THE squeak of trainer on rubber was audible from outside the Ballarat Futsal Centre at Wendouree on Monday.
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Inside, about 400 children from across Australia were competing in the National School Futsal Championships.
Bendigo will host the 1100 other players, after winning the contract to host the annual games.
Futsal, a slight variation on indoor soccer, is a five-person game played on the equivalent of a netball court.
The four-day competition includes teams from far-north Queensland and Tasmania and will culminate in finals on Thursday.
Tahlia Avola, of Cairns, plays in goal and said her love of netball encouraged her to play the sport, while Marcus Harris, of Logan, said futsal improved his fitness and agility when playing rugby league.
Futsal Victoria Country area manager Corey Smith said the sport was in its infancy in Victoria, but was gaining traction with the growth of soccer in the region.
About 150 local teams played each week at Wendouree, he said.
The tournament was high-profile enough to lure international scout Motonori Baba, who coaches first division side Santiago Fustal in Spain.
Mr Baba, who is in Australia for six months as a technical advisor, said the children showed promise.
Damian Briggs, of the Australian Futsal Association, said the tournament would help grow the game locally.