JOGA 2025 RECAP
Joga Futsal Academy – 2025 Reflection
By David
As 2025 comes to a close, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved at Joga Futsal Academy and, more importantly, how we’ve achieved it.
On a personal level, one of the biggest milestones for me this year was achieving my UEFA Futsal B Licence. It was an extremely challenging but hugely rewarding learning and life experience delivered in Finland by the Finnish FA. The course pushed me technically, tactically, and personally, and it’s something that will have a lasting impact on how we continue to develop players and coaches at Joga.
Alongside my own development, 2025 has also been a year of real growth for our Academy. Our weekly sessions have continued to expand, with more players training consistently across all age groups and a noticeable increase in opportunities and activity for girls within the programme. Seeing that growth week after week is something we don’t take lightly.
What perhaps deserves the biggest recognition is the commitment shown by the players and families who attend our sessions every single week. We know the effort it takes — whether it’s after a long day at work, juggling school and other commitments, or giving up valuable family time at the weekend — and that dedication does not go unnoticed. The willingness of players to keep turning up, learning, and pushing themselves, supported by parents who continue to go the extra mile, is something we are hugely grateful for.
Whilst we’ve not had the number of games across the Academy that we would have ideally hoped for this year, it’s an area we continue to work hard on behind the scenes and something we’re confident we can improve on moving into 2026.
Internationally, 2025 has been another unforgettable year. We’ve competed in Zagreb, Montesilvano, and will finish the year in Barcelona. Across these trips we’ve enjoyed enormous success — reaching finals, winning Players of the Tournament, and scoring some unbelievable goals. But for us, the real success has never just been about results. Seeing players grow and develop on and off the court, building confidence, social skills, and lifelong friendships is what truly matters. Even more special has been watching families connect and form close friendships through futsal — that sense of community is everything we stand for.
While it’s been fantastic to see so many players progress in their football journeys — from boys making their first-team debuts with Celtic, to players involved throughout the national team pathway right up to U21 level, progressing into academies, or even signing their first professional contracts at just 16 — what gives us the greatest sense of pride is seeing children and young people develop as people. That will always be our priority at Joga and something we are incredibly proud of.
At senior level, winning the Scottish Cup in 2025 was a huge moment for the entire club. Winning national silverware at adult level is a tremendous achievement, made even more special by the fact that all but three players in the squad progressed through our academy — many of them just 16 or 17 years old. It’s something we take enormous pride in, and we’ll be doing everything we can to defend the title.
This season so far has been a mixed one for the first team. We’ve produced some wonderful performances, even if the points haven’t always reflected that. We remain firmly focused on pushing for a top-four finish to secure playoff qualification and are hopeful of a strong and successful end to the season.
Our development pathway has continued to grow in 2025 with the introduction of a second development team, ensuring more players have opportunities to progress within futsal. Joga Futsal Development, led by Jack, continue to compete at the top end of a highly competitive league.
Joga Pinheiro, led by first-team captain Martin Cassells, currently sit mid-table and are pushing for a top-five finish. A couple of really narrow defeats by the odd goal could easily have gone the other way, and throughout the campaign they’ve shown they can compete with everyone. Both teams will be looking to finish the season strongly.
One area we’ve started to grow this year — and which will be a major focus moving into 2026 — is the women’s and girls’ side of the club. We’ll begin the year with our U16 Girls travelling to Madrid to compete in a tournament, which is an exciting milestone. We’ve also entered a team into this year’s Women’s Scottish Cup and have begun creating opportunities for younger age groups too. This is an area we’re extremely passionate about and one we’ll be putting significant focus into as the club continues to grow.
Towards the end of the year, we’ve also introduced new add-ons to our programme. Our analysis sessions have been trialled over the last few months and are something we keen to grow and develop further into 2026. Session reviews are another element we’ve introduced and will be revamped and rolled out more fully next year. We want to ensure we’re providing every player with the best possible opportunities to grow and develop as a futsal player.
Joga Foundation – 2025 Reflection
The Joga Foundation has also enjoyed a wonderful year of growth and development in 2025, and I couldn’t be prouder of the progress made.
This year saw the introduction of new coaches, volunteers, and physiotherapists, strengthening the support we’re able to provide to children, young people, and families within our community. One of the biggest milestones for the Foundation was receiving our first-ever funding support for Frame Football from the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust. This was followed later in the year by the incredible news that we had been awarded a full year of funding for Frame Football by the Weir Charitable Trust.
This funding has been transformational. It has allowed us to grow our coaching team, purchase new kits for the players, and introduce two fantastic physiotherapists to support both the children and their families. The positive impact this has had on the sessions — in confidence, enjoyment, and overall wellbeing — has been incredible to see.
I’d also like to say a huge thank you to the parents for their continued support throughout the year. Whether it’s supporting sessions week in, week out, or helping with fundraising and generous donations, your backing of the Foundation is genuinely appreciated.
We’ve finished 2025 with even more exciting news, having been successful with another funding application that will allow us to work with the older community within Renfrewshire through a reminiscence programme. This is something we’re incredibly excited about, and we’ll be sharing more details very soon.
Looking ahead to 2026, we have some exciting plans in place for the Joga Foundation that we’re not quite ready to share just yet — but they will absolutely be worth the wait.
Looking Ahead to 2026
With 2026 just around the corner, we have some huge plans in place for Joga Futsal Academy, and the way we begin the year truly reflects our ambitions. We’ll start 2026 with over 60 players representing Joga internationally across trips to Madrid and Venice, which is something we’re incredibly proud of.
We are a futsal club that is now widely recognised on an international stage. We regularly receive invitations from all corners of the globe, and 2026 is shaping up to be our biggest year yet for international activity, with several exciting trips already planned. These experiences will continue to play a huge role in our player development, challenging our players both on and off the court and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Thank You
Finally, on a personal note, I’d like to say a huge thank you to every player and family who have been part of our journey throughout 2025. Your time, effort, application, and willingness to support Joga has been genuinely appreciated. From our youngest age groups on a Thursday night right through to our adult teams, it’s been a real pleasure working with such great kids and wonderful families.
A massive thank you as well to all the coaches who’ve played their part this year. It’s incredibly rewarding to now see boys who joined us at a very young age progressing into coaching roles within the club, passing on their knowledge, experiences, and passion for the game to the next generation.
2025 has been a year full of challenges, growth, and unforgettable moments. I’m extremely proud of everyone connected to Joga Futsal Academy and the Joga Foundation, and I’m excited about what the future holds.