The next in our series of Team profiles.  We chat with Brett Hewit, ex-Futsalroo Capatin and coach our our very talented Academy squad.

Editor:  Brett, bearing in mind the Academy games are non-competitive, what are your objectives for the squad this year?

Brett:  My main objective for the Academy is not to build something to win today, but rather to build something to win tomorrow. This is my second year with the Quake Academy and my role is to continually encourage the players to first and foremost enjoy the game. This being the case, educating the players is not a concern as they are already engaged and I am lucky to have a playing group that is very willing to listen. 

Last year's squad consisted of talented players aged 9 or 10 playing against teams wholly or predominantly 11 years of age. Whilst our Academy team will still be young (only two 11-year old players), 80% of last seasons players have returned and I can already see the benefit of one season of futsal. My role is to develop players that will be with the club for a long period of time and I am pleased that two of last years team were selected in the 12's.

Editor: What do you think is the most important thing for players of this age to learn about the game?

Brett:  With young players the focus should always be to develop them technically, not physically. This form of the game has different demands from football as in control (sole of the foot), etc and developing technique remains my priority in all of our training sessions. I will introduce a skill or technique, progress this to a small sided game with limited pressure and if warranted continue to a game situation, all the while focusing on the chosen technique and ensuring that the session remains enjoyable to all!

Editor: The trial match against Majik was impressive. The consensus from both sets of supporters was that the level of play was very high from both teams. What was your impression about the quality of play?

Brett:  It was a very good game and there are a lot of talented players from both teams that we are lucky to have playing futsal. At this age I believe that there should be minimal focus on defensive systems and that in itself translates into open, fast paced games which are very enjoyable to watch. The most amazing aspect for me is that they have no fear which I encourage as long as they fundamentally play as a team, whilst the older age groups tend to be more conservative with the ball and the games are not as free flowing.

Editor: Can you give us a run down of the players in your squad? What will our supporters see when they watch this team?

Brett:  The players are Lucas, Aidan, Tristan, Patrick, Connor, Joseph, Cameron and Michael. As they are a mirror of their environment at home I would like to thank their parents in advance as they are doing a fantastic job. What will people see? A bunch of very talented players with smiles on their faces (hopefully!).