goalkeeper and help them excel in their outdoor soccer game.
Futsal will help them stand out and massively develop.

One of the most overlooked positions is still the goalkeeper position by many coaches. That is a common mistake that we see in outdoor soccer teams trying their hand at futsal for the first time. They enter events without their goalkeepers ever have attended a futsal specific goalkeeper training. A lot of them have never even attended a regular goalkeeper specific training. 

A good number of teams attending futsal events for the  first time will most likely not even have a goalkeeper. They will rotate field players at the position. That is great and should be promoted at the younger age groups and lower level events. However when teams enter higher level events whey should have a goalkeeper that knows and understands the position.

Learn more about the Elite Player Training where a goalkeeper can train in a futsal specific environment and massively improve their skills.

The Elite Futsal Player Training kicked off this Wednesday November 11 2020 and it will be acting as a feeder program for the Champions Cup Series teams. Elite Futsal Training is 100% club neutral and is open to both girls and boys ages U8 to U18.

Top level players represented academies like PDA, STA, Cedar Stars and others in this first training session. Players that have won regional and national US Technical competitions, and players that are currently on a USYF National team. This definitely is a high level opportunity for elite players to train with other elite players and further develop their soccer skills as well as become proficient in the game of futsal.

The future's so bright for New Jersey Futsal with the number of soccer players increasing every year discovering the game of futsal and using it as a development tool to reach the top levels in the game of futsal as well as soccer.

​We are excited to announce that our new registration platform will be gotsoccer. With almost everyone familiar with the platform and a member of gotsoccer this partnership will make the customer experience seamless and easier to navigate. Please visit gotsoccer to view all the new events that we have added and register today. One can find a list of our new programming here: www.centraljerseyfutsalleague.com We look forward to a great fall/winter futsal season. #centraljerseyfutsal #yearroundfutsal #futsalfirst #madebyfutsal

When one first engages futsal for the first time, he is taken back from what he is watching and initially may not be able to express what is going on, but quickly realizes this is not an ordinary game. Many have tried to debate futsal's benefits and how it helps outdoor soccer but the bottom line is futsal must be purposely used year round along side with soccer and come first in the younger starter age groups of 3 to 9  years of age. Futsal develops top soccer players and you can take it to the bank. 

Following are some key point as to the differences of futsal and indoor soccer that will help everyone understand why it is some much better than indoor soccer.

We are happy and excited to kick off the fall futsal tournament season with the Central Jersey Futsal Tournament Series' first tournament during Columbus Day weekend.
The Columbus Day tournament is the first in a series of five tournaments of its kind.
https://www.centraljerseyfutsalleague.com/tournament-series.html
Additional programing for the 2020 -2021 season include:
Champions Cup Series - International Tournament
Central Jersey Championship Series Tournaments
NJ State Futsal Championships Tournament
Central Jersey Futsal League Series

​Central Jersey Futsal was Founded in 2005, and as a longstanding youth futsal organization has grown to include multiple programs for aspiring athletes in the region. Central Jersey Futsal hopes to educate parents and guide players into a development pathway that reaches the highest level of local, regional, national and international futsal. 

Futsal in the Central Jersey region was limited prior to Central Jersey Futsal altering the development landscape by emphasizing futsal training. Central Jersey Futsal has been an innovator that exposes the community to overlooked or ground-breaking opportunities.

Central Jersey Futsal Joins Champions Cup Series  - The Dawn Of A New Era in the area's futsal programming. 
Jackson, New Jersey will be the hub of the area's Elite Top Level National and International futsal competition. United Futsal today, August 21st 2020 announces Central Jersey Futsal as the latest expansion organization for the 2021 Champions Cup Series (CCS). Founded in 2005, the longstanding youth futsal organization has grown to include multiple programs for aspiring athletes in the region. Central Jersey Futsal hopes to educate parents and guide players into a development pathway that reaches the highest level of international futsal. ​​

The founder of Central Jersey Futsal, Niko Alexopoulos, officially announced the organization's acceptance into United Futsal Champions Cup Series today. 

"Partnering with United Futsal will bring the top tier of elite futsal to New Jersey," said Alexopoulos. "The players will compete on the international level with the likes of professional academies. It’s going to be an eye-opener for the American kids and families. The level of competition between New Jersey and what is offered by United Futsal is night and day. The ability to play against real academies is a game-changer." 

Alexopoulos believes passionately that futsal should be intentionally used as a tool for developing soccer players year-round and come first in the developing process at the younger starter age groups of 3-12 years of age. Futsal develops top level soccer players. That is the bottom line. You can take it to the bank. 

Alexopoulos is eager to utilize United Futsal’s innovative FUNDAWAY app, which allows for youth clubs to start their own local and personal services fundraising campaign. The fact that United Futsal has the ability to participate in its programming without the burden of spending money out of their pockets is the final reason we decided to join. 

Please read entire press release here