While the season may be over, soccer players were still able to get their kicks during the U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Child, Youth and School Services “3v3” soccer tournament held June 28 on Husky Field.
The tournament was designed to give soccer players a chance to play and work on their technical skills, according to Caitlin Smith, CYS Services sports director.
With “3v3,” or three on three soccer, each team may only have three players on the field at a time. The field is considerably smaller than a regulation soccer pitch, and there is no goal keeper.
With four age divisions, 8-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18, the tournament gave “everybody an option to play,” Smith said.
The small field gives players the opportunity to build on their technique. “They have to move around a lot and work on those tight foot skills,” she added.
USAG Stuttgart has a large youth soccer program. It is one of only a few communities that can field two soccer seasons. “It’s hugely popular. We’re averaging 800 kids per season, if not more,” Smith said.
Tabitha Camacho attended the tournament to watch her sons, Jacob and Joshua, play.
“We’re a soccer family,” she said, as she explained the appeal of the game. “It’s exercise, it’s outdoors, it teaches commitment, and it’s only 90 minutes.”
“You don’t need a bat, mitts or equipment. You just need a ball and a little bit of space,” Camacho said.
Because son Jacob also plays for a German team, her family has had the opportunity to get involved in the German community.
“We’ve met some phenomenal families. It really bonds [the German and American] communities,” she said.