# Thoughts on Sand Soccer?



## socalkdg (May 19, 2017)

Help or hindrance for girls soccer?  Injury hazard?


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## timbuck (May 19, 2017)

It is barely soccer.  But it is a blast.  My team looks forward to the 1 sand soccer tournament we do every year.  We have done it for 4 years and no injuries yet.
It is kickball at it's finest and your keepers have to be resilient because a lot of weird goals get scored and/or she'll get a face full of sand a few times per game.


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## Willy (May 19, 2017)

My daughter is playing in a sand tournament this weekend.  Between my two girls I've been to 4 sand tournaments.  Never seen an injury worse than a jammed toe from toe poking the ball without a shoe.  It's a fun experience for the kids and a nice change of pace for the parents.
I would not say it's a huge help, but it does give them a nice workout.  Definitely not a hindrance.


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## Sons of Pitches (May 19, 2017)

Sand Soccer is a blast, the tournaments are at the best locations!, the games are short, a great work out and despite all the naysayers, it does help your player learn soccer. Futsal teaches Agility, Sand Soccer teaches Mobility.  Two important parts of playing on the short green stuff.

We have played in at least 3 beach tournaments a year for the past 4 years, and have not sustained any significant injuries.


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## espola (May 19, 2017)

socalkdg said:


> Help or hindrance for girls soccer?  Injury hazard?


An interesting diversion for a team picnic at the beach - if you can find a big enough  patch of clear sand.


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## pewpew (May 19, 2017)

My daughter is a GK. She wears her dirt bike goggles for sand tournaments. Huge help. Refs never have a problem with it.
A few minor injuries. Nothing to keep anyone from training the next week. Bring plenty of sunscreen. Girls have a blast. 
Biggest problem now is that in between games when they want to jump in the waves. Too many Great Whites out there.


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## timbuck (May 19, 2017)

The big one in HB is coming up in a few weeks.  We've done that one the last 3 years.
This year, we did their May tournament.  It was considerably smaller, but I think it was better.  Competition was good.  Weather was a bit cool (but the weekend before was a scorcher, so you never know).  It was much less crowded.  You had room to set up your stuff on the sand.  You could actually park close to the courts.  The hotel rates were a little bit more reasonable (if you booked in advance.  The week of they were really expensive).


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## socalkdg (May 19, 2017)

timbuck said:


> The big one in HB is coming up in a few weeks.  We've done that one the last 3 years.
> This year, we did their May tournament.  It was considerably smaller, but I think it was better.  Competition was good.  Weather was a bit cool (but the weekend before was a scorcher, so you never know).  It was much less crowded.  You had room to set up your stuff on the sand.  You could actually park close to the courts.  The hotel rates were a little bit more reasonable (if you booked in advance.  The week of they were really expensive).


This is the one we are looking at doing.   Assume it will be very crowded, or maybe a bit less as some teams did the May tourney?

Thanks everyone else for info, helpful.


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## 2keepersandadefender (May 19, 2017)

My son is a keeper and doing his first sand tournament in HB.  He wears contacts so I am a little nervous regarding the sand and his diving.  Any advice on cheap goggles, socks etc would be appreciated. I am assuming that the ball is different but should he wear gloves?


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## pewpew (May 19, 2017)

You could go to any motorcycle shop and get a cheap pair of dirt bike goggles for probably $20. If not even check Pep Boys. Sand socks are available at any soccer shop. Some kids like them. Some just play barefoot. Ball is much softer. If you have an old pair of GK gloves laying around I suggest using those. Gloves don't seem to come clean the same way they normally do after a weekend of beach soccer. I always keep an old pair or two in the garage for a future sand tournament.


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## pewpew (May 19, 2017)

If he normally wets his gloves a bit before he starts training I'd suggest skipping that part. Unless you want his gloves looking like sugar cookies.


