Now that I have had a few weeks to reflect on my teams' showing at nationals, a few thoughts about strategy occur to me.  First, as to my men's team, we were defeated in the quarterfinals by a team that had one really good player who carried the ball upfield and was the primary goal scorer and playmaker.  In retrospect, we should have more aggressively guarded that player and forced him to give up the ball without shooting.  I think we probably got set into playing our normal game, and did not make an adjustment to that player quickly enough.  By the time he got tired, we were too far behind in the score to take advantage.  Here I should note that the short game time can really hurt a team's ability to create strategy.  With 12 minute halves, games are over before a team can really assess the other side and how to best play against them.  I believe that if we had an opportunity to play that team again, we would have a better showing.

On the coed team, we were basically undone by our lack of male substitutions.  We played against a lot of much younger and skilled players.  Wes heroically held on to play nearly every minute of every game.  However, we needed a couple of young guys to balance the older guys on the team.  Our ladies played well, and we really could not have asked for more from them.  Perhaps we can get a couple of young bucks to play with us next year.

I hope that everyone is planning to join us in Tampa for this year's tournament.  Please e-mail me if you are interested in playing adult men's, women's, or coed.

Once again we all had a blast at the Kickit National Championship tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.  Although our teams did not do as well as we had hoped, it was still a great weekend of fun, and for me a great week of relaxation.  Please check the 2012 Nationals pages for many photos of the week's events.

My men's team, CF Kraze, fared well initially.  In our first pool game on Saturday, we defeated the Pink Dads 5-4 in our opening game.  The Dads have improved a lot from last year, and really gave us a tough first game.  In fact, the Dads were ahead with not much time to play, but we were able to come back and gain the victory because of two goals by our Captain, Eric.  Marty also had two nifty low-angle goals in the game.

Our second game was a bit easier, but still tough.  We beat Aging Gracefully 5-2 after going ahead 3-0.  Aging Gracefully pressured us relentlessly throughout the game.  Early on, we were able to capitalize on mistakes to go up 3-0.  Soon afterwards, I was struck on the head by a blazing shot from the other team that basically knocked me unconscious.  Needless to say, I sat out the rest of the game.  The other guys held the lead through the rest of the game while I was being medically examined by the Disney staff.  Israel and Tom had nice goals to preserve the game for us.

In our third game, we faced another vastly improved team, Irby's Invaders from Tampa.  We have faced this team numerous times in Tampa and at nationals, and they have always proved a worthy opponent.  In the end, we prevailed 3-2 in a very close defensive match.  Joe had the game winner on a strong outside shot that he buried in the closing minutes.  As a result, we ended up first in our pool and got a bye in the first round of the playoffs.  The quarterfinals began on Monday.  Several of us went to the Magic Kingdom on Sunday and enjoyed exploring the newly renovated rides and exhibits.  It was Israel's first trip to Disney, and he enjoyed it immensely.

Unfortunately, our on-field success ended there.  In the quarterfinals we faced a skilled squad called Pumped Up Kicks and allowed them to take a 5-1 lead on us which became insurmountable.  We tried to come back, but only succeeded in bringing the final score to 5-3.  Most of the team left for home disappointed, but ready for more action next year.  Pumped Up Kicks faced PGH United in the semifinals, and lost to them in penalty kicks after the game ended in a 1-1 tie.  In the other semifinal, the Weston Has Beens beat O.V. United to advance to the finals.  In the consolation game for third place, O.V. United beat Pumped Up Kicks by two goals to take third place.  PGH United beat the Weston Has Beens in the finals to win the National Championship.  Congrats to all the teams who ranked this year!

The Travelers coed team also gave me a much appreciated opportunity to play with them after losing all but one of their male players.  Wes, Diane, Carrie, and Lisa needed some warm bodies to help them out, and one of the players from Pittsburgh and I provided them with whatever assistance we could.  Marty from CF Kraze also played in one game.  Although all of the games were very close, we were only able to tie one of the matches, and lost the rest by two or three goals.  Thanks guys for the chance to play with you!

The Kraze White boys team playing in the 05 Male Elite Division took second place overall at nationals, which was a wonderful bit of play against some truly talented boys on the opposing teams.  The sons of Joe and Greg from our CF Kraze teams played on the Kraze White team and made their fathers (and the rest of us) quite proud with their play.  Great job guys!

After the tournament, I traveled south to Matlacha, Florida for four days of sun, kayaking, fishing, manatee watching, and seafood gluttony.  It was a truly wonderful vacation, and I am thankful that Curt at the Sun and Moon Inn had prepared excellent accommodations that accessed the Great Calusa Blueway.  I have posted many of my photos from South Florida on a separate page in case anyone is interested.  I plan to post more photos in the future, so be sure to check the pages again soon!

Every year at this time I get anxious to go to Orlando and compete in the Kick It 3 vs 3 Nationals.  The tournament is always a lot of fun, and the competition is always fierce.  Aside from the fact that Orlando is a lot warmer and more sunny than my home town of Atlanta at this time of year, the tournament itself and the social events surrounding it are one of the highlights of the year.

