Rampage
Philosophy on 3v3 Tournaments
Our team attends quite a few 3v3 events each year and summer '03 we started a 3v3 summer league that many of our players participated in. 3v3 is a great way to develop individual skills and an understanding of small sided tactics. I want to emphasize that the approach one takes to 3v3 can have various end results. Our philosophy and approach to the 3v3 game is that we have fun while developing individual and small team tactical skills, and-very importantly-we develop independent decision making and responsibility in our players. Consequently, we do as little coaching of our players as possible during 3v3 events. We coach 3v3 during practices so that our players are well prepared for matches. During games, we assign a player-coach to each team. The teams are responsible for coaching themselves, keeping statistics, making substitutions, etc. As a parent, this may be frustrating to watch at times because the kids may be a bit disorganized or may not be substituting in a logical way. But please, don't interfere. This is all part of the learning process and is something we encourage.
By allowing the players to coach themselves they develop more rapidly and have more fun. They also feel great about themselves because we've entrusted them with great responsibility. Because they know they are competing against teams that are being coached by adults, winning and losing is less relevant. What matters is that they work together as a team and as friends. Our philosophy requires that our players communicate, cooperate, and discuss how to improve their game. We emphasize that all discussions must be positive and everyone must get equal playing time regardless of the score.
I provide the players with a pen, a clipboard, and a stopwatch, which they love. They keep track of statistics during the game, which is fun and creates a bit of healthy competition to score or play great defense. The players use the stopwatch to assist them in making fair substitutions, subbing about every 3-4 minutes. The players on the sidelines are paying attention to what's happening on the field because they are in charge of the record keeping. If a coach does everything for them, they can fool around on the sidelines, i.e., there is no need to be responsible. By putting the burden on them to make substitutions and keep statistics, plan their own strategies, and coach themselves, they become very focused on the game and learn not only by playing but by watching. The players have a verbal contract with us and an understanding that if they don't sub fairly and coach positively, an adult coach may step in.
In addition, we provide space on the stat forms for comments. We ask the kids to think about things they should work on or things that they are doing well. This encourages them to think about the game at a high level. The comments I get back are quite fascinating and I find that I learn a great deal from their insights when I read them later. The purity of their game analysis is amazing and always truthful if not brutally honest. Between games they are expected go off and find some green space to work on new skills. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It's their decision. Kids learn at incredible rates when they become their own teachers. This is the essence of street soccer, a sadly missing aspect of U.S. soccer. If we do a good job of coaching during practice, they will emulate us and imitate us and become coaches themselves.
3v3 is a game. There is no need for you to provide instructions from the sidelines. You'll have far more fun and satisfaction, and so will your kids, when you resign yourself to just a sideline cheerleader. Granted, our boys may lose games without your input or a coach's input, but they'll learn more from it. What happens when you're not there? Let your child make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. In general, you'll take a certain amount of pride in watching your child coach himself... particularly when they outsmart the big mouth coach who has been barking unfruitful instructions at your opposition all game.
If you're not sure how your kids might react to the idea of coaching themselves, just ask them. I guarantee you'll get a resounding, "Yes, we want to coach ourselves!"
Our method of coaching 3v3 during practice is to teach them the concepts of working and coordinating in a triangle as it applies to the larger game. This is not the same as coaching to win 3v3 games. Consequently, our players will often push forward, leaving our goal exposed, while other 3v3 teams plant a "camper" in front of the goal. I believe that our philosophy is in the interest of player development, while the later teaches bad habits (i.e., the habit of retreating rather than challenging) and has little long term benefit that I can think of. Consequently, we often possess the ball for most of a match and yet may end up losing the game. In fact, there have been games where we've possessed the ball for 80% or more of the game and still ended up losing by points. However, in those matches we were victorious in other ways. We got 4x more touches on the ball. We got our money's worth.
So... In the case of our team, the score and the hardware are gravey if all goes well. It is the lessons the kids learn by owning the game that we are after. 3v3 BELONGS TO THE KIDS. Practices are for coaching, games are for watching. Let's just let the kids play...