Senda News
Senda Spotlight: Joga Bonito Futsal Academy
At Senda Athletics, it is our priority to locate the best youth futsal organizations across the country as our partners. One of these organizations that we are proud to be affiliated with is Joga Bonito Futsal Academy, a youth futsal organization based in South Florida. This youth futsal academy is revolutionizing the way that youth futsal players are strengthening their skills whether through futsal camps that are held throughout the year, experienced coaches that are licensed by the US Soccer Federation, and youth futsal programs that are held in cities such as Boca Raton and Miami. Last week, Senda Athletics was given the opportunity to interview Guga Alencar, a former Brazilian futsal professional, NCAA Division 1 Player, and current head coach of JB Futsal Academy. While some professional athletes relish on their achievements and become apathetic about improving, Guga could not be further on the opposite end of the spectrum. When asked about why he coaches youth futsal Coach Guga explains, “I really believe in the importance of it for the development of players. It helped me tremendously when I was young and just starting to play. It helped me, among many things, with my confidence as a player.” These sentiments echo many soccer players in America who make the transition from youth futsal to soccer in later stages of their lives. At Senda, we have a specific goal in mind: to pursue social change through our work as a social enterprise. We disrupt the youth futsal industry by offering the best-in-class futsal products while simultaneously embracing Fair Trade regulations. Coach Guga’s philosophy towards his youth futsal academy has an equally important objective. “At Joga Bonito Futsal Academy, we are a player-centered academy. We believe that players should be able to find solutions of their own. We give them the tools and scenarios; we ask them to find the solutions.” Making a concerted effort to improve the skills of youth futsal is a top priority for the Joga Bonito Futsal Academy. As Coach Guga relates, “I always want the best for my players. In almost 17 years of developing youth futsal players in the US, I always thought that there was a missing ‘agent’ or ‘part’ in this process.” Furthermore, the coach describes the emotional aspect of improving youth futsal players’ abilities, “The passion for working with players and helping them get better is what motivates me. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the happiness on the players’ faces when they achieve their goals.” Coach Guga expands upon why he chose to partner with Senda Athletics as the company to provide youth futsal balls for his academy. His response is nothing short of heartwarming for Senda, which emphasizes making a real difference in the lives of youth futsal players, “I choose Senda balls because their story is similar to ours. We are a family owned and operated academy with love and care for this sport and those who are involved in it. Senda and Joga Bonito hold the same beliefs and I am super happy with the quality of the product we are getting.” Finally, Guga details his hopes for the growth of youth futsal in the near future, “I hope youth futsal grows as a sport in the US. I hope futsal can be mandatory in every soccer club. I hope it can be part of the school’s system, like we are doing for a few schools during their physical education time.” Senda Athletics could not agree more.
Senda Spotlight: Joga Bonito Futsal Academy
At Senda Athletics, it is our priority to locate the best youth futsal organizations across the country as our partners. One of these organizations that we are proud to be affiliated with is Joga Bonito Futsal Academy, a youth futsal organization based in South Florida. This youth futsal academy is revolutionizing the way that youth futsal players are strengthening their skills whether through futsal camps that are held throughout the year, experienced coaches that are licensed by the US Soccer Federation, and youth futsal programs that are held in cities such as Boca Raton and Miami. Last week, Senda Athletics was given the opportunity to interview Guga Alencar, a former Brazilian futsal professional, NCAA Division 1 Player, and current head coach of JB Futsal Academy. While some professional athletes relish on their achievements and become apathetic about improving, Guga could not be further on the opposite end of the spectrum. When asked about why he coaches youth futsal Coach Guga explains, “I really believe in the importance of it for the development of players. It helped me tremendously when I was young and just starting to play. It helped me, among many things, with my confidence as a player.” These sentiments echo many soccer players in America who make the transition from youth futsal to soccer in later stages of their lives. At Senda, we have a specific goal in mind: to pursue social change through our work as a social enterprise. We disrupt the youth futsal industry by offering the best-in-class futsal products while simultaneously embracing Fair Trade regulations. Coach Guga’s philosophy towards his youth futsal academy has an equally important objective. “At Joga Bonito Futsal Academy, we are a player-centered academy. We believe that players should be able to find solutions of their own. We give them the tools and scenarios; we ask them to find the solutions.” Making a concerted effort to improve the skills of youth futsal is a top priority for the Joga Bonito Futsal Academy. As Coach Guga relates, “I always want the best for my players. In almost 17 years of developing youth futsal players in the US, I always thought that there was a missing ‘agent’ or ‘part’ in this process.” Furthermore, the coach describes the emotional aspect of improving youth futsal players’ abilities, “The passion for working with players and helping them get better is what motivates me. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing the happiness on the players’ faces when they achieve their goals.” Coach Guga expands upon why he chose to partner with Senda Athletics as the company to provide youth futsal balls for his academy. His response is nothing short of heartwarming for Senda, which emphasizes making a real difference in the lives of youth futsal players, “I choose Senda balls because their story is similar to ours. We are a family owned and operated academy with love and care for this sport and those who are involved in it. Senda and Joga Bonito hold the same beliefs and I am super happy with the quality of the product we are getting.” Finally, Guga details his hopes for the growth of youth futsal in the near future, “I hope youth futsal grows as a sport in the US. I hope futsal can be mandatory in every soccer club. I hope it can be part of the school’s system, like we are doing for a few schools during their physical education time.” Senda Athletics could not agree more.
