The great indoors
Take your bat and ball and go inside to play
By Lisa O'Brien
The joy of indoor sports - no more unsightly grass stains
Even when your passion for your sport is surpassed only by the fire of a thousand suns, that fire is easily extinguished on a winter morning when the on field temperature is sub zero and the half-time oranges have more icicles than Lapland. That's why indoor sport was created.
Soccer
In Australia, one of the most common forms of indoor soccer is futsal, which differs from other indoor forms of the beautiful game with its strict FIFA-sanctioned rules. This five-a-side game is fast and furious - if the ball goes out of bounds, it must be returned to play within four seconds - and many swear by it as a way to improve skills for outdoor soccer. The walls create rebound opportunities and keep the ball moving, leading to games that are often high-scoring. If it's good enough for Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Juninho, who all got their start in futsal, then it's good enough for us.
Indoor Insider The balls used in futsal are not the same as normal soccer balls - they're low-bounce, smaller and heavier so they behave in different ways. Practice with one before trying any fancy footwork on the pitch.
Netball
Indoor netball has created a revolution of sorts, with mixed teams in this sport now nearly as common as the all-girl sides. While the boys don't have to don the pleated skirts, they do have to follow the rules - at least five players per team, with two guys and three girls on court at any one time if it's a mixed comp. The rules of play are similar to traditional netball, so there's the same three feet from your partner rule and no travelling with the ball, but the indoor version is often faster-paced.
Indoor Insider There are no sidelines in indoor netball, only nets, so the ball is continuously in play and there is not the usual stop-start rhythm of regular netball. Work on your cardio fitness for extra stamina. Lisa O'Brien
Where to play
Blacktown Indoor Sports 72 Bowmans Rd, Kingspark 2148. (02 9622 8477).
Brookvale Indoor Sports 32 Wattle Rd, Brookvale 2100. (02 9905 0486).
Campbelltown Sports Centre cnr Airds & Swaffham Rds, Minto 2560. (02 9603 6066).
Five Dock Leisure Centre Cnr Queens Rd & William St, Five Dock 2046. (02 9744 2622).
Sportsworld Sutherland 8/2-4 Kumulla Rd, Miranda 2228. (02 9525 5499).