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## timbuck (May 19, 2017)

Agree on the above.
It's a size 4 or size 5 ball (based on age group), but under inflated by about a pound.
GK gloves will definitely be unuseable after the weekend.  But necessary for a gk to wear them.  Make sure your keeper knows that punts from the other keeper are considered indirect. So rather than make a leaping save for a ball that's coming out of the sky, just get out of the way.  Lots of goals happen each year because the keeper nicks the ball with her pinky and it goes in.  If she doesn't touch it, its a GK coming out.
I've not seen anyone wear goggles the last few years.  My 9 year old is a part time keeper and also wears contacts.  Shes done it the last 2 years without much of an issue. Bring an extra set of contacts and some saline just in case.  (And the may weekend was incredibly windy.  I dont think she had any issues).

As far as parking  and getting around -  USE UBER!!!!  We stated at the Hyatt the last 3 years.  They run a a shuttle, but it's not always convenient.  The fields are about 3 miles from the Hyatt, so a bit of a walk if you are in a hurry.  The parking lot will be a MESS by 10:00 am.  If you have a game at 11:00 and are hoping to get to the lot at 10:00 am, you'll need to drop your player off and have her run to the field.  You'll be lucky to make it there by the start of the game once you park.

Here's what I would do if I wasn't staying in HB.  Park at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.  Free parking.  Call an Uber.  It will cost less than $20 each way and will drop you off right near your field.  They will have food trucks and beach snack shack right near the courts.  The food court lines are long.  If you have a long break between games, grab an Uber to Main Street/Pacific City for lunch.

Also -  If you need to use the bathroom, don't wait until the last minute.  The lines get long.  I also make sure to bring a few rolls of toilet paper for the team.  Near the end of the day, the bathrooms will be out of TP.  That's not fun for anybody.

Some people will rope of football field (or futbol) sized areas for their team to congregate in.  Don't be that person. There is plenty of beach around for everyone.  You don't need to mark off your private island.  Bring an EZ Up or 2, some beach chairs and plenty of water.

A word about staying at the Hyatt -  The kid pool section looks like a Vegas nightclub at around 3pm on Saturday and stays that way until about 10:00 pm.  It is wall-to-wall kids.  On Saturday night, they illuminate the water slide and play music and have a laser light show.  The kids love it.  And the bar is open late for the adults.  If you are feeling "spendy", not a bad idea to get a poolside cabana so that you have a home base.


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## timbuck (May 19, 2017)

Also- most kids prefer sand socks.  They will have them for sale at the beach.  Dicks also carries them.  And Amazon too. 
Vincere is the main brand. 
Most kids also like to tape the sand socks.  You need to use duct tape.  Athletic tape won't stick once its dirty.  Bring 3 big rolls for your team to get through the weekend. 

And if you plan to get your kid a sweatshirt, you need to do it first thing Saturday morning for the common sizes.  They will have xs and xxl all weekend, but everything else will sell out.  
If they have a pre-order option, do that.


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## Multi Sport (May 19, 2017)

2keepersandadefender said:


> My son is a keeper and doing his first sand tournament in HB.  He wears contacts so I am a little nervous regarding the sand and his diving.  Any advice on cheap goggles, socks etc would be appreciated. I am assuming that the ball is different but should he wear gloves?


Ski goggles. Just have fun. It's a blast for keepers...


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## Multi Sport (May 19, 2017)

timbuck said:


> Also- most kids prefer sand socks.  They will have them for sale at the beach.  Dicks also carries them.  And Amazon too.
> Vincere is the main brand.
> Most kids also like to tape the sand socks.  You need to use duct tape.  Athletic tape won't stick once its dirty.  Bring 3 big rolls for your team to get through the weekend.
> 
> ...


Pre-wrap first, then duct tape. It saves the skin..


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## Real Deal (May 19, 2017)

It's really a ton of fun for all involved.  I think it helps with soccer because it is purely for fun, and the two (soccer and fun) should probably be associated on occasion.  It's also great for team bonding or just bonding with soccer friends.