The memories from past tournaments always come flooding back to me, and keep me upbeat during the long months in which we don't travel to tournaments.  I remember the smell of the wet grass and sandy Florida soil on chilly mornings of tournament play.  I remember our first national championship in Pensacola, Florida in 1999 where we spent a lot of time walking on the beach.  I recall evenings around the pool with friends and great seafood.  My memories also include standing at the victory podium holding trophies, fierce competition and close matches, the smooth glide of the ball along the grass at the well groomed fields, enjoying the company of great teammates, and last year's hard rains that wiped out the final day of the tournament.  I also recall breakfast at Perkins before matches, my kayak being surreptitiously cast into the pool by teammates, long days visiting theme parks in Orlando, and long walks through the parking lot at the Wide World of Sports to reach the fields.  I hope that this year your team will be in Orlando to share memories with us.

Only about a week remains before we leave for Orlando, and the excitement is building.  It appears that my team is all set to compete again this year.  We will be staying in the Serlago resort in case anyone wants to visit us.  This year I plan to take a lot more pictures to share with everyone on the website.  Check the site during the upcoming month or two to see all of the pictures that will be posted of the tournament fun!  Good luck to everyone participating in the tournament this year!

I hope that all those reading this will be able to bring a team down to Orlando this year to compete in the Kickit Nationals/Worlds tournament in the Wide World of Sports Complex.  Every year at this time I get excited to play, even though I am possibly the oldest player participating in the tournament.  I look forward to the time spent in the comparatively warm Florida sunshine, the chance to compete with others, the good times with my teammates on and off the field, and the chance to visit an Orlando theme park or attraction.  Please come and bring your team!  Less than three weeks until the tournament.  Are you getting excited yet?

Teams - For the past few years the Kickit tournament has required teams to be housed in Disney properties for the nationals tournament.  We have attended the tournament yearly and have been pleased with the tournament each year.  However, we have obtained exemption from the housing policy in the past because most of our players reside in the Orlando area.  Generally, tournament officials have been good about granting us an exemption on this basis.

I can only wonder how many teams obtain exemptions for one reason or another, and how many teams stay on Disney property.  Before the tournament created the housing policy, we generally rented a house in the Orlando area for the weekend.  The cost was very little when split up among all of the players, and we had access to a swimming pool, kitchen, and a living room for the players to congregate and socialize.  I'm fairly certain that requiring everyone to stay at Disney properties greatly increases the tournament expense for the players and fans when compared with renting a large house.

My question is how does your team feel about this policy?  Clearly, the added expense has contributed to the smaller number of adult teams we have seen in the tournament in recent years.  On the other hand, many teams may have already stayed in Disney properties prior to the housing policy.  It may be particularly advantageous for youth teams to do so.  Does your team find this policy to present difficulties?  If so, how do you handle it?  Do you think that the policy decreases the number of teams attending the tournament each year?

In preparing for nationals, it is always important to take into account the possibility of injuries influencing the outcome of a team's tournament play.  This factor comes to mind right now for me because I am suffering from at least three injuries from playing men's 11 aside soccer here in Atlanta.  I doubt that they will keep me from traveling to Disney for nationals in January, but they could be a factor.  One of the injuries will probably require surgery.

Not only does a team have to worry about players getting injured in league play prior to their tournament, but they also have to worry about players getting injured during the 3 v 3 tournament itself.  The only way to counter this possibility is to carry a full roster of 6 players to every tournament and hope for the best.

Does your team experience problems with injuries during tournament season?  Has this ever been a factor in your team's tournament success?  How does your team cope with this issue?  Injuries are a definite issue in the men's over 30 division, but do they play a role in youth divisions too?

Please encourage everyone to attend nationals this year.  Injured players can be team fans!

As the weather turns cooler, the thoughts among my teammates turn to 3 vs. 3 nationals (now called Worlds) at Disney.  This year we are looking to improve on our second place finish last year in a rain shortened tournament.  As usual, we are scrambling to put together enough players to field a first class team.  Do other teams also have difficulty with putting a team together - particularly for travel to away tournaments?  It is really hard to get top flight players to commit to traveling to another city for a full weekend of soccer.  Many players commit and then forget about their commitment, so that a week before the tournament they back out.  By that time, it is nearly impossible to find someone to fill their roster slot.  The end result can be a shorthanded team, and an early exit from the tournament.

Do other teams have difficulties with this issue?  If so, how do you solve this problem?  Have you thought of any creative solutions?  How do injuries fit into this picture?  Also, do you have difficulties with team captain burnout due to administrative headaches, time commitments, and losing money when folks decide not to attend tournaments?

Traditionally, Fall is the slow season for 3 vs. 3 tournament soccer.  Everyone seems to be preparing for the world championship tournament, or preparing for the holidays.  But what about some Fall soccer this year?  If you check the schedules of the tours, you will find quite a few Fall tournaments in which to play.  Many of the best tournaments are in Florida, and can be a great tune up for worlds.  My team is considering jumping into a tournament.  Anybody want to play with or against us?  The main risk is that we will join a tournament with an insufficient number of adult teams to have a competitive tournament.  Scrape together a team and enter a tournament!  Or e-mail me if you want to join our squad for some Fall soccer.

I just wanted to give my apologies for not keeping the tours schedule page current during the July and August period.  My bad.  It was a busy summer, and all of the tours have a heavy summer schedule.  The only way I can compile this information is to go to each tour site, copy the tournaments down by hand, and then type them onto the tours schedule page.  It takes a whole afternoon during the summer months.  I'm just sayin.  If anyone has a suggestion as to how to more efficiently keep the information on that page current, feel free to let me know.

