SQD Futsal (Court Soccer) Pickup

2024 Update:

First off, thank you to all the new personnel that have joined the club and a big thank you to those who are returning. It’s always great to see old and new faces in the group.

I feel like I first have to start with the definition of futsal and streetball because truthfully not everyone knows these facets of the game. The fact that people still bring boots to a court says as much so here they are:

Futsal is a football-based game played on a hardcourt like a basketball court, smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper.

Street football or street soccer is an informal variation on the game of association football, typically played in outdoor urban settings such as streets, playgrounds and car parks.

I typically update the group every 3-4 months due to personnel change, changes in demand, and a couple of other factors. One thing that helps this ecosystem get better is communication. The more I hear from you guys, the better I can get you playing the game you want within the realms and capabilities of SQD.

That being said, I have built this ecosystem to be as cost friendly as possible. Most of the places that I’ve hosted at have either been free of charge or under $10 depending on location.

I have also allowed an “open for everyone” approach. There have been times when numbers have been low. This approach allowed for any footballer looking to play to join our ecosystem and play the game we all love. This also meant that we catered to a huge demographic, young to old, different cultural backgrounds, and different levels/styles of play. Of course with such an ecosystem there will be disagreements and confrontations. That’s common human nature.

As spring comes around, certain updates will be made for the betterment of the group that will hopefully improve the overall experience for newcomers and veterans of SQD.

1.There will be a monthly fee of $2 a month to be a part of SQD Club. The reasons for the fee are as follows:

• To maintain a good core group that are dedicated to the sport (more people showing up more consistently)
• To improve the quality of the futsal experience (buying balls, pinnies, goals, etc)
• To offer more services that can improve the experience (this will allow more options and choices for where we can host)
• To maintain services already offered (Ex: We use flowcode for easy access to locations we host at currently and to our tournament registration. Unfortunately they will start charging accounts soon which will be an added expense to the group).

2. There will now be OPEN meetups and CLOSED meetups

• Open meetups will be advertised on all platforms (meetup, instagram, facebook etc). This is to maximize the amount of exposure and to reach new potential footballers
• Closed meetups will be advertised solely on the meetup app. This is to optimize the experience of the meetup and allow for max playing time. These will most likely be in secluded venues and are geared towards a more football focused experience.

This will allow you to pick and choose what kind of experience you may want. Do you like the idea of big crowds and more competition? Sign up for an OPEN experience. Want a more intimate experience where football is the focus? Sign up for a CLOSED session. The days will vary as we move forward.

3. Descriptions will have more added detail.

• In the past I relied on links in order to give you more information on different venues and what kinds of things you can expect for each meetup. I also used the meetup description to relay more information on the meetup as a whole. I realized that most people just sign up and at best, glance at the description. I’ve seen a lot of cleats this past year. Instead I will add as much detail as I can on each and every meetup session. That way you get all the information you need at face value.

4. More events

• The purpose of this meetup was not only to host pickups and play futsal/streetball. This has been a multi-layered project from its inception. Not everyone is interested to delve that deep and I understand, but you must know what you sign up for. If you’ve been with us in the past, you know that we host tournaments of various kinds, have a youtube channel (that needs more love than it’s been getting) do giveaways (if you follow on instagram than you know), had our first toy drive this past Christmas and more. We are about football of course but we are also about the community where we play. Without these courts here in the DMV we wouldn’t have a pitch to go to. There will be more details going forward. If you’re interested in participating, keep following the feed or follow our instagram.

5. Our instagram is the bulk where the bulk of our content is. @SQDTV_ 
If you want a more relaxed SQD experience this is your go to. As i’ve said above, our instagram will show you the events we host at $0. I repeat, if you don’t want to pay the $2 for access to the meetup, go to INSTAGRAM or even FACEBOOK at SQDtv. Both options will allow you to come out and ball with us.

   6. Attendance. This has been an ongoing problem since the group's inception.

• If you attend an OPEN session there will be more leniency. At the same time, I will be enforcing the same guidelines as before. If I do see that you have been RSVPing and not showing up and/or canceling last minute we will have a discussion. 

*Now a group this size should have no problems with numbers showing up. If you are worried about the number of people coming YOU ARE that number. At some point, I'll be contacting each person to get an idea of what they're looking for.