Agree on the Great Whites though


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## SIMONMAGUS (May 19, 2017)

All recreational and social event. Enjoy your days.

Has nothing to do with development.


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## Mom Taxi (May 19, 2017)

Too many injuries last summer including a broken foot. Won't do it again.


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## Dominic (May 19, 2017)

Fun


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## Eagle33 (May 22, 2017)

It is great fun that absolutely has nothing to do with soccer. It is just a fun weekend on the beach for a team bonding.
It's not common but injuries do happen and I don't know any serious high level teams that playing sand soccer.


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## gkrent (May 22, 2017)

My players have put together teams of friends from other teams and have a great time.  They have won multiple tournaments and its a great day for the parents too.  Study the rules well and use them to your advantage!


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## SoccerFan4Life (May 22, 2017)

If you are looking for something fun for the kids, this is the tournament for them.
No development and not fun for parents when you are in the sun all day two days in a row.

Personally, I hated it and will never have my kids do it again.   I would do futsal any day over beach soccer.


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## outside! (May 22, 2017)

As a surfer, I didn't hate sand soccer. I would not recommend a sand soccer before a normal soccer tournament that matters (as much as any of this matter) like Surf Cup. My DD was not injured, but did get blisters that bothered her for a few weeks. She did have a 50/50 ball collision with a player from the A team and that player was injured.


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## forsomuch (May 22, 2017)

Fun when they were little, got to u13 kids got hurt and it got dangerous. Things got physical because boys are boys and no real refs just u16/17 kids who didn't care. Punches were thrown. Would rather play futsal


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## OCsoccerMANiac (May 22, 2017)

I hate sand soccer, sand hurts your feet if your not wearing the "sand socks", etc, and I don't see if helping the players game at all. 

Only thing I enjoyed, was a day at the beach where you can potluck with the team and bond. 

Futsal is much better, and helps the players make quicker decisions.


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## bruinblue14 (May 22, 2017)

We didn't have a good experience with it. Injuries, rough play, no real skill.


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## full90 (May 24, 2017)

Fun for sure but sooooo many injuries. Walking by the medical tent was an eye opener. We made it through two times unfazed but won't go back due to how many kids were injured and the injuries were considerable. broken toes, sliced feet etc...

Talk to a trainer who works those events and you won't ever do it. 

Kids had fun but sadly, with all the time and money we put into soccer, sitting out the next 6 weeks isn't worth it.


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## timbuck (May 24, 2017)

I also don't let my kid ride her bike anymore.  I dont want to ruin all of the years of soccer practice.
And if she goes to the mall, she has to wear a helmet and knee pads.


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## chargerfan (May 24, 2017)

timbuck said:


> I also don't let my kid ride her bike anymore.  I dont want to ruin all of the years of soccer practice.
> And if she goes to the mall, she has to wear a helmet and knee pads.



The odds of her being hurt in sand soccer are much higher than while riding a bike or going  to the mall. We did the one in Oceanside a few years back and our team ended up with a broken ankle, broken toe, and some nasty bruising. The injuries ruined the experience.


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## forsomuch (May 26, 2017)

When you introduce the tournament aspect and trying to win against other teams it creates the injuries. We used to do beach training a few times every summer as a change of pace and it was fun. Just your team having fun, training, small sided games with a picnic and body surfing afterwards. Go have fun at the beach it doesn't take a tournament to do that.


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## timbuck (May 26, 2017)

chargerfan said:


> The odds of her being hurt in sand soccer are much higher than while riding a bike or going  to the mall. We did the one in Oceanside a few years back and our team ended up with a broken ankle, broken toe, and some nasty bruising. The injuries ruined the experience.


Are they any higher than playing in a "regular" soccer tournament?


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## coachrefparent (May 26, 2017)

timbuck said:


> I also don't let my kid ride her bike anymore.  I dont want to ruin all of the years of soccer practice.
> And if she goes to the mall, she has to wear a helmet and knee pads.