Senda Spotlight: Golden Boot Academy
Senda Athletics has teamed up with Golden Boot Academy to strengthen the reach of futsal in our community and help them launch their futsal training program. Golden Boot academy works with athletes of all ages to develop their skills with both soccer and futsal training. Golden Boot Academy is led by coaches Nigus Solomon and Yohannes Harris. This coaching duo has backgrounds ranging from professional soccer overseas to playing for respected universities in California such as San Francisco State University and Holy Names University. At Golden Boot Academy, they are focused on providing a soccer and futsal training platform that is both top level and affordable. With a lack of soccer and futsal resources in the East Bay, Golden Boot Academy works with athletes and their families to help them grow and become successful. When asked why this coaching duo started Golden Boot Academy they said, "With a good support system and some hard work, we believe anyone can achieve what they put their mind to." At Senda Athletics, we want to recover the unifying power of soccer and futsal, while changing lives along the way. Coaches Nigus and Yohannes have the same philosophy when it comes to this beautiful game. "First and foremost, we want to create positive individuals that are active and supportive members of society. We want not only to help our clients become better athletes or soccer players but better people in general, people with good morals and values." Understanding that there is a rapid and quick growth of futsal in the United States, Golden Boot Academy offers futsal training to help their athletes gain an advantage in the sports. Futsal training helps players compete at a faster pace, which requires athletes to make quicker decisions within tighter spaces. It also requires athletes to think and play more creatively, increasing both their control and handle overall. This is why Golden Boot Academy offers futsal training to complement the skill set for 11 v 11 soccer. When asked why Golden Boot Academy has teamed up with Senda Athletics, they responded with: "First Reason is after doing our research on them we found out that they are a Fair Trade company who believe in giving back to the communities and helping others live better lives, which is something we value as well. The second thing is we wanted to work with a community company who believes in same ideologies as we do. We also love the balls a lot we have got nothing but the best feedback from our clients about the balls, they love them as much as we do." With a strong belief that both soccer and futsal help build a better community and bring happiness, it easy to see why Golden Boot Academy and Senda Athletics have teamed up.
Senda Spotlight: Golden Boot Academy
Senda Athletics has teamed up with Golden Boot Academy to strengthen the reach of futsal in our community and help them launch their futsal training program. Golden Boot academy works with athletes of all ages to develop their skills with both soccer and futsal training. Golden Boot Academy is led by coaches Nigus Solomon and Yohannes Harris. This coaching duo has backgrounds ranging from professional soccer overseas to playing for respected universities in California such as San Francisco State University and Holy Names University. At Golden Boot Academy, they are focused on providing a soccer and futsal training platform that is both top level and affordable. With a lack of soccer and futsal resources in the East Bay, Golden Boot Academy works with athletes and their families to help them grow and become successful. When asked why this coaching duo started Golden Boot Academy they said, "With a good support system and some hard work, we believe anyone can achieve what they put their mind to." At Senda Athletics, we want to recover the unifying power of soccer and futsal, while changing lives along the way. Coaches Nigus and Yohannes have the same philosophy when it comes to this beautiful game. "First and foremost, we want to create positive individuals that are active and supportive members of society. We want not only to help our clients become better athletes or soccer players but better people in general, people with good morals and values." Understanding that there is a rapid and quick growth of futsal in the United States, Golden Boot Academy offers futsal training to help their athletes gain an advantage in the sports. Futsal training helps players compete at a faster pace, which requires athletes to make quicker decisions within tighter spaces. It also requires athletes to think and play more creatively, increasing both their control and handle overall. This is why Golden Boot Academy offers futsal training to complement the skill set for 11 v 11 soccer. When asked why Golden Boot Academy has teamed up with Senda Athletics, they responded with: "First Reason is after doing our research on them we found out that they are a Fair Trade company who believe in giving back to the communities and helping others live better lives, which is something we value as well. The second thing is we wanted to work with a community company who believes in same ideologies as we do. We also love the balls a lot we have got nothing but the best feedback from our clients about the balls, they love them as much as we do." With a strong belief that both soccer and futsal help build a better community and bring happiness, it easy to see why Golden Boot Academy and Senda Athletics have teamed up.
