DeForest Park will add a little bit of Uruguayan flavor with a $61,500 grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation to create two futsal fields. The grant will allow the Department of Parks and Recreation to convert two underutilized tennis courts at DeForest Park into futsal courts.

Futsal is a fast-paced variation of soccer mostly played inside and on a smaller surface area equivalent to the size of a basketball court. Though it is played internationally, it originated in Uruguay in 1930 through the work of Juan Carlos Ceriani, a soccer star who developed a five-a-side version of soccer at YMCAs that lacked space for kids to play on a proper-sized soccer field.

Often called mini-soccer, futsal became popular in South America, particularly Brazil, due to the fact that people didn’t need a full field or team to play. Though not a widely spectated sport in Brazil, it is widely played and is the origin of soccer superstars such as Pele, Zico, Socrates and Bebeto.

The word itself—a combination of the Portuguese word for “soccer,” futbol and the French word for “indoor,” salon—was actually trademarked by the U.S. Futsal organization since it contains a hidden U.S.A. within the word when the group was founded in 1981.

Under the auspices of FIFUSA—before the group formally joined FIFA—the first Futsal World Championship was held in São Paulo, Brazil in 1982. Brazil, to no one’s shock, took the title. Officially sponsored by FIFA now, futsal is currently played across the globe.

DeForest Park will continue to feature a basketball court, community center, nature trail, playground, racquetball court, softball field, tennis courts, sand volleyball court, restrooms, youth recreation and adult classes.

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