Don't forget hoverboards, playing ball in the house, tree climbing and fidget spinners (they could fly off and put an eye out.)

My kids have played the beach tournament for over 3 years, including about 6 practices at the beach prior to. Never had any serious injuries. Players had much worse injuries on the pitch over those seasons.  Nothing compared to the injury tents at State Cup.


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## chargerfan (May 26, 2017)

timbuck said:


> Are they any higher than playing in a "regular" soccer tournament?


I know this is just antecdotal, but we have never had our team suffer so many injuries in one weekend. We had 3+ out for a couple of weeks. Parents and girls decided it wasn't worth it, so we never did it again. It was a combination of playing in sand and refs letting it turn into a full on brawl.


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## timbuck (May 26, 2017)

chargerfan said:


> I know this is just antecdotal, but we have never had our team suffer so many injuries in one weekend. We had 3+ out for a couple of weeks. Parents and girls decided it wasn't worth it, so we never did it again. It was a combination of playing in sand and refs letting it turn into a full on brawl.


I will say that a good ref does make a difference.  My younger daughter had a ref that was calling every little infraction.  With the 07 group, nothing seemed all that dangerous.  We whined a little from the sidelines.
My older daughter's games on Saturday had a ref that let a lot of stuff go.  No injuries, but our keeper took a beating.
On Sunday, the older team got the tight ref.  It helped our team out to play a cleaner game.


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## Surfref (May 28, 2017)

About 5-6 years ago I was refereeing beach soccer in Oceanside.  They had the referee tent right next to the trainer's tent.  There was a constant flow of players with leg injuries.  I saw everything from dislocated toes, fractured toes, feet, and legs, tons of knee injuries, hip injuries.  There were four ambulance calls to our trainer tent.  To top it off, I fractured one of my toes when I hit a rock that was under the sand.  I would not allow my DD to play sand soccer and would recommend to friends that they do not allow their kids to play sand soccer.  The problem is that most youth club player try to play like they are on grass.


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## gksquared (May 29, 2017)

pewpew said:


> My daughter is a GK. She wears her dirt bike goggles for sand tournaments. Huge help. Refs never have a problem with it.
> A few minor injuries. Nothing to keep anyone from training the next week. Bring plenty of sunscreen. Girls have a blast.
> Biggest problem now is that in between games when they want to jump in the waves. Too many Great Whites out there.


Good to know about the goggles. My daughter is the gk and this is her first sand tournament.


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## jimbohonky (Jun 4, 2017)

Fun, but avoid the host team (CDA Slammers) if you can. They game the rules and are absolutely nasty when the ref isn't looking--almost as if their coaches are telling them to take cheap shots when the ref isn't looking, which is all the time with one ref on the sand.

At one point, this got out of hand and one of their players kicked a goalie in the head AFTER the play was over and the ref turned his back, and there was no question that it was done on purpose.
Split his head open and sent him to urgent care. 
And no, wasn't my team. They were just a dirty bunch playing nothing that resembled soccer, and seemingly encouraged to do so by their coach: in all of their games.

They apparently REALLY REALLY want to win sand soccer at any cost.


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## timbuck (Jun 4, 2017)

What age group ?


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## jimbohonky (Jun 4, 2017)

2004


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## timbuck (Jun 4, 2017)

That's about the age where a little "street justice" isn't unheard of.  Not saying it's a good idea.


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## jimbohonky (Jun 4, 2017)

Ha! 
Something tells me they'll reap what they sew in the long run. It's not exactly the kind of play that leads to  great development. It is the kind of play that gets young men sent off the field in actual soccer games though.
Street Justice


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## jimbohonky (Jun 4, 2017)




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## socalkdg (Jun 5, 2017)

jimbohonky said:


> Fun, but avoid the host team (CDA Slammers) if you can. They game the rules and are absolutely nasty when the ref isn't looking--almost as if their coaches are telling them to take cheap shots when the ref isn't looking, which is all the time with one ref on the sand.
> 
> At one point, this got out of hand and one of their players kicked a goalie in the head AFTER the play was over and the ref turned his back, and there was no question that it was done on purpose.
> Split his head open and sent him to urgent care.
> ...


