indoor soccer

[mainemike]

does anyone here play? i was invited to play by a friend of a friend and i'm thinking about it. i played soccer in highschool and some indoor. my ankles are prone to injury due to past injuries: broken fib low near ankle/surgery/plate, broken ankle other side, sprains both ankles. i'm big: 6'4" 220lbs. any advice would be most welcome. i am deathly afraid of spraining an ankle or breaking something near my plate, scared like a little girl.

[tele]

My wife plays a few times a week in different leagues. It seems to be dependant on what kind of league. Is it a really competitive group or more casual? The other thing that I have seen involves playing against the boards. I don't think checking is allowed but it happens and I have seen hockey style collisions. Oh yeah, check the playing surface. Some have sand under the carpet and can be uneven, not good.

[AntLockyer]

I've played both 5 and 6 aside. My advice is stick in your own half, decide what side you are going to play and control it. Keep your eyes open, your head up, stay on your toes and pass quickly and accurately.

[Yodelinpol]

does anyone here play? i was invited to play by a friend of a friend and i'm thinking about it. i played soccer in highschool and some indoor. my ankles are prone to injury due to past injuries: broken fib low near ankle/surgery/plate, broken ankle other side, sprains both ankles. i'm big: 6'4" 220lbs. any advice would be most welcome. i am deathly afraid of spraining an ankle or breaking something near my plate, scared like a little girl.

um... sounds like you know the answer.

the answer is tennis.

[grscha]

I've played a lot of indoor (and outdoor), and had numerous ankle injuries. I can relate to playing scared. I would say that it totally depends on the league. I played in a league in Florida that was extremely physical and loosely refereed. I had to stop because I kept getting injured. That said, I played in a league in Portland last year that was totally the opposite. The rules allowed very little contact, and the games were closely refereed. No issues in that league at all. I'd go watch a couple of games and talk to people to get a sense of the attitude of the league, players, and refs. Indoor is a lot of fun...

One other thing -- there are pretty serious ankle braces available now. Not the crap you get at CVS, but professional medical devices. Pricey, but maybe worth it. Talk to your doctor.

Good luck.

[mainemike]

thanks guys. i have no idea how serious these guys are. i may have to check it out.

[Chris]

I've played a ton. The older I get (40 now and not playing anymore really) the more injuries I have seen. The turf is not nearly as forgiving on joints as grass is from playing outside. I don't think it has as much to do with the other folks you are playing with as much as it does how prone you are to making quick cuts when you play. I'd be cautious with your history.

[velocolour]

We have been playing once a week indoor and outdoor for the past few years.
Indoor is lots of fun but definitely creates more havoc. Everything is faster and you're more prone to hitting the ground or getting tangled up with another player. That being said I twisted my ankle in the summer playing outdoor from an uneven pitch.
My biggest problem is mostly lower back pain from quick stops and starts. Compare it to the same feeling from cross.
Play a game and get a feel for it. Big goalies are always welcome.
noah

[anthonymaietta]

I recently started playing Wednesday nights in Westborough, MA (Teamworks) and its a rec leauge. I played competitively through the end of high school (10 yrs ago for me) and its been a ton of fun to get back into it. At Teamworks they have 4 different tiered leagues and we're in the lowest level, however, its still very competitive. Its coed 6v6 with a min of 2 women on the field at any given time. Out division is competitive, but not cut-throat. A bunch of people looking to stay in shape (or get in shape) and have fun. Definitely go check it out, there might be different tiers up there you could place yourself in.