For many soccer players, working one’s touches constantly through juggling results in some great plays on the field and hopefully some big wins for their team. For SoccerWire Featured Player Maya Fung (BVB Girls Academy), her juggling work resulted in another major achievement: a place in the Guinness World Book of Records for most Football Touches In One Hour.
Fung broke the record on September 22, 2020 in her home garage in Prosper, Texas. The class of 2025 midfielder/winger/forward who plays for BVB in the Girls Academy notched 13,300 touches, juggling for an hour with the ball not touching the ground once. In terms of speed, she averaged more than three touches per second, which helped her break the male record as well by 1,300 touches.
“I remember the day I got the record in my garage at home with my Dad counting and as soon as I finished I fell to the ground and started laughing and sobbing,” said Fung who also plays for the U.S. National Futsal Development Program and recently participated in the Girls Academy Frontier Talent ID Showcase. “I feel honored to be included in the Guinness World Record Book of Records. It’s an accomplishment of mine that I worked very hard on and I am proud of.”
Breaking the record was a result of lots of hard work and practice. Fung had been working for three years on breaking the record, working on not just her touches but also her balancing and concentration. Her background in futsal, a sport that heavily relies on footwork and concentration helped her with preparation.
“I first started juggling around 6 years ago when I was around 9 years old I played for a soccer club and the coach would give a lot of affirmation for players that could juggle so I wanted to be the best at juggling and 1V1 moves,” said Fung “Futsal helped me improve my control with the ball tremendously.”
Fung has two favorite moves that she likes to do when juggling: the ATW-Reverse-ATW (around the world to reverse around the world), the head stall to face stall. and the shoulder juggle. Having the right shoes also helps her with her juggling.
“I rock futsal shoes for juggling and if I’m juggling a size 5 soccer ball I use Desporte Futsal Shoes Tessa Light ID Pro 1 because it’s the lightest futsal shoe and it’s my personal favorite,” said Fung. “If I’m going to juggle a tennis ball it must be done with Joma Top Flex in a black color because it’s easier to see the tennis ball with black or darker color shoes. It is just all around an amazing shoe for juggling and futsal with any size ball.”
When it comes to touches, consistency is key and especially for younger players who are just getting the hang of the game. For Fung, it all comes back to juggling.
“Juggling is a gateway to getting your touches better and being confident on the ball and I recommend juggling to everyone that wants to improve their ball skills.”
Found myself still going strong with my Guinness World Record! @GWR Thank you for this 2023 publication under Ball Skills category and page 93 along side some legendary ballers!! pic.twitter.com/mYgOJFnbX2
— Maya Fung (@MayaFung77) March 6, 2023
Since achieving her high water mark in the Guinness World Book of Records, Fung has continued to explore her talents by juggling a tennis ball with her feet. She can descend a flight of 20 stairs while juggling a tennis ball without it touching the ground a single time.