The Travelers Team had some success in the recent NE Regional in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The following is a recap of the tournament excerpted from our good buddy Wes, who captained the team to success at the NE regional.  Check out the pictures from the regional on the "Winner's Circle" page!

For the first game, only Wes and Martin arrived on time.  Jason arrived right at 9:00 a.m.  However, no worries, the Travelers won it with only three players in 2010.  Wes couldn't wait to play his second regional in a row with only three players!  Fortunately, the other team (Columbia, Md.) obliged and did not show up at all.  The Travelers accepted the forfeit gladly as a reward for getting out of bed early on a Saturday morning.

The second game was against Pittsburgh.  The rest of the team finally arrived for the second game.  The team adjusted to playing together.  Ultimately, the Travelers prevailed 5-3 on two goals by Anders, two by Martin, and one by Jason.  The other Pittsburgh team now owes the Travelers a round of margaritas for beating their sister team.

The third game was against the New York Pyros.  In the first half, the Pyros heavily pressured the Travelers, resulting in numerous turnovers.  The Travelers were down 3-0 at half time.  The second half was a different story after a strong halftime speech from Wes, and the final result was 5-3 in favor of the Travelers, with one goal from Wes, three from Anders, and 1 from Jason.  The New York team was outgoing and courteous.

In game 4, Boston beat the Travelers 7-1, with the lone goal from Jason.  The team was missing its best rearguard in Steve, and was thus down to four players.  Despite the 1-1 halftime score, Boston was a much better team than was initially thought, and exploited deficiencies in the Travelers' transition game.

In the semifinal, the Travelers played Pikes from new Jersey.  Fortunately, their sixth player, Jake, arrived in time for the game.  This was good because Jason forgot to set his alarm, and thus the team had but five.  Pikes was very discourteous to the Travelers, resulting in some drama after the game.  However, the Travelers prevailed by a 4-3 score, with Anders getting one goal and Martin getting three more.  Pikes has all young college players who pressured heavily.  Martin had some nice goals, including a header flicked in on a goal kick.

The Travelers lost in the final game to Gary's Gang from Anne Arundel County in Maryland by a 3-2 score.  The Travelers lost patience in the first half of the game, and did not take enough touches on the ball.  The referee contained some "chippy" play with a yellow card against the Travelers.  The Travelers took a 2-1 lead early in the second half on two goals by Jake, but Jake and Anders missed some other close shots due to pressure from defenders.  The slippery turf also hampered the Travelers team in the second half.  Gary's Gang proved to be a difficult opponent, and scored two late goals to win the final.

Overall, the Travelers team had a great tournament.  Congratulations guys, and looking forward to playing with you again soon!

The Travelers team won the Atlantic City local tournament coed division recently.  The Travelers is a team we have joined to play with in the past, including in this year's Tampa tournament.  They had asked me to fly up and play with them for this tournament, but my recent knee problems ruled me out of the tournament.  Congrats on winning in the four team division!

Apparently, Travelers lost the first game because several of their players were caught in traffic.  However, they pulled it together when they got their full team and won in the finals 1-0.  A 1-0 victory is really something to be proud of in 3 vs. 3 soccer.  It is very difficult to win such a close match.  The Brunswick Blaze team also participated in the Atlantic City tournament.  The Blaze are also a team who have been our friends in the past.  See the 2011 Nationals page for photos of the Blaze in action at Disney in 2011.  Congrats to all who played in Atlantic City.  I hope to come play with all you folks next year.

Because of my knee injury, which is probably a torn meniscus, it looks like I will be missing regionals this year.  The knee is healing slowly without surgery, unless I do something to reinjure it.  In the past, my teams have either played in the men's division in the Kick-It/Challenge Regionals/Nationals at Disney or traveled to Rock Hill, N.C. to play in the coed regionals.  Sometimes, we have played in both tournaments.  Frankly, I am not too sad to miss those tournaments this year, although the Disney tournament is usually a lot of fun.  But in both tournaments the heat is always a major issue, and this year has been a hot one, particularly for the southeastern United States.

One of my other issues with tournament play comes into particular focus in regional tournaments.  Quite often, regional tournaments will not have enough teams in a division, and will have to lump all adult teams (or certain adult teams) together into the same division.  For instance, last year we took a coed team to regionals in Rock Hill, and were placed in the same division with men's college teams.  Our ladies refused to play in such a scenario, and we were left with three or four older men against six college players.  Although we gave them game, it did not feel equitable.  To make matters worse, tournaments will not give you hardware if your team is the only team in a particular division to show up.  For instance, if your team is entered as a coed team, and there are no other coed teams, your team must beat all of the men's teams to get a trophy or tournament recognition.  This is a disincentive for teams to roll the dice and sign up for an out of town tournament.  The lack of participation in some tournaments exacerbates this problem.

What do you folks think?  Sould a team receive a trophy if it is the best team in its division even if it does not beat teams outside its division?  If so, would that increase the chances of your team attending other events?  Should the tours do a better job of marketing their events?  My recollection is that in the past tournaments have been better attended when they were advertised more heavily.