My daughter was kicked in the head twice during one of her matches, plus banged into a couple more times after she had possession.   Referee called it on them 4 different times.  Of course each call actually took the advantage away from us as she had the ball for a drop kick and instead we ended up with a free kick from our goal line.  Seemed like a good tactic by the other team, but not really in the spirit of the game.

My daughter had a great time, but mainly because we were way overmatched and she was facing 25+ shots a game.  She played the whole game in our first game, but then just the first half at keeper in the next two.   I think she dove more in 3 games then she did all of last season.    She also scored twice in our first game, so she is ready to do it again.   Not so much for the other girls.

Our coach admitted he screwed up and put us in the top bracket where we faced WCFC Pre-ECNL 05 team twice as they split their squad, plus faced a 3rd team that beat those two teams.  All three of those teams were very good, and were there to win.  Our girls looked like they were running in quick sand while the other teams floated over the top.  We looked like bad golfers taking divots on our shots and huge puffs of sand would explode when they went to kick the ball, which would go about 3 feet.   I must say the WCFC team was very talented.  Some of our girls could learn a bit from their killer instinct.  

Best news is the girls had fun in the ocean and sand, and no one got hurt.


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## chargerfan (Jun 5, 2017)

socalkdg said:


> My daughter was kicked in the head twice during one of her matches, plus banged into a couple more times after she had possession.   Referee called it on them 4 different times.  Of course each call actually took the advantage away from us as she had the ball for a drop kick and instead we ended up with a free kick from our goal line.  Seemed like a good tactic by the other team, but not really in the spirit of the game.
> 
> My daughter had a great time, but mainly because we were way overmatched and she was facing 25+ shots a game.  She played the whole game in our first game, but then just the first half at keeper in the next two.   I think she dove more in 3 games then she did all of last season.    She also scored twice in our first game, so she is ready to do it again.   Not so much for the other girls.
> 
> ...


Sounds like a fun weekend!


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## jrcaesar (Jun 5, 2017)

Our B05s played this weekend. There were many more kicks to legs, knees and shins (and other places) than I ever recall seeing on grass/fake grass. Also different referees applied slide tackle (not allowed), kickoff (go forward? don't go forward?) and direct kicks close to the "goal area" (there isn't one) differently.
_
(edited to add: All in all, considering the size of the tourney, seemed well run. Parking was a pain, of course. I like how various clubs made group areas to hang out for the days.)_


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

3 boys teams in the tourney. No injuries. In the previous years. No injuries.  Two of our teams won their brackets. One team Flight 1 was competitive (rough) but not dirty - but some shenanigans going on with the CDA Slammers. One team had to forfeit for using illegal players. In the championship game they decided to stick kids from other team to play - still lost.  Kids had a great time, they bond and get to play wherever they wanted. I saw teams doing set plays before games, warming up like it was regular soccer - our teams were warming up doing Sand Wrestling, Pants Your Teammate and Run & Ocean Swimming before a match. Our worst team was still competitive, might have won if they were more serious, but no room for seriousness in Sand Soccer.  IF wanted, you can find coaching moments that kids can take to use. Besides the goalkeeper, the most important things about sand soccer: win balls in the air (probably where some complaints about head smacking come from) on both ends, stop/bring balls down at midfield (so you can counter) and track back ALL GAME. Simple?  Things kids can remember and improve them for the season - i mean if you are looking for that kind of stuff.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

jrcaesar said:


