Why the Boarded Game is Good for Youth Development

Why Is the Boarded Game Good for Youth Development?
~ by Percy Hoff, Director of Coach & Player Development, Hollandia Soccer Club

People often struggle to see a relationship between regular soccer and the boarded game (Arena Soccer). The truth is that they are different sports, but for youth players, there is a huge advantage in playing Arena Soccer which is very similar to the developmental advantages of Futsal, with the benefit of live walls.

The developmental advantage lies in the factor of variability which Arena Soccer provides. Experts in movement skills will tell you that youth players' ability to move their bodies in a variety of ways in response to random demands is highly valuable. A ball in any sport never comes to a player in the same way every time. There are tons of variables in direction, speed spin and trajectory. Most players are trained in closed practices where the required movements are close to being the same on every repetition. This type of training not only limits the player's ability to develop a wide range of responses, but taxes the same muscles and joints repeatedly, increasing the risk of over-use injuries. (James C.R. 2004 - Innovative analysis of human movement).

There is much evidence supporting variability in the training. According to the International Olympic Committee consensus statement on youth athletic development “Empirical evidence shows that a diversity of activities (including variations of play and practice) in early development is an indicator of continued involvement in more intense activities later in life, elite performance and continued participation in sport.”

In Arena Soccer, imagine the variables that players are presented with: The ball comes off the wall with a variety of pace, sideways spin, top spin, back spin and many different angles. Players learn to evaluate the geometric reaction of the ball coming off the walls or backboards. The tiles on the playing surface have become slightly concaved over time, and this means that players must develop variable passing technique to prevent the ball bobbling as it travels, but also, they need to develop alternative receiving techniques to deal with the bobbling ball. They also need to learn to apply different passing techniques to deal with the speed at which the ball travels.

In addition to the above, the smaller number of players allows for more touches per player, the quickness of the game develops intensity and the short "shifts" provide a good basis for the type of interval training that develops explosive movements and rapid recovery. From a safety perspective, physical contact around the boards is harshly punished with the loss of a player, so player learn to decelerate and maintain control of their bodies when approaching the boards. The different surface, different ball and the live boards provides youth players with an environment rich in variables and opportunity for neuro-muscular adaptability which are desirable for all types of sport movement.

All Under-11 and Under-13 Alliance League teams receive five boarded games during the indoor season as part of their regular schedule.