Senda Spotlight: Diego Giustozzi, Argentina's Futsal World Cup Winning Coach
Diego Giustozzi, an Argentine Futsal World Cup winning coach, hosted a three-day clinic from June 11th-13th with Rose City Futsal Academy in Portland, Oregon. Senda Athletics worked with Rose City Futsal Academy to provide the gear used by the players during Giustozzi's weekend clinic with the futsal academy. As a former member of the River Plate Futsal Team in the AFA Futsal Championship, Giustozzi also played in the FIFA Futsal World Championships in both 2004 and 2008. As a competitor who has played in futsal leagues in countries such as Italy and Spain, Giustozzi has made a name for himself as one of the greatest Argentinian futsal players of all time. Senda engaged in a conversation with Diego Giustozzi about his life in futsal, as both a player and a coach. When asked about the most difficult aspect of being a futsal coach, the former Futsal World Cup winner responded, "I think that the most difficult part about being a coach is carrying out the ideas rooted in theory and practice. Normally, your coach always has an idea and is convinced in something that he wants, but the difficult part is making that a reality; there are a multitude of principles that you always have to consider that need to be concrete". Giustozzi also discusses the transition from being a futsal player to a coach, "For me personally, my experience as a futsal player has helped me tremendously, because of the type of player I was and the way that I thought off of the pitch. My style of play was never very flashy and I always found myself more of a coach on the pitch, which has helped me to make decisions as a technical director". One of the most difficult parts of being a futsal coach is finding the best way to achieve a competitive and winning mentality out of your players. Giustozzi shares his outlook on this objective, "I don't have a planned out strategy-I think that if I created one I wouldn't get the most important things done. My strategy is something that I hold within, where sincerity, daily tasks, planning, and professionalism are all things I have to consider to earn credibility". Rose City Futsal Academy held a training clinic session with Giustozzi as a special guest coach, and he had this to say regarding the experience, "The truth is that I left very happy with how Rose City treated me and above all, how involved the people were in every conversation, every technical training, and every practice that I had". Speaking about the future of futsal in the United States, Giustozzi was optimistic, "I believe that the U.S. has huge potential due to its wide margin to improve, has a large quantity of players, a great quality of players, and the proper infrastructure. The important thing for futsal in the United States in the future is to find the right path to growth". Giustozzi coached the Argentine National Futsal Team to a FIFA Futsal World Cup Final Victory in 2016. His emotions as a result of winning the trophy were expanded upon, "On a personal level, it was a single moment of joy that I hold with me for the rest of my life, but what it really changed was my professional life. The story of sport in Argentina changed; the same teams do not always win and we showed that by defeating Spain". Finally, when asked if he had any specific objectives as a futsal coach, Giustozzi displays his humility, "My goal has been the same as always and I don't give myself title-driven goals, as they are most often a result of various different reasons. My goals are not framed by winning titles, but rather by being the same person from Argentina that I was before I started winning titles and to not distract myself from the most important thing, my daily work. There are many moments of sacrifice, many moments of making decisions, and the details will make the difference. With that, the titles and opportunities to coach clubs will come. Giustozzi recently announced that he would be leaving his position as the coach for the Argentinian National Futsal Team, and is now a coach for El Pozo Murcia FS. Senda would like to thank Diego Giustozzi for being a positive figure in the futsal community and his passion for the sport we all love.