•  There will be ZERO tolerance for CLOSED sessions. If you sign up for a CLOSED session and don’t show up you are getting removed from the group no questions asked. It doesn’t matter if you change your rsvp 10 minutes before or 5 hours before the meetup, you will be removed from the group. Most meetups will be open for rsvps two days in advance. If your schedule has any conflict between then and the meetup, it’s best to reach out to me otherwise don’t sign up if you can’t fully commit. This has been the main reason why more numbers have been allowed than what’s seen within meetup.

Welcome to SQD Futsal Pickup! We are a football (soccer) group with an emphasis on promoting the game of Futsal in the DMV area. We mainly play FUTSAL (Court Soccer) for Beginners, intermediates, and semi-pros who enjoy some evening futsal. We host sessions and tournaments all over the DMV. Everyone is welcome!

This group is strictly futsal/street football at the moment. This group was made with an intention to raise awareness and capitalize on the futsal courts spread out around the DMV area.

*These updates will go into effect on March 1, 2024 and are subject to change.*

We host every:

SPRING SCHEDULE 2024:

Monday: at James K. Polk Elementary School Courts. This is one of our home courts where we play weekly every Monday. The only reason we possibly cancel is if there is bad weather or if there’s possible conflict with holidays and/or events. There are two courts available, no lights.

Wednesday: Will be left for CLOSED sessions. More details will be given at a later date.

Friday: at Ramsay Elementary School Courts. This is where it all started and is our second home in the DMV and only five minutes from Polk. This venue has three courts with lights set up for some spectacles. Knowing this it can get busy so expect to face some competition when you arrive.

WEATHER:
When it comes to rain the DMV is very bipolar. For example, it could be raining heavily in Springfield but slightly cloudy in Arlington. I typically make an announcement around 4-5 pm if the meetup is still on. When I give the go-ahead that is me using 15 years of DMV knowledge to declare that we are good to play or not.

A couple of universal rules we play:

- Players that arrive first get priority. The first game of each session always goes up to 5 goals.
- If we have more than 2 teams we play for up to 5 minutes or two goals.
- Goalies can use their hands. We typically switch keepers after each goal.
- You can score from anywhere.
- You call your own fouls. We try to avoid arguments so if you believe you were fouled, speak up.

*Arguments about calls are starting to creep up more often. I try to keep a fairly fluid pace during the two hours so you guys are able to get the max amount of games possible. If you feel like you've been fouled say it. If you guys can't come to an agreement then I will call it whether it's right or not to keep fluidity. If you continue to argue then you know where the pitch is not.*
- If a game ends in a tie, we will end the game WITH BOTH TEAMS COMING OFF.
- The longest win streak a team can have is 5 games.
- If the pitch is within a closed space (gate, fence, etc.) then we play to those boundaries. If there is no closed space then we play to the designated futsal boundaries.

A COUPLE MORE THINGS:
Now a group this size should have no problems with numbers showing up. If you are worried about the number of people coming YOU ARE that number. At some point, I'll be contacting each person to get an idea of what they're looking for.

Running a meetup isn't cheap. If you like what is being built and would like to support us here are the different ways you can do so.

Meetup has finally set up a fundraising option for us. We also use the money to donate to charity or fundraise for the school locations we play at. It's a way to 'pay it forward' and a great way to be involved even if you are unable to make the meetups.

You can donate by CASHAPP. This meetup has its own Cashapp. Meetup does take a portion of the proceeds when you go through their channels to donate. If you want to support cashapp would be the best option. Here's the link:

$sqdtv

I sponsor this meetup through my business Squared Limited, a football streetwear brand. Check it out if you need some football drip. Here's the link:

SQDLTD

We use multiple channels to keep you updated on what we do and what's next. Every like, subscribe, follow, etc helps us put the DMV on the map. Let's show everyone exactly how the DMV does it!

If you have an idea on how to make this meetup, don't be shy, speak up. I am always looking for new ways to improve the Meetup experience so let me know.

Check out our social media links at SQDtv and check out our sponsors Squared Limited @sqdltd on IG, for providing the funds that enable me to host these meetups!