Villagran is honoring his passion for the game and his eagerness to develop players while creating a team environment to watch them grow in. “It is about making better players. At the end of the day, some kids remember you because you helped them elevate their game and gave them the opportunity to be elite.” Villagran fell in love with the game of soccer and futsal at a young age. He feels obligated to share those experiences with his community in order to create another avenue for the players to keep busy, stay active and become better people. Being a year-round program competing at the highest level reinforces the overall great qualities that futsal brings to the game and how it complements a soccer player.

Over the years, the adult club members have assisted with youth academy training. Villagran believes this club-centric approach is key to player development as well as Sporting Maryland’s style of play. This approach is very important to Sporting’s values and club culture as it connects the past, present and future. It was how the club was founded. “When our adult members contribute and connect with the academy, it makes us very happy as it gives inspiration to our players and connects the details in our style of play.”

Sporting Maryland has a genuine and humble approach when it comes to the game. The level of consistency and commitment sets them apart from their competition. Villagran gives some A grade advice, adding, “Players need to trust the process and put in the work. Be patient and spend time mastering the craft. It is a marathon, not a sprint. My advice to coaches is to not be afraid to ask questions and educate yourself about the game. Be open to new ideas, open communication, and sharing thoughts. Everyone has their own philosophy, but you need to stick with yours.”

“We're always looking for different avenues for our players to develop,” said Villagran. “There's a lot of great United Futsal competitions that we would like to be a part of—domestic and international. The Champions Cup Series is a platform to compete at the highest level and potentially get the opportunity to play internationally. With CCS, you compete at the highest level in the United States and also communicate with organizations overseas, which creates opportunities for American players to see how other countries interact with the game." 

President of United Futsal, Rob Andrews, is more than happy to comment on Sporting Maryland joining CCS. “Sporting Maryland is one of the iconic brands of futsal in the United States and we are excited to see how they compete on the world stage. The other CCS members will benefit tremendously from the experience and passion Danny and the rest of the staff bring to everything they do. A truly professional futsal club.”

Full details on the Champions Cup Series™ competition calendar, program details and information for clubs wishing to apply for membership are now available at www.unitedfutsal.com.

ABOUT SPORTING MARYLAND:

SPORTING MARYLAND has created top players that have gone on to play in all divisions of college soccer, graduated to the Men’s First Team, and represented the U.S. Men’s Futsal National Team. In 2021, Sporting Maryland became a futsal-specific club that offers all age divisions and genders. The continued growth and success over the past two plus decades has SMFC as one of the leading clubs domestically here in the United States and one of the most well known American futsal clubs internationally. More information on how to get involved with the CCS™ club can be found by going to https://www.sportingmaryland.org.

ABOUT UNITED FUTSAL:

UNITED FUTSAL is the industry leader in providing the highest level tournaments and events for youth and amateur futsal players in the world. Since 2010, over 100,000 athletes, coaches, fans and referees representing 25 countries have participated in its World Futsal Cup, World Futsal Championships and FUTURES™ programs and precursory events. For more information visit unitedfutsal.com.