Well it's mid-July, and it's time to evaluate your team's performance in tournaments so far.  How has your team fared?  Are you headed to nationals at Disney at the end of the month?  Thus far, my teams have taken one first place finish, and two third place finishes (not including our second place "determination" back in January at nationals).  That's pretty good, considering that we don't begin to get really serious about the tournaments until regionals.  We look at the local tournaments more as a warmup for the big games at regionals and nationals.

Is your team headed to regionals or nationals soon?  I hope you go and I hope to see you there.  Unfortunately, it looks like I may need to get arthroscopic surgery on my knee soon.  If so, my recovery will take 4-6 weeks.  So, I may need to skip regionals and concentrate on going back to nationals in January.  I hope you can take your team to play out of town!  You will be glad you did.

Those of you who know my general 3 vs. 3 philosophy are aware that my basic defensive scheme is not an "up tempo" system.  It generally relies on the three defensive players to lock up defense around the goal, and score on counterattack.  However, the Score for Sod tournament reminded me of how useful a pressing defense can be.

In the first game that my team played, neither team pressed, and as a result it was a close low scoring game.  We did not press because we only had three players, which was probably wise.  We didn't press in our second game either, perhaps because we only had four players, but we did win the game.  In our third game, our opposition pressed us really hard.  They were young and strong players, and succeeded in disrupting our defense.  By the time we recovered in the second half, we were too far behind to mount a comeback.  The pressing defense worked well against us, and it reminded me of how effective it can be in certain situations.

In my view, the most effective pressing defense is a strong press on all in-bounds kick-ins, particularly on goal kicks.  The press can also be used occasionally when a team has already in-bounded the ball, however a strong skilled team can make you pay for pressing when the ball is already in-bounds.

In our fourth and final game of the Score for Sod tournament, we put ourselves in a hole in the first half by failing to press at all despite our superior firepower.  We ended up down 5-1, and it looked like we had no chance to win the game.  Then I decided to call for the press.  By that time, we had five healthy players, and could effectively execute the press defense.  Our opposition mounted no offense whatsoever against our press, and we came back to win 6-5 with no time left on the clock.  Our press was especially effective because the other team was older, tired, and less skilled than we were.

Lesson learned.  I'll try to work the pressing defense into our arsenal more often in the coming months.

On Saturday June 11, 2011, we put a team in the Atlanta Score for Sod 3v3 tournament.  The proceeds benefitted putting grass on the fields in Cobb County, Georgia.  Our team was under-manned during the beginning of the tournament, having only three players to start.  In addition, we played in the men's open division, which pitted us against much younger competition.  However, we held tough in every game.  In the first game we lost 3-2 to Blue Tree United, the eventual tournament winner.  Although we had only three guys, we gutted it out.  We then beat Stimulus Package 7-4, but went on to lose 6-4 in a mistake-riddled game to a very young undefeated team that pressured us heavily.  By then, Aaron and Eric had joined us to give us five players, but we had to adjust to playing together.

We then scrimmaged a high school team that is going on to nationals, and lost 5-4.  In our final game, we beat Stimulus Package again 5-4 despite going down 4-1 to begin the game.  All of the games were very close, and but for a few mistakes we could have won all our games.  It was fun playing with some new guys, and we enjoyed the opportunity to help the cause of soccer fields in Atlanta.  Thanks guys!

This weekend's events reminded me of thoughts that occur to me every time one of my teams wins a championship.  It doesn't matter if it is a local tournament, regional event, league, or national event.  The feeling is always there.  It's the feeling of how hard it is to win a championship of any sort.  We all want to win, but often we fantasize about easy wins.  Winning a championship with very little effort is the stuff of dreams.  But things are never that easy.  Inevitably, there is some team gunning for you, making things difficult. and making you work more than you imagined that you could.  Any little error on the field can sink your chances.  Obstacles such as the heat and injuries get in the way of winning championships too.  I was reminded of the injury bug when I saw my buddy Steve out at the fields this weekend coaching and cheering.  He hurt his knee badly in Tampa this year, and it will be at least 6 months before he can play again.

All of you who have won championships deserve to pat yourselves on the back.  It's a very great achievement to win a championship on any level.  Give yourself some credit for a job well done!

By the way, check out the photos of our Atlanta Kick-it/World Games 3v3 team at the bottom of the photos page.

This weekend was another great soccer weekend.  On Saturday, my team entered the Atlanta Kick It/Chick-fil-A 3v3 World Games tournament here in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was a great tournament, although it was unbearably hot.  My teammates Adam, Ian, Matt, Eric, and Richie and I were probably the oldest group entered into the tournament.  We tied our first game 2-2, but won our second game fairly easily.  The fields began to heat up under the midday sun.  Later we found out that the artificial turf heated up to in excess of 120 degrees, and players' shoes were melting in the heat.  The solution was to turn on the high power water sprinklers, which briefly cooled the fields down.

We won our third game easily, and went into the playoffs.  Our last two games went fairly smoothly, as our tight defense and "V" formation dominated the action.  Ian, Adam, Matt, and Richie provided the goal scoring.  We won the semis 6-3 and the finals 6-2 to complete yet another tournament win!  The prize is the best part.  One year's free Chick-fil-A meals is worth playing for - even in the heat!  Everyone should enter a team in the tournament for a chance at this great prize!  Don't miss it next year!

