Former European Soccer Coach Opens A ‘Futsal’ Academy For Moncton Youth
DIEPPE – Soccer made Geoffroy de Maeyer a healthier teenager and eventually led to a career as a coach and scout for major teams in his native Belgium. Now, he wants to bring organized futsal – a similar sport to soccer that’s played indoors with five people in one team – to Greater Moncton’s youth.
By: Inda Intiar
Twitter: @indaintiar
East Coast Futsal League opened this month with an academy for children. Twenty kids aged 7-to-15 have signed up. At least one female student is already in the roster, though de Maeyer hopes to see more girls in the future.
“Everywhere a kid can show up and be a champion,” he said. “I want to give the opportunity for them to go further than other programs. We can go to Belgium and let them test in big clubs because I know a lot of managers, I know a lot of clubs in first, second, third division and national teams – but that’s later.”
He wants to use his knowledge and network to build a professional environment around the region’s young futsal and soccer players.
De Maeyer built his network in international soccer when he coached kids at R.S.C. Anderlecht, Royal Union Saint-Gilloise, AFC Tubize, and scouted for Standard de Liège. Many of the players he coached have become players at top clubs.
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Futsal Canada exists to help grow the sport of Futsal in Canada, through resource sharing, running tournaments and events, and lobbying for increased funding for, support for, and recognition of the sport at the educational, amateur, and professional levels.
