Hurst United to host 3-on-3 soccer tournament

In this sport, three is not a crowd.

Hurst United will host a 3-on-3 soccer tournament Saturday. It is part of the 3V3 Live Tour. Games will be played at Hurst Athletic Complex. The first kick will be at 2 p.m., and games will continue into the night.

Tournament Director Robin Rodriguez promises a fun day for those playing and those watching.

“The fields are small enough that spectators don’t miss any of the action,” she said.

For players ages 6-8, the fields are 20 yards wide by 30 yards long. For teams age 9 to adult, the fields are 30x40. A full-sized regulation soccer field is much larger, usually measuring 70x110.

In the standings, games are scored as three points for a win, one point for a tie, and none for a loss. During individual games, any time a 10-goal difference is reached, the game is considered finished under the “mercy rule.”

Each team may have a maximum of six players on the roster, with three from each team playing on the field at a time. There is no goalkeeper.

Rodriguez said the popularity of the sport is growing, and a lot of teams are expected in Hurst. The majority will be from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but some will travel from further away in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, she said.

“We expect to have in the neighborhood of 125 teams register for the Hurst tournament,” Rodriguez said. “Teams [with players] as young as 5 years old can compete, up through adults.”

Rodriguez said the 3-on-3 game is not only fun, but beneficial to players.

“3v3 allows players more touches on the ball than full-sided soccer, which is crucial to the development of their skills from a very young age,” she said.

This is the third year Hurst has hosted this kind of tournament. Rodriguez said she and her group love coming here.

“Our local host club, Hurst United Soccer Association, has been fantastic to work with,” Rodriguez said. “The club supports the event, and many of their own teams participate every year. I have found their board members and volunteers to be a joy to partner with in bringing this event to the Hurst area.”

The top four teams qualify for regional competitions. The North Texas Championships will be held in Garland July 12-13. The South Texas Championships will be held in Round Rock July 25-26, and the Heartland Championships will be held in Oklahoma City the same weekend.

Teams are divided into gold and silver divisions, gold being the more competitive and silver being for newer or less competitive teams.

“Giving them this option helps to give all teams a more enjoyable experience for the players,” said Rodriguez.

For more information, visit www.hurstunited.com.

Hurst United is also holding registration for its summer soccer camp June 22-25 and for fall competition.

World’s largest swim lesson

Bedford Splash will host the World’s Largest Swim Lesson Saturday (June 20). The event is designed to help spread the message that swimming lessons save lives.

The free event is set for 10 a.m. as participants attempt to set a Guiness World Record. Everyone participating must be registered prior to the event and in place before the start time.

Statistics show that Texas has more drowning deaths than any other state.

For more information, contact 817-952-2319. Aquatic classes are also available.

Surf’s up for another summer

The Bedford Surf swim team began another summer of competition last weekend in Southlake. The team’s next meet is Friday in Weatherford. Other meets are at Fort Worth Ridglea on June 27, back to Southlake on July 11, and at the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Region 4 Championships at Keller ISD Natatorium July 18-19. Those who qualify will advance to the TAAF Games of Texas July 30-Aug. 2 in Bryan/College Station.

More information can be found at www.BedfordFun.com/Surf or by calling the Boys Ranch Activity Center at 817-952-2323.

Hurst summer softball set to start

Hurst Athletics will begin its summer softball season Monday. Summer play is an eight-game season, shortened because of weather delays in the spring.

Leagues and their schedules include mens and womens on Monday, mens and co-rec on Tuesday through Thursday, and mens, mens church and co-rec on Friday.

Call 817-788-7320 for more information or visit www.teamsideline.com/hurst.

Open play volleyball

Hurst Recreation Center has open play volleyball on Mondays from 6-10 p.m on Mondays and 2-5 p.m. on Saturdays. There must be at least four players present in order to set up the net.

Information: 817-788-7325.

Mid-Cities Football And Cheerleading sign-ups

Registration is going on for the fall season of the Mid-Cities Peewee Football and Cheerleading June 20 and 27 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Girls will be measured for their uniforms at the time of registration and should bring or wear a leotard or bathing suit.

All registrations will take place at the Mid-Cities Peewee Building, 141 Harmon Road in Hurst. Visit www.leaguelineup.com/midcitiespeeweefootball.

Euless Track ready for third meet

The Euless Track Club, with meets at Lake Dallas and Mineral Wells under its belt, will travel to Flower Mound on Saturday. It will have two more regular-season meets after that, in Little Elm on June 27 and at Lewisville on July 11.

The TAAF Region 4 Meet is July 18-19 at The Colony. From there, qualifiers will advance to the TAAF Games of Texas in Bryan/College Station July 30-Aug. 3.

For more information about the club, visit www.eulesstx.gov.

This story was originally published June 15, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Hurst United to host 3-on-3 soccer tournament."