On Sunday, my men's over 30 11-aside team also won the league championship in Cobb County!  It was a hard fought game against a team that had beaten us both of the past two times we had tangled.  We had the best of the early action, dominating control of the ball.  Then, the other team started feeling its oats about 1/4 of the way into the game, and began to attack our goal.  In their wave of assaults, the other team scored on a hard drive from the right side post area.  However, our defense held firm after that, and we began to slowly turn the tide as our undermanned opposition became tired.  The second half was all ours, as we repeatedly pushed on the opposing goal.  At about the 75th minute we got the equalizer on a fine header.  But the opposition's defense did not break further.  We hit the goalpost late in the game, and then went into two 10 minute sudden-death overtime periods.  Again, neither team scored, although we had a breakaway and just missed the goal towards the end of overtime.  The game then went into a shootout, which we won 4-3.  Two championships in one weekend was truly excellent!

Many thanks to my teammates and captains for some great soccer!

Although this website is dedicated to 3 vs. 3 soccer, occasionally I'll drift into another area of the soccer world for special reasons.  A special reason occurred this past Memorial Day weekend in Charleston.  I had the privilege of playing with the "Balls and Dolls" coed team in the Charleston 11-aside tournament.  We all had a great time, even though we didn't win any games.  Most of the games were fairly close.  For example, we lost to the eventual tournament winner by a score of 2-0.  Mainly, our team had trouble putting the ball into the net.  We did quite well overall for a group that pulled together without knowing each other previously.  Other than my buddies Ken and Tim, I didn't know anyone on the team before arriving at Charleston.

The folks on this Charleston team were just a lot of fun.  We played soccer, relaxed at the hotel pool, spent a half day playing on the beach, and of course indulged in some adult beverages.  The seafood in Charleston was magnificent.  Particularly good were the Charleston Crab House and Hyman's Seafood.  The oysters were incredible.  On Sunday night a party of about 15 of us managed to clear out the outdoor porch section of the Charleston Crab House with our yells of "Balls and Dolls!" and follow-up rebel yells.  On the long drive home, we gathered around the back of my truck in a convenience store parking lot to drink a few more beers, and lament the fact that we had to return home.  Special thanks to Diane for putting the whole thing together for us.  Also, a big shout out to Rachel for going kayaking with me and for the glass of wine.

This weekend's tournament was a classic example of everything that is good about traveling to play in soccer tournaments.  Even though we didn't win any games, everyone had a great time and played with good sportsmanship.  We got a lot of exercise and met some really good people.  We had a great vacation and saw some new sights.  Fortunately, we suffered only one relatively minor injury.

I hope we can all do it again next year.  It was truly a blast!  Balls and Dolls!!  Wahoo!!

I have two items of news to publish for you 3 vs. 3 soccer fanatics.

First, I just published some more photos of the 2011 Tampa Extravaganza on the Tampa 2011 Photos page.  Check them out!

Second, my CF Kraze team will be participating in the Chick-fil-A/Kick it World Games on Saturday June 4, 2011 at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, Georgia.  The prize is the same as last year - a year's worth of free Chick-fil-A meals!  That's some great prize!  I hope everyone can come out and watch the competition.  It should be a great tournament.

Anyone who is interested in playing with us in Atlantic City, N.J. on July 30 and 31, please e-mail me at coachbill@soccer3v3.com.

Over Memorial Day weekend I went with a new group of soccer friends to Charleston for an 11-aside tournament and had an excellent time.  Before I write some reflections on Charleston, I thought it might be helpful to reflect further on the Tampa Tournament results.

First, I got the unfortunate news that my buddy Steve hurt his knee badly in the Tampa tournament.  Apparently he fully tore his ACL, and injured his meniscus, MCL, and ICL.  Now he has surgery scheduled for the knee.  Everyone hates to see a knee injury in soccer.  Every time I see one of my buddies go down with a knee injury it tears me up.  I know how much time and energy that rehabilitation requires.  But if anyone can rehab and make it back, Steve can.  Get well soon Steve!

Second, one thought that occurs to me is that our team might have given itself a better chance in the finals if we had played a slower, more deliberate game.  We were down only 2-0 at halftime, but the score widened in the second half when we tried to pressure the other team when we did not have the ball.  The other team then used their speed to counterattack quickly when our pressure defense failed.  Perhaps we should have continued the deliberate pace, and tried to pick up a goal or two.  By keeping it close perhaps we could have given ourselves a chance to win.

Finally, youth, speed, and stamina were all present in the players who played against us in the finals.  It just goes to show you that, all other things being equal, youth, strength, and speed are valuable weapons even in 3 vs. 3.

Well the 2011 Tampa Extravaganza weekend has come and gone.  What a great weekend it was!  First, I want to thank my teammates.  It was great fun to play with the Travelers team from Maryland.  Wes, Steve, and Mailo were all great players and good sports, and we really enjoyed having them play with us this year.  Thanks for coming down from Maryland guys!  Our friend Trinity also came from Jacksonville to play with us, and she showed her usual assortment of crisp soccer moves.  Steve, Steven, and Coach Bill all drove down from Atlanta to play too.  Many thanks to my teammates for making the weekend fun and successful.  Unfortunately, many of our long time Tampa attendees were unable to come along this year.  To try to make up for the lost players, Wes and Mailo brought an "entourage" to keep us company at the hotel, and Steve brought his son along too.

