The Coaches' Room
3v3•U7•Player Development

Do you use captains in 3v3?

Asked by peteonline7
3062 views 3 replies
One of our coaches gives each little three a captain for the first game and changes it every time. I cant decide if that is a nice bit of responsibility or just adding another adult-football thing they do not need. Anyone found a useful way to do it?

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@CoachRyanC

UEFA C Coach

Grassroots session design

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I would only use a captain if the responsibility actually means something useful. If “captain” just means wearing an armband and being told you are in charge, I do not think 3v3 needs it. If you want to give children little responsibilities, you can do that without a title: one helps collect the spare ball, one checks the group is at the right pitch, one starts a team high five, whatever fits your environment. Then everybody can experience responsibility without one child becoming the boss. I would be especially careful if the captain starts deciding who takes restarts or telling teammates where to stand. At U7, leadership is more interesting when it looks like helping others than when it looks like copying an adult team structure.

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Join the football discussion. 3 replies

J

JackOnline

Coach

Our U7 captain mainly used the power to decide he was taking every restart. Armband retired after one week.
A

Aisha58

Coach

We rotate little responsibilities instead. One carries the ball bag, one checks their pitch, one helps get bibs back. Leadership without an armband.
N

NickS

Parent

Captain at 3v3 feels like solving a problem nobody has.

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