Player Interview: Ryan Waring Mitchell

International Futsal Academy first year student Ryan Waring Mitchell discusses his first six months since moving to Loughborough including Futsal, degree education and general life at the IFA.

How has your first year been so far at the International Futsal Academy and how have you settled in?
I’ve settled in quite nicely, this year seems to have passed really quickly, it’s gone very well for me in terms of development – both on and off the court. It’s always better when you’re surrounded by a good set of lads, it makes the whole being away from home situation easier.

What made you want to join the International Futsal Academy, study at Loughborough?
The main thing for me is my development in futsal, I had quite a few choices to pick from but futsal is a sport I’ve grown to love so for me it was a very easy decision; I could play in a full-time academy with world-class facilities as well as get a degree so personally this was a no-brainer.

What is your previous experience of Futsal and how does the International Futsal Academy compare with what you have experienced previously?
I’ve been playing futsal for 3 years now, I came from Blackpool’s FLT programme and my knowledge of futsal was very basic so I went to train with Manchester futsal to increase the level of my game, I then got selected to represent the north-west in the regionals camps. The training here at IFA is a complete step-up from FLT, the intensity and ball work is next level. It’s also good that we train everyday in different sized courts because we can really focus on the attention to detail.

How do you feel you are developing and how is training going with the IFA and Loughborough United?
Personally I feel like I’ve improved massively since joining, I’ve had some bumps along the way but the training and support I’ve received has really helped me improve my game massively. I feel I have progressed both technically on the ball and tactically off the ball due to the high standard of coaching.

What academic degree are you studying and what career do you hope that will take you into?
I’m doing a degree in sports coaching with the aim of becoming a coach at academy level.