National Team Coach Keith Tozer affiliates with U.S. Youth Futsal, organizes Wisconsin league, tournaments

Keith Tozer, U.S. National Futsal Team coach, founder of Wisconsin Youth Futsal League

As Keith Tozer developed plans for a new futsal league, his choice for a national organization to affiliate with was a simple one. As coach of the U.S. National Futsal Team, Milwaukee-based Tozer wanted one endorsed by U.S. Soccer. But there was more.

As he looked toward United States Youth Futsal, he knew that Jon Parry, Peter Vermes, Don D’Ambra, Otto Orf and others had not only played international futsal for the U.S. and were former professionals, but were now successful league owners in the rapidly growing USYF.

“It was pretty much a no-brainer,” said Tozer, whose Wisconsin Youth Futsal League will begin league play as a USYF affiliate in 2013, but will debut with a series of youth tournaments this winter. “I like the fact that they’re progressive and are always looking for new leagues.”

Tozer worked with USYF Director of Development John Sciore, a league owner and former college soccer player, to map out the affiliation.

Tozer, second from the left, has coached the U.S. team for 16 years.

Tozer knows the game as well as anyone in the U.S. In addition to coaching the Futsal National Team the past 16 years, as a player Tozer represented his country in futsal during his playing career in indoor soccer. He is employed as head coach of the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League, and is considered the dean of indoor coaches. Not too long ago, FIFA appointed him to its staff as a futsal instructor.

Tozer has even signed a number of Brazilian futsal players over the years to play for the Wave and help with futsal clinics and camps in the offseason. On the field, even his team’s style of play carries the stamp of a coach with a futsal background.

“The way we play is basically futsal with an extra player and walls,” Tozer said.

He has integrated futsal into the Wave’s game plan. Current Wave stars Joe Hammes, Nick Vorberg and Nick Perera have represented the U.S. Futsal National Team. Giuliano Oliviero and Ian Bennett are members of the Canadian Futsal National Team. Marcio Leite, Jonatan Santos, Hewerton and new Wave player Luan Oliveira  have played professional Futsal in Brazil.

When Wisconsin Youth Futsal League begins play in 2013, Tozer expects to form separate Northeast, South and West divisions.

“Our plan is to have league play and we’ll have divisional champs,” he said.

The league will offer U8, U10, U12 and U14 divisions, plus futsal technical training for younger players.

“That’s to get them used to futsal and when they’re 7, they’ll be ready to play,” said Tozer.

Tozer said his organization will work with the state referees association to certify futsal officials and will provide training for coaches who are new to the game. Jamie Barr will serve as his tournament director and referee coordinator.

Though organizationally based in Milwaukee, Tozer said Wisconsin Youth Futsal will be broader in scope. The tournament this winter and next year’s USYF leagues will be promoted among 1,500 youth soccer coaches and managers in the region.

“What I’m doing is connecting the dots,” said Tozer, who chose to promote the new organization in stages, first with four youth tournaments and then a full-fledged league.

“I didn’t want to rush it this year,” he said. “I’m the type of person who likes to sweat the details. Let’s do four tournaments, get the word out and then we’ll kick off in November 2013.”

Tozer said promotion for his tournaments has met with good response. Working with the Wave organization, he’ll hold separate one-day tournaments for U8 (Dec. 22), U10 (Jan. 5, 2013), U12 (Jan. 19) and U14 (Feb. 2). Each of the tournaments will have boys and girls divisions with eight teams in each.

Games will take place during the day on Saturday while the Wave is at home, with medal ceremonies taking place at halftime of a Wave game that night. Futsal players and coaches will receive complimentary tickets to the game.

“The interest has been overwhelming,” Tozer said, “You play futsal during the day, then you watch the Wave at night.”

Long range, Tozer said he sees his USYF league and others around the country serving as a potential feeder system for the U.S. National Team. One player (Lucas Stauffer) with USYF connections has already capped for Tozer’s national side and others are likely waiting in the wings.

It’s long been one of Tozer’s dreams to develop the game to the degree that national team players have youth futsal backgrounds, rather than be converted professional indoor players.

“Hopefully, a lot of the players will come out of USYF,” said Tozer.