> Our B05s played this weekend. There were many more kicks to legs, knees and shins (and other places) than I ever recall seeing on grass/fake grass. Also different referees applied slide tackle (not allowed), kickoff (go forward? don't go forward?) and direct kicks close to the "goal area" (there isn't one) differently.
> _
> (edited to add: All in all, considering the size of the tourney, seemed well run. Parking was a pain, of course. I like how various clubs made group areas to hang out for the days.)_


My kid gets kicks to the shin EVERY practice, EVERY game. Spiked in the thigh, calves etc. Without fail. Happens at all levels of play. Not a sand soccer exclusive phenomena. And Yes, he also got a kick to the shin at Sand Soccer where he had to be subbed, but to call it a sand soccer thing is a bit dramatic.

You are correct on the refs. Home club got some home cooking and some seemed to make up rules at they went along. I even saw one ref stand in one spot near midfield and NEVER leave the spot the entire game


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## socalkdg (Jun 5, 2017)

jrcaesar said:


> _(edited to add: All in all, considering the size of the tourney, seemed well run. Parking was a pain, of course. I like how various clubs made group areas to hang out for the days.)_


Parking was fun.   Not.    Many of our girls got there 5 minutes before game time.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

socalkdg said:


> Parking was fun.   Not.    Many of our girls got there 5 minutes before game time.


Newland Parking + Free ride from Surfboard Bus removed headaches. $30 bux to park for two days - pretty absurd though.


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## jrcaesar (Jun 5, 2017)

Not_that_Serious said:


> to call it a sand soccer thing is a bit dramatic.


Fair point re: kicking ... simply could have the specific opponents in these matches, or harder to keep balance while defending, or match management by the refs in these games on this day. 

I read in the HB Sand rules that referees were to officiate from the center line at the touchline (like beach volleyball), or could officiate inside the field. But then I also read rules about direct kicks that weren't always followed, so....


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## timbuck (Jun 5, 2017)

Not_that_Serious said:


> Newland Parking + Free ride from Surfboard Bus removed headaches. $30 bux to park for two days - pretty absurd though.


I posted this earlier in the thread.  Parking is horrible. Best bet is to park at Fashion Island in Newport Beach (free and no grief for being there all day) and take an Uber that will drop you off on the side of the road.  Maybe $15 each way, but you are right there without having to park up to a mile away.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

jrcaesar said:


> Fair point re: kicking ... simply could have the specific opponents in these matches, or harder to keep balance while defending, or match management by the refs in these games on this day.
> 
> I read in the HB Sand rules that referees were to officiate from the center line at the touchline (like beach volleyball), or could officiate inside the field. But then I also read rules about direct kicks that weren't always followed, so....


I think part of the problem is hyper kids or level of the kid - my kid hates it and complains about it all the time. seems to be a magnet for being kicked. i told him maybe you need to move faster or i need to start beating your shins with bamboo.

the halfline on a shorter field is okay, but you gotta move from a circle larger then the size of your outstretched arms at some point in the game. if we are logical about it, the refs probably werent any worse then stuff we see during the season or other tournaments. you get one guy/gal who knows what they are doing for every 5 average refs and 10 real bad ones.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

timbuck said:


> I posted this earlier in the thread.  Parking is horrible. Best bet is to park at Fashion Island in Newport Beach (free and no grief for being there all day) and take an Uber that will drop you off on the side of the road.  Maybe $15 each way, but you are right there without having to park up to a mile away.


too bad i had a cooler, and canopies day 1 - was there at 7am and parking was still a bit rough. wised up day 2 with the help of the weather - still managed to burn up the legs and ears though.


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## jrcaesar (Jun 5, 2017)

Not_that_Serious said:


> you get one guy/gal who knows what they are doing for every 5 average refs and 10 real bad ones.


Yep ... and we had 1 great one (upper 10% of all refs who ever do our games), 1 average, and 1 below-average. About right.