We played in the coed division, and played against several teams that were younger and faster than our team.  In our first game, we lost 9-5 to The Stangers, a fun team with young guys and girls.  We also lost our second game 9-5 to Just for Fun, another young team from Tampa.  In our final game on Saturday, we beat Gulf Coast United 12-4, so we ended the first day of the tournament on a high note.  The next morning we played a men's over 30 team called Soccer Team.  They had some players who we have played against for many years, who used to play for the coed team Fighting Frogs.  We lost 3-2 in a close match.  We then went to the semifinals, and won 4-3 against Gulf Coast United.  In the finals, we lost 6-1 to Just for Fun, and thus took second place.  The Just for Fun team played a good clean game, and we bowed to their youth and skills.  Watch for pictures of Just for Fun with the other Tampa 2011 photos on the Tampa 2011 Photos page.

Off the field, the good times rolled right along.  We ate seafood every night, had some nice frozen drinks with umbrellas, walked all along Clearwater Beach, and enjoyed the hotel pool.  Wes, who is an artist, also enjoyed visiting the art museums in the area, including the Dali museum.  The weather was generally great, although it was extremely windy on Sunday.  Wes, Steven, Mailo, and I stayed until Monday.  Unfortunately, our team did suffer a couple of injuries.  Trinity suffered an elbow to the mouth, from which she will surely recover.  Steve from Atlanta also hurt his knee, which may take a while to heal, depending upon the extent of the injury.  Get well soon and best wishes Steve!

The non-soccer highlight of the trip for me occurred on Monday.  Steven and I stopped along the way home at Paynes Prairie State Park and Preserve near Micanopy.  Anyone who enjoys wildlife should go there in the spring.  The preserve has wild bison, wild horses, deer, bear, panthers, bobcats, gopher tortoises, alligators, racoons, wild turkeys, and every type of bird imaginable.  We pulled the kayaks off the truck and paddled around the outside of Lake Wauberg, which lies halfway into the preserve.  As we paddled the warm emerald water, we saw egrets, herrins, cranes, osprey, comorants, anhingas, and many other types of birds.  Then we began to see turtles the size of soccer balls, which dropped off of logs and plopped into the water as we drew near.  As we circled around the far side of the lake, alligators began to slide into the water near us, and float in the water near us, showing only their eyes and snout.  At that point, I noticed that Steven was paddling towards the center of the lake and away from the gators.  After battling the gators, we paddled back to the truck and loaded the kayaks for the trip home through the Florida sunshine.

Be sure to check the Tampa 2011 Photos page for pictures from the trip, which I hope to load in the next few days.  Please consider coming with us next year too!

Well it's almost time for the annual Tampa 3 vs. 3 celebration, and I'm psyched!  We have a dozen or more folks coming with us to experience soccer fun and the relaxed atmosphere of the beach.  Looks like most of us will be driving down on Friday, and ready to play on Saturday and Sunday.  We will have a coed team and a men's team.  Both should be competitive in their divisions.  We'll get a chance to practice our skills, and work on strategy and teamwork.  Those who come with us will return with a better understanding of the 3 vs. 3 game.

Personnally, I'm just looking forward to getting away from the grind of work and responsibility for a little while.  Also, thoughts of steamed oysters and a glass of wine on the beach keep playing in my head.  Let's hope for a safe and fun weekend.  A full report and pictures will follow.

     Every year for the past seven or eight years, a group of us has traveled to Tampa/Clearwater for the May 3 vs. 3 tournament.  Several times we have won our division.  Other times we didn't take first place.  However, we always end up having a great time.  We view the tournament as a low key opportunity to have fun and play competitive soccer.  it's a great way to warm up for the upcoming tournament season, and to re-learn principles of the 3 vs. 3 game.

     Our yearly Tampa trip is about more than 3 vs. 3 soccer.  Don't get me wrong - we play plenty of soccer.  But there is so much more fun about our trip that warrants mentioning.  Waking up to the call of seagulls at the beach comes to mind, as does eating seafood with friends on a deck in the sand by the ocean.  Coming back to the hotel and swimming in the pool after a long hot day of 3 vs. 3 soccer is not to be missed.  Paddling kayaks on Tampa Bay is beautiful, and it's really nice to find a secluded beach where no one else has been in a long time.  A bucket of oysters and a colorful sunset are something to which to look forward all winter.

     Come join us this year for sun, fun, and soccer.  We hope to have friends playing soccer us from other areas of the U.S.  Have some fun with us!

How does your team handle in-bounds plays in 3 vs. 3 soccer?  In-bounds plays can include corner kicks, goal kicks, and sidelines kick-in plays.  Does your team have different strategies when approaching each type of in-bounds play?  My team generally takes an approach that maximizes the chances of retaining possession of the ball.  We have developed several plays that work for us, and rarely result in a turnover.  Most teams eventually realize that in-bounds plays can be a great source of turnovers, because one player on the in-bounding team is initially not on the field to assist his or her teammates.  Does your team have some in-bounds plays that work for you?

OK friends.  My team wants to add another tournament to our tour schedule this year.  I want to hear from you which tournament is your favorite.  Why is your favorite tournament so special?  What elements on the field make it great?  How good is the competition?  Our team would like to also have fun off the field.  What "off the field" elements contribute to the fun of your favorite tournament?  Give all of the reasons why your tournament is the best.  Maybe we will field a team there in 2011!