Senda Spotlight: Diego Giustozzi, Argentina's Futsal World Cup Winning Coach
Diego Giustozzi, an Argentine Futsal World Cup winning coach, hosted a three-day clinic from June 11th-13th with Rose City Futsal Academy in Portland, Oregon. Senda Athletics worked with Rose City Futsal Academy to provide the gear used by the players during Giustozzi's weekend clinic with the futsal academy. As a former member of the River Plate Futsal Team in the AFA Futsal Championship, Giustozzi also played in the FIFA Futsal World Championships in both 2004 and 2008. As a competitor who has played in futsal leagues in countries such as Italy and Spain, Giustozzi has made a name for himself as one of the greatest Argentinian futsal players of all time. Senda engaged in a conversation with Diego Giustozzi about his life in futsal, as both a player and a coach. When asked about the most difficult aspect of being a futsal coach, the former Futsal World Cup winner responded, "I think that the most difficult part about being a coach is carrying out the ideas rooted in theory and practice. Normally, your coach always has an idea and is convinced in something that he wants, but the difficult part is making that a reality; there are a multitude of principles that you always have to consider that need to be concrete". Giustozzi also discusses the transition from being a futsal player to a coach, "For me personally, my experience as a futsal player has helped me tremendously, because of the type of player I was and the way that I thought off of the pitch. My style of play was never very flashy and I always found myself more of a coach on the pitch, which has helped me to make decisions as a technical director". One of the most difficult parts of being a futsal coach is finding the best way to achieve a competitive and winning mentality out of your players. Giustozzi shares his outlook on this objective, "I don't have a planned out strategy-I think that if I created one I wouldn't get the most important things done. My strategy is something that I hold within, where sincerity, daily tasks, planning, and professionalism are all things I have to consider to earn credibility". Rose City Futsal Academy held a training clinic session with Giustozzi as a special guest coach, and he had this to say regarding the experience, "The truth is that I left very happy with how Rose City treated me and above all, how involved the people were in every conversation, every technical training, and every practice that I had". Speaking about the future of futsal in the United States, Giustozzi was optimistic, "I believe that the U.S. has huge potential due to its wide margin to improve, has a large quantity of players, a great quality of players, and the proper infrastructure. The important thing for futsal in the United States in the future is to find the right path to growth". Giustozzi coached the Argentine National Futsal Team to a FIFA Futsal World Cup Final Victory in 2016. His emotions as a result of winning the trophy were expanded upon, "On a personal level, it was a single moment of joy that I hold with me for the rest of my life, but what it really changed was my professional life. The story of sport in Argentina changed; the same teams do not always win and we showed that by defeating Spain". Finally, when asked if he had any specific objectives as a futsal coach, Giustozzi displays his humility, "My goal has been the same as always and I don't give myself title-driven goals, as they are most often a result of various different reasons. My goals are not framed by winning titles, but rather by being the same person from Argentina that I was before I started winning titles and to not distract myself from the most important thing, my daily work. There are many moments of sacrifice, many moments of making decisions, and the details will make the difference. With that, the titles and opportunities to coach clubs will come. Giustozzi recently announced that he would be leaving his position as the coach for the Argentinian National Futsal Team, and is now a coach for El Pozo Murcia FS. Senda would like to thank Diego Giustozzi for being a positive figure in the futsal community and his passion for the sport we all love.
Senda Spotlight: U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials
On June 29-30th, 500+ of the best youth futsal players across the United States competed in the U.S. Youth Futsal I.D. National Trials. The Futsal I.D. State Trials, which occurs annually, have the objective of scouting the best youth futsal players to be invited to the U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials.
Senda Spotlight: U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials
On June 29-30th, 500+ of the best youth futsal players across the United States competed in the U.S. Youth Futsal I.D. National Trials. The Futsal I.D. State Trials, which occurs annually, have the objective of scouting the best youth futsal players to be invited to the U.S. Youth Futsal National I.D. Trials.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP MODEL: Bay Area Outreach Program
Soccer is a game that involves two teams competing against each other with the objective of shooting the ball and scoring on one another. However, for BORP and Senda, soccer is so much more than just a game.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP MODEL: Bay Area Outreach Program
Soccer is a game that involves two teams competing against each other with the objective of shooting the ball and scoring on one another. However, for BORP and Senda, soccer is so much more than just a game.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP MODEL: STREET SOCCER USA & SENDA
Senda couldn’t be more proud to partner with Street Soccer USA in leveraging the game of soccer to raise awareness about the issues of poverty both at home and abroad. As a social enterprise, we want to innovate and build socially focused sponsorship models that allocate resources where they are can make the most impact; Street Soccer USA is a perfect fit for this.
A NEW PARTNERSHIP MODEL: STREET SOCCER USA & SENDA
Senda couldn’t be more proud to partner with Street Soccer USA in leveraging the game of soccer to raise awareness about the issues of poverty both at home and abroad. As a social enterprise, we want to innovate and build socially focused sponsorship models that allocate resources where they are can make the most impact; Street Soccer USA is a perfect fit for this.