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## socalkdg (Jun 5, 2017)

I just want to know how some of the girls we faced seemed to be wearing the winged shoes of Hermes as they glided over the sand while our girls, all pretty fast, seemed to run in quicksand.      Forget about stopping on a dime and changing direction.   Probably should have had at least one practice in the sand.  

My daughter took one bad bounce off the face while playing keeper,  had one later go between the legs even though she had one knee down (pretty sure the ball burrowed underneath the sand on that one).


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## timbuck (Jun 5, 2017)

A practice or 2 in the sand helps a little bit.  We did one for 45 minutes followed by pizza at the beach.

My middle daughter seemed to be faster on sand than on grass.  I can't quite figure out why.  She has average/below average speed on grass, but was one of the fastest kids on the sand.  She played last year too, so I think the experience along with a few sand practices helped.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

socalkdg said:


> I just want to know how some of the girls we faced seemed to be wearing the winged shoes of Hermes as they glided over the sand while our girls, all pretty fast, seemed to run in quicksand.      Forget about stopping on a dime and changing direction.   Probably should have had at least one practice in the sand.
> 
> My daughter took one bad bounce off the face while playing keeper,  had one later go between the legs even though she had one knee down (pretty sure the ball burrowed underneath the sand on that one).


almost pays to put most athletic kid at keeper. they can get to anything on the floor fast and then run up and chuck it or dink it for a header. the funny part was kids trying to go messi and the ball getting stuck in the sand. most kids are also conditioned to go for top corners - especially free kicks. sand soccer you are best driving it and letting the sand make the ball jump around. my kid had one hit a mound and jump over his head a couple time. just how it is. yeah pays to be light, we had some brutes (tire in about a min) and after a bit told one kid who is a defender "just hang out up top, no worries, try to score". and he did and the kids went nuts - even in a loss. that is what sand soccer was to us.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

timbuck said:


> A practice or 2 in the sand helps a little bit.  We did one for 45 minutes followed by pizza at the beach.
> 
> My middle daughter seemed to be faster on sand than on grass.  I can't quite figure out why.  She has average/below average speed on grass, but was one of the fastest kids on the sand.  She played last year too, so I think the experience along with a few sand practices helped.


can find a volleyball court at a school or local park. good for conditioning regardless if they are playing sand soccer


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## timbuck (Jun 5, 2017)

We played in the May event. Lost both games on Saturday.  Playing a 2-3-1with the "1" being a cherry picker.  "
We won both games on Sunday playing with a "dual cherry picker". 
The difference was that our single cherry picker would get to a ball, maybe take a shot.  But nobody was there for a rebound or a pass. With 2 up top, we got more second chances.  Especially when many of the goals are from a keeper punt and a hope for a touch before it goes in the goal.


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## socalkdg (Jun 5, 2017)

timbuck said:


> A practice or 2 in the sand helps a little bit.  We did one for 45 minutes followed by pizza at the beach.
> 
> My middle daughter seemed to be faster on sand than on grass.  I can't quite figure out why.  She has average/below average speed on grass, but was one of the fastest kids on the sand.  She played last year too, so I think the experience along with a few sand practices helped.


That is funny.  A couple of our fastest most aggressive girls were completely lost on the sand.   The game was funny to watch, even for the parents of these kids.  I think my daughter swallowed a cup of sand by the end of day one.


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 5, 2017)

timbuck said:


> We played in the May event. Lost both games on Saturday.  Playing a 2-3-1with the "1" being a cherry picker.  "
> We won both games on Sunday playing with a "dual cherry picker".
> The difference was that our single cherry picker would get to a ball, maybe take a shot.  But nobody was there for a rebound or a pass. With 2 up top, we got more second chances.  Especially when many of the goals are from a keeper punt and a hope for a touch before it goes in the goal.


we ran 2-2-2 (yeah like they kept their shape during the game) but saw teams cherry picking 3 kids - which was fine for them given our kids loved going forward like a school of fish and hated running back. they put in a lot of easy rebounds. they say you cant learn anything @ Sand Soccer. hah


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## Grace T. (Jun 5, 2017)

timbuck said:


> We played in the May event. Lost both games on Saturday.  Playing a 2-3-1with the "1" being a cherry picker.  "
> We won both games on Sunday playing with a "dual cherry picker".
> The difference was that our single cherry picker would get to a ball, maybe take a shot.  But nobody was there for a rebound or a pass. With 2 up top, we got more second chances.  Especially when many of the goals are from a keeper punt and a hope for a touch before it goes in the goal.