     Most soccer players and coaches would probably agree that a soccer player who is willing to learn grows faster as a player.  By developing his potential, a player can reach heights never anticipated.  Where does 3 vs. 3 fit into a soccer player's learning curve?  There are so many facets of the game that are enhanced by 3 vs. 3 soccer that a player truly does himself a disservice by not playing 3 vs. 3.  I know of many players who would benefit greatly by playing 3 vs. 3 regularly.  You can spot them easily.  They are the ones that dribble too much, fail to come back on defense, or fail to make the correct pass.

     First, 3 vs. 3 soccer teaches a player the value of defense.  There is no one to bail a player out if he fails to play defense.  The ball simply ends up in the back of the net.  Second, 3 vs. 3 teaches players good passing and trapping skills.  Those skills are the bedrock of a good player.  Without them, a player is greatly limited.  Third, 3 vs. 3 teaches players to hold their head up and play with vision.  Players who don't keep their eyes open for potential shots and passes are usually ineffective in 3 vs. 3.  Fourth, 3 vs. 3 teaches players to move when they don't have the ball.  Players in 3 vs. 3 cannot stand around or wait for the ball to come to them.  They must keep moving to be open for a pass.  Fifth, 3 vs. 3 soccer teaches players the importance of angles on the field.  A 3 vs. 3 game is reduced to the geometric shapes that govern good soccer play.  In a 3 vs. 3 game, the angles and geometry are inescapable, and players learn them out of necessity.  Finally, a player can learn good field positioning by playing 3 vs. 3 soccer.  In 3 vs. 3, if a player is hiding so that he cannot receive a pass, or is in "no man's land" while playing defense, his teammates will let him know.

The game of 3 vs. 3 soccer is an incredible learning opportunity.  It will change the way a player plays soccer, usually for the better.  Play it.

Let's turn to offensive strategy.  The objective of good offensive play is to move the ball around the offensive zone more rapidly than the defensive team can react to the ball movement, while looking for potential openings at the goal.  For this type of play, excellent skills are necessary, otherwise the defensive team will force a turnover of ball possession.  Players must be able to trap strong passes at their feet and make one-touch passes accurately.  There is no substitute for good soccer skills!

Offensive setups can occur in a "V" formation, not unlike the same defensive formation.  However, I prefer that the player with the ball bring the ball down one side of the field or the other, rather than right down the middle.  This sets up a weak side and a strong side and helps increase the amount of space in which to maneuver the ball in the offensive zone.

Dribbling in the offensive zone is usually not effective because the defensive players are packed in around their goal and there is little room to dribble.  Passing the ball between players is a far more effective strategy, because the ball can be moved more quickly by passing than by dribbling.  An occasional strong shot from the outside can sometimes be effective and keep the other team honest in its formation.  Strong shots are best taken on a first touch to maximize the chance that the defensive team will not yet be in proper position.

     This is the first in a series of blog postings on the basics of 3 vs. 3 soccer strategy.  I'd like to start with defense and defensive positioning, because, in my humble opinion, defense is the most important aspect of the game.

     In general, most 3 vs. 3 soccer teams play a "V" defensive setup.  The point of the "V" is closest to the defensive team's goal.  In other words, one player guards the goal within one to two feet of the goal box line, and the other two play farther away from the goal.  Make sure to avoid stepping into the goal box on defense, because if a player does so while in contact with the ball, a goal results.  As the offensive team moves the ball around, the objecive of 3 vs. 3 defense is to always have two men between the ball and the goal.  There are instances in which the "V" defense is not appropriate, but those are special circumstances that are not generally applicable.

     The players at the top of the "V" generally play approximately 15 feet from the goal.  They should not generally attempt to steal the ball unless a steal is nearly a surety.  They should only seek to block a shot, and keep putting their bodies between the ball and the goal.

     I'll cover offensive basics in my next post.  Have a good week.

As I remember the fun our teams had this year at the January tournament at the ESPN/Disney complex, more thoughts and opinions come to mind.  First, this year as in years past, the tournament provided an enriching experience both on and off the field.  Being able to play with such talented and personable teammates is always a highlight of my trip to Florida.  Our friends in Florida are truly a wonderful crowd, and being able to connect with them for these tournaments is quite a blessing.

Of course, the players we meet from other locales are also a source of inspiration and fun.  Every year we get to know more players on other teams, who we have come to call friends.  Often this is true despite our heated competition on the field.  That we all travel down to Florida at least once a year for the same tournament is really quite special.  I hope that the kids who are enjoying the tournaments now are able to carry that experience over into their adulthood, as we have done.  If so, they will find many of the same good vibes that we have experienced there for years.

Finally, although we were disappointed with the final outcome of the tournament, we all agree that the Kickit Tour officials and Disney representatives did their best to avoid Monday's rainout.  Although CF Kraze was itching to get to the finals, we will have to take our second place trophies home and send our congratulations to O.V. United for a tournament well-played.

I can't resist one bit of commentary.  I wish that the Tour would give teams more leeway in finding cost-effective accommodations for the tournament.  As it stands now, it appears that teams are required to stay in Disney properties unless they can get a waiver from the Tour.  I believe that more teams would make the trip to Florida if they were given more flexibility in accommodations.  Having more teams at the tournament creates more fun and competition for all.

