Special to the Breeze The Cape Coral Dynamites, a U13 recreation level team affiliated with Cape Coral Soccer Association, has qualified for the Sports Challenge 3v3 Soccer National Tournament next month at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. Team members include, kneeling from left, Sara Morin, Helania Korvanen; standing from left, coach Brad Herrera, Kaylee Herrera, Ashley Nebel, Ashley Rogers, Caitlin McGlynn and coach Ed McGlynn.

The interest level in youth soccer continues to grow in Cape Coral. That’s evident by the success of the Cape Coral Soccer Association.

CCSA is the second-largest rec program in the state with approximately 2,500 members.

With the large number of individuals participating at all levels of soccer – including rec, competitive and high school – it’s important for players to test their skills in a variety of ways.

One of the latest trends is 3v3, which has increased in popularity over the past few years.

The playing field, or pitch, is much smaller than the standard soccer field. There’s less time on the clock and the goals are smaller, but some of the key selling points are the continuous action and a player’s ability to touch the ball more and make plays.

“In regular soccer, there are 22 kids sharing one ball,” said Eddie Carmean, CCSA’s director of coaching. “(In 3v3) everyone touches the ball more. The more they handle the ball, the quicker and better their skills will be.”

CCSA hosted a tournament, the Norm Rosen 3v3 Classic, for the second straight year in May. It attracted 65 teams.

Some players have formed their own teams to compete in various tournaments organized through Sports Challenge.

One such under-13 team, the Dynamites, of Caitlin McGlynn, Ashley Nebel, Ashley Rogers, Kaylee Herrera, Helania Korvanen and Sara Morin are headed to the Sports Challenge 3v3 Nationals, July 30-Aug. 2, at Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. They qualified by winning a tournament in Englewood last month.

The Dynamites are guided by experienced rec coaches Ed McGlynn and Brad Herrera.

“It’s just a mammoth situation (in Orlando),” Ed McGlynn said. “Thousands of teams show up from all over and it’s well-run. It’s more about the experience.”

Each member of the Dynamites played rec soccer in the CCSA program during the fall and spring seasons, along with all-stars. It’s the first time the group has competed as a 3v3 team.

They’re also participating in a regional 3v3 qualifying tournament this Saturday and Sunday in Naples even though they’re locked in for Nationals.

“It keeps the girls going,” Ed McGlynn said. “Plus, they love it. It’s something that is totally different.”

In 3v3, each half is 12 minutes, which leads to games lasting about a half-hour compared to one to two hours for a standard, full-sided soccer match.

The 3v3 field measures 40 yards in length by 30 yards wide. The goal is four feet high by eight feet wide, with a goal box directly in front. There are no goalkeepers. Each player can travel anywhere on the field, but if a defender touches the ball inside the goal box, a goal is awarded to the offensive team.

The offensive alignment often is triangular with one player in the defensive zone.

The non-stop pace naturally requires players to be in good condition. Not just for one game, but sometimes for three or four matches on the same day during a tournament.

“With the smaller field, you need more control than on a bigger field,” said Caitlin McGlynn, 13. “You also pass more on a smaller field.”

Teamwork and camaraderie are other essentials. Players on the Dynamites team are playing on the same team for the first time, but have known each other for years, which has helped on the field, said Kaylee Herrera, 13.

Ida Baker High School varsity boys’ coach Mick Whitewood has noticed an increase in popularity. The school hosted an indoor 3v3 tournament each of the past two years.

Whitewood said it’s effective in breaking down the game and giving players a better understanding of “spatial awareness,” and it’s highly entertaining.

“It’s very popular up north and it’s making its way down here,” Whitewood said. “It’s exciting, fast-paced and high-scoring.”

According to the official web site for Sports Challenge, the sanctioning body for the Naples 3v3 tournament, three teams are entered from CCSA with another six independent Cape Coral teams and three representing North Fort Myers.

Besides the Dynamites, CCSA-affiliated teams include boys’ U10 recreation Destroyers and boys’ U16 rec Beastmasters.

Cape independent boys teams are the U12 competitive Barcelona, U16 competitive Hickory Smoked Beef, U16 competitive Internationals U15, U16 competitive Tills FC U15. Girls teams include U8 Blue Wave and U13 rec Tornadoes.

The three girls’ teams from North Fort Myers are the U11 competitive NFM Knights, U11 competitive NFM Red Knights and U12 competitive NFM White Knights.

Four Island Coast Soccer Alliance-affiliated teams also are slated to participate.