By Paul Laffisse
The True Arena Junior Football League is about to enter its final weekend of fixtures of its second season.
The league provides young players with the opportunity to showcase their skills and develop their passion for the sport.
The league, which is a non-profit, has 13 teams competing across two age categories – under 11 and under 15.
The focus of the league is to provide young players with a safe and enjoyable environment to learn and improve their football skills.
One of the unique features of the True Arena Junior Football League is the size of the playing field.
The children are given the opportunity to play on pitches which measure 60 meters by 40 meters, the same size and standard as used by FIFA. This allows the players to get used to playing on a regulation-sized field, which will be beneficial for their future development in the sport.
In addition to the field size, the league also adopts the standard times imposed by FIFA for junior football – two halves of 20 minutes each.
Coach Farid, who manages the “Hua Hin Football Academy”, which is based at True Arena, explained that the academy has two teams participating in the U11 and U15 categories.
The True Arena Junior Football League is not just about winning matches and trophies, however. The league also places a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork.
Farid explained how in order to make the league more interesting, the league introduced different rankings, including the “best scorer,” “best goalkeeper,” and “best team”. Additionally, the “fair play” is also awarded to encourage good sportsmanship among the players.
The not for profit aspect means that the league ensures that local children have access to the sport, regardless of their background.
The league’s focus on regulation-sized fields and standard playing times allows players to become comfortable with the game’s rules and regulations, while the league’s emphasis on sportsmanship encourages players to exhibit good behavior both on and off the field.
The final weekend of matches are set to take place this coming weekend (April 2 from 9am).
Head down to True Arena on Sunday to see some of Hua Hin’s brightest young footballers in action.
For more information, visit: https://truearenajleague.com/
