The fifth annual Jefferson City Futsal SuperCup concludes today.
A total of 67 teams, boasting about 600 players from across the state, participated in the weekend-long event at The Linc. It began with games late Friday evening, and in all, will feature about 120 matches.
Tom Chapman, an organizer of the event, said he had to turn down five teams from Springfield because he had no more room in the tournament.
Futsal is a soccer-based game, usually played on a hard court indoors. It is similar to five-a-side soccer -- squaring off two teams. One of the five team members is a goalkeeper. It is played with a smaller, harder, lower-bounce ball than soccer.
The SuperCup started about four years ago, when United Capital City Soccer and Jefferson City Parks and Recreation created a partnership, Chapman said.
"Futsal is something that can be done indoors, which isn't offered a lot around here. We were looking for a site to do a futsal tournament," Chapman said.
He said the Missouri Athletic Center in Columbia has a league, but enthusiasts wanted something closer to home.
"We have a ton of talent in Central Missouri," he said. "But we could never really bring all of the kids together. We were a very small club four or five years ago -- about 115 kids."
Area growth
The all-volunteer soccer club shifted programs, he said, and began to bring in more professional trainers. Suddenly, the numbers began to climb. In two years, it grew to about 280 children. And during the past couple of years, it has reached more than 450 children.
"Our club has just completely changed," Chapman said.
He added that changes came about from a couple of sources. One was that there needed to be more organized Central Missouri activities for youths who wanted to participate.
He also said Lincoln University, Jefferson City Public Schools and Helias Catholic High School have all been instrumental in building what they have because of them giving them the availability to use their turf in the off-hours.
"We've got kids coming from Camdenton, Osage -- finding us on Facebook and Twitter. We're on social media," Chapman said. "Our coaches that we recruit -- some of our lead trainers -- have changed the dynamic. Kids have gotten better skill-wise."
It all leads to more people wanting to come and play.
Futsal really forces players to focus on using skills in tight spaces, he said.
"It's all about little movements, little touches. Whenever you get into an 11-on-11 group, it translates into that larger space. Here, it causes you to be really technical, and everything is tight," he said. "It also teaches you to talk."
People have to be moving and communicating at the same time.
The older division features colleges students who return to the community to play. They showcase what it's like to play futsal.
As the city prepares to open a new soccer complex, Chapman said, United Capital City Soccer is offering more programs.
It's going to offer futsal from the end of November to the end of February, he said.
"We'll have an indoor-type of program that we've never really had before," he said. "This thing is just kind of growing."
Aaron Grefrath, assistant director of recreation at Jefferson City Parks and Recreation, said the city has been, and continues to be, searching for opportunities to offer events to the community that are "outside of just basketball."
"We have basketball everywhere," Grefrath said. "So we have this event. And we have our annual gymnastics meet that kind of fits that bill. And martial arts as well."
Since the SuperCup has grown so rapidly during its first five years, The Linc is bulging at its seams, he pointed out. The SuperCup had extended hours this weekend -- and held matches from about 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday. It has somewhat expanded into Jefferson City High School, which hosted a Keeper Battles tournament for the goalkeepers Saturday night.
"Tom and I area already talking about -- since it's grown the way it has this year, and we're putting in the extended hours -- can we make it two shorter weekends?" Grefrath said. "And maybe have separate boys and girls tournaments next year?"
Economic impact
Grefrath said families who have both sons and daughters may travel into town for tournaments, so if they have a single stop for tournaments for both, that's easier on them.
Bringing families from around the state into Jefferson City on weekends, when lawmakers are out of town and many offices are closed down, boosts the local economy, according to Craig Hall, sports sales manager for the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Last year the tournament had fewer than 50 teams. This year, it is hosting 67. It brings in about 1,500 participants and spectators for three days.
"Last year, the economic impact for the event was around $157,000 for the three-day event," Grefrath said. "Everybody -- between hotels, restaurants and gas stations -- spends their money locally, which helps us tremendously."
He added a number of tournaments occur in Jefferson City that people don't even know are happening.
A big upcoming sports event in Jefferson City will be the Lutheran Sports Association State Basketball Tournament, he said. It will occur Feb. 24-26 in gyms throughout Jefferson City.
"It brings in 16 teams. It's a lot bigger impact," he said. "Last year, the economic impact for that was around $560,000. It's a big economic driver for us."
Last year, sporting events -- sand volleyball, disc golf, horseshoes, cornhole, pickleball, biking and others -- brought $9.5 million into the community.
"So it's a big number," Grefrath said. "Not so much the soccer right now. They are in the process of building the new soccer complex by the Special Olympics (Missouri). That will be a big driver for us."
The Linc plays a major role as a sports/economic driver for the community, he said. Baseball on U.S. Highway 63 and the softball complex at Binder Park also contribute greatly.
"One of our major economic drivers is that we host the (Missouri State High School Activities Association) track championships every year at Jefferson City High School. That brings in $3 million each year over two weekends -- the last two weekends in May," he said. "Sports plays a major role in (events bringing revenue to the city)."
Of course, the city benefits from conventions at hotels, state events at the Capitol and the new amphitheater.
"I don't know where sports would fall (compared to other events)," Grefrath said. "I can tell you the year before ... it's increasing. In 2021, the sports impact was $6.6 million."
Fun on the pitch
Sommer Phillips and Hattie Meldrum, both 14 and from Wardsville, said they both have been longtime participants in soccer. They both started at 3.
Sommer described herself and her friend as "decent" players. In an early futsal match Saturday, Sommer had three goals and Hattie had two.
"It's really fast, so it's easy to get a lot more goals," Sommer said. "In actual games, the fields are bigger and longer, so the scores are lower."
The movements are a lot faster than regular soccer, Hattie said.
"It definitely feels different. I like this," she continued. "In this, I'm usually forward, so I'm usually on top. But sometimes I can go back in the middle for defense."
On the normal pitch, she's typically center/mid and back playing defense.
Scoring can be more fun, she added.
On a soccer field, Sommer said she plays a striker, wing and midfielder.
"I like wing and striker best, because it's very fast, you're always in the play, and you can score," she said.
Nolan Schneider, second from right, moves the ball past Sporting Columbia’s Sebastian Bath on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at The Linc in Jefferson City, Mo. Sporting Columbia won the game 18-0.
Spectators watch a game on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at The Linc in Jefferson City, Mo.
Zoey Heironymus possesses the ball on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 at The Linc in Jefferson City, Mo. Her team won their first game of the day 8-4.