So no offsides in sand soccer?  Yet they also allow keeper punts even without the offsides?


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## timbuck (Jun 5, 2017)

Keeper punts are allows but are indirect.  So it has touch someone for it to count. 
The "strategy" is when your keeper makes a save is to stick a girl in front of the other teams keeper and hope it hits someone. 
Like I said in an earlier post "it's barely soccer."  
First time teams try to play possesion, pass it back, switch, etc.  they learn by half time to play 1 or 2 touch and don't try to dribble too much.


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## 442precision (Jun 5, 2017)

in HB this weekend, and view sand soccer as fun break for the girls to enjoy the beach and sand?  Saw great deal of innovative play... Reading into scores too much maybe reaching?  Think futsal is actually more indicative and better training?


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## RedHawk (Jun 5, 2017)

Sand Soccer is a fun weekend no more no less.  Kids have fun.. parents have a little more fun(Hyatt)...  Parking sucks.  Breakfast burritos are $10 overpriced and worth it.  

best part was when I a saw Ref sitting in his car parked in handicap parking and then go ref 4 games......his car had permanent handicap plates....SMH


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## Not_that_Serious (Jun 6, 2017)

RedHawk said:


> Sand Soccer is a fun weekend no more no less.  Kids have fun.. parents have a little more fun(Hyatt)...  Parking sucks.  Breakfast burritos are $10 overpriced and worth it.
> 
> best part was when I a saw Ref sitting in his car parked in handicap parking and then go ref 4 games......his car had permanent handicap plates....SMH


im pretty handy around the kitchen, my kid loves my food and he said those 10 buck burros where "the bomb" and i couldnt argue - except for the size =)


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## Surfref (Jun 9, 2017)

timbuck said:


> A practice or 2 in the sand helps a little bit.  We did one for 45 minutes followed by pizza at the beach.
> 
> My middle daughter seemed to be faster on sand than on grass.  I can't quite figure out why.  She has average/below average speed on grass, but was one of the fastest kids on the sand.  She played last year too, so I think the experience along with a few sand practices helped.


Flat feet running on sand and on the toes on grass for speed.  The toe runners tend to sink into the sand as they run slowing them down.  I had one of the professional beach soccer refs tell the secret for speed on sand.  Flat feet work sort of like snow shoes.  Just don't plant the foot and try to turn in the sand since the foot will not release like on grass and cause excess stress on the knee ligaments.


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## espola (Jun 11, 2017)

RedHawk said:


> Sand Soccer is a fun weekend no more no less.  Kids have fun.. parents have a little more fun(Hyatt)...  Parking sucks.  Breakfast burritos are $10 overpriced and worth it.
> 
> best part was when I a saw Ref sitting in his car parked in handicap parking and then go ref 4 games......his car had permanent handicap plates....SMH


Maybe his handiap is that he is deaf, which would be an advantage for a referee.


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## swilly858 (Jun 18, 2017)

Surfref said:


> Flat feet running on sand and on the toes on grass for speed.  The toe runners tend to sink into the sand as they run slowing them down.  I had one of the professional beach soccer refs tell the secret for speed on sand.  Flat feet work sort of like snow shoes.  Just don't plant the foot and try to turn in the sand since the foot will not release like on grass and cause excess stress on the knee ligaments.


My son would love to play some Beach soccer. Is there any Beach Events coming up?We are up at HB a lot lately.


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