Coming soon - basics of the 3 vs. 3 game!

The 2011 Nationals/Worlds championship at the ESPN/Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando Florida was a great experience for all this year despite the rain that washed out the last day of the tournament.  As usual, we met great friends, had a lot of fun, and played some great soccer.  I would encourage every team to attend this event if possible.

On The Field

This year my club took down two teams to the tournament: a men's over 30 competitive squad and a coed competitive squad.  Both teams were primed to play as we arrived on Friday night.  My buddy Eric and I checked into the rental house, and then went to practice with our teammates in Ovideo, about an hour from the Disney complex.  We had a good practice session with teammates Greg, Russ, and Scott (and Greg's son) at Redbug field, and then went back with Greg to his house for dinner.  It was very kind of Greg and his wife Wendi Lynn to serve us dinner.  Their house was amazing too - with a major soccer match on the big screen television.

Later, we met some of the coed guys at the Irish pub near our rental house.  Their two female teammates, Trinity and Amy, had just arrived at the rental house, so they were no longer concerned about whether they would have women on their team.

In the morning, my team started with a 7-4 warmup win over Weston, FC.  Although Weston played smart and hung with us for most of the game, our speed won out in the end.  We then played a team called the "Pink Daddies" who ended up coming in fourth place overall.  However, they did not prevail against our team, as we won 9-1.  We knew we had some tough challenges the next day.  The coed team did not fare as well, losing two games by one goal each.

The next day, we played a tough Burghers team to a 2-2 draw.  Although we went ahead 1-0, we could not get a second point, and the Burghers went up 2-1 before Eric tied the game with a nice upper corner shot.  We played for the tie because we would thereby win our pool by goal differential.  We then played a good natured team called the "Hammerheads" in the afternoon in the first round of the playoffs.  Although we won 8-0, the Hammerheads were good sports and were quite humorous.  Again, the coed team lost their games by one or two goals.  Although their team was clearly competitive with all of their competition, they needed a small spark to put them into the winner's bracket.

As everyone probably knows, the final day was a complete rainout for both of our teams.  The Kraze was awarded second place, because OV United, a team we did not play, had no losses and no ties.  Congratulations to OV United on a well-played tournament!

We did have the privilege of watching the Brunswick (N.J.) Blaze women's team battle in several matches.  To the Blaze ladies, many thanks for letting us hang out with you, and best of luck in the future.  Unfortunately, one of the Blaze ladies injured her knee in the tournament.  I will publish some photos of these matches soon.

Off the Field

On Friday night we had a beautiful dinner with Greg Brick and his lovely wife and then met the coed boys at the Irish pub afterwards.  For lunch on Saturday we went to a seafood and steak house, where we were less than satisfied with our service.  Saturday night and Sunday night we went to Carrabba's, where Faruk and Mert tormented the wait staff, and almost convinced Victoria to play for them on Sunday morning.  We had a blast both nights, and disturbed the restaurant sufficiently to leave our mark.

On Sunday night we had the privilege of hanging out with Wes and his teammates from the Travelers team from Baltimore, Md.  We went with them to the House of Blues at the Disney complex and had great fun and dancing there.  Many thanks to each of the Travelers for a good time, and we hope to play with you in the near future.  Later that night, the coed crowd took Coach Bill's kayak off my truck and put it in the rental house pool, where it floated aimlessly until I put it back for my departure.  Watch out for revenge guys!

By Monday, everyone had left the area, and Eric and I stayed at the sports complex waiting for the tournament to make awards.  We ate some alligator at Gators in the evening and left the next morning.  Overall, it was a great tournament.  Thanks to everyone for a great time!

Hello again.  I'm continuing to train for the 3 vs. 3 World Championships at Disney in Orlando next month.  It looks like our team will be shaping up nicely, so I remain optimistic that we will do well this year.  Last year's fifth place finish was a bummer and completely unnecessary.

I recently took the opportunity to browse some of the information available on the web about 3 vs. 3 strategy, and frankly, I found it wanting.  Some of the information is very basic, and some is just plain wrong.  The folks who put it on the web appear well intentioned, but a more in depth look at the game is necessary in order to put together a consistent game philosophy.

As an Atlantan, I remember fondly the seasons that Greg Maddox pitched for the Atlanta Braves.  He was not a stud physical specimen, nor did he throw the ball 100 miles per hour, but he was more effective than any starting pitcher in his day.  I often read with great interest his quotes in the newspaper.  Maddox believed that if he pitched in a certain way, he could vastly reduce a batter's chances of getting a hit.  He played the percentages, knowing that he almost surely would not pitch a no-hitter, but believing that pitches thrown in certain areas would reduce the chances of a big inning.  He pitched to certain areas because he knew that hitters would get themselves out, more often than not, in those areas.

Soccer on the 3 vs. 3 pitch can be transformed using similar strategies.  If a team is playing a younger, faster, more skilled team, it can increase its chances of a successful result greatly by playing a system designed to reduce the strengths of the opposing team, and increase its own strengths.  It may not be enough to win against a skilled opponent - Maddox lost games too - but certain ways of playing the game can increase a team's chances.

Using this blog, I hope to share some of my insights on winning 3 vs. 3 soccer strategy.  In the meantime, it's back to training!