This year, Gosal Futsal Academy will be represented within the coaching team at the Youth Futsal Championships, with a great line-up of coaches taking teams from across Canterbury.
With the Championships being held right here in Christchurch, it has also made it easier for both players and coaches to get involved, reducing some of the travel and costs that normally come with competing at a national tournament.
Shingo Ina – Canterbury Dragons U15 Boys A
Shingo will be taking the Canterbury Dragons U15 Boys team this year.
Since moving to Christchurch, Shingo has coached several Canterbury teams at the Youth Futsal Championships. In 2024, he coached the U17 Girls to first place, before taking the U15 Girls in 2025, where they finished fourth.
Canterbury Pride U15 Girls 2025
This year brings a change, with Shingo taking a boys' team for the first time since moving to Christchurch.
One of Shingo's strengths as a coach is bringing a strong tactical understanding of futsal to his teams. He looks at the strengths of the players he has and works with them to identify the set plays, movements and areas of the game where they can have the biggest impact.
As Shingo heads into the upcoming trials, he won't only be looking at players' technical and footwork skills. One of the biggest things he looks for is their ability to anticipate what might happen next.
Futsal is incredibly fast. Players have very little time to make decisions, which makes the ability to scan the court, read other players and anticipate the next movement an important part of the game. Strong fundamental skills are essential, but being able to read the game is one of the things that can help a player really excel in futsal.
Britney-Lee – Canterbury Pride U19 Girls
This year, Shingo isn't the only member of Gosal involved in the Canterbury United coaching team.
Britney-Lee has been a core member of Gosal Futsal Academy since we started and is also a member of the New Zealand Futsal Ferns. This year, she will be taking on the U19 Girls team.
Britney-Lee in the Futsal Ferns against Brazil in a friendly match
2026 Canterbury Coaching Line-up
Here is the full line-up of coaches taking Canterbury United teams to this year's Youth Futsal Championships:
2026 Canterbury Youth Futsal Coaching Teams
15s Boys
Head Coach: Shingo Ina
Assistant Coach: Omid Rafyee
15s Boys Development
Head Coach: Oscar Stephenson
Assistant Coach: Jule Michel Bouchet
17s Boys
Head Coach: Luke Ziswiler
Assistant Coach: James Vallance
19s Boys
Head Coach: Mark Zimmerman
Assistant Coach: Sam Richards
Boys Goalkeeper Coach: Alex Kingi-Booth
15s Girls
Head Coach: Mikaela Bouwmeester
Assistant Coach: Charlotte Merkin
17s Girls
Head Coach: Olivia Hooper
Assistant Coach: Ella Jackson
19s Girls
Head Coach: Britney-Lee Nicholson
Assistant Coach: Sam Whyte
Manager: Sharyn Wenmoth
Girls Goalkeeper Coach: Hannah Hegarty
The Championships Come to Christchurch
Another exciting part of this year's Championships is that they will be held here in Christchurch at Parakiore.
Having the tournament at home helps make representative futsal more accessible for Canterbury players, with significantly less travel involved and lower participation costs for families.
It's also a great opportunity for our local futsal community to get behind the Canterbury Dragons and see some of New Zealand's talented young futsal players competing here in Christchurch.
We're looking forward to seeing the teams come together over the coming months and can't wait to see them take the court at the 2026 Youth Futsal Championships.
Britney-Lee and Molly in the Women’s SuperLeague at Parakiore, Christchurch
