Hi guys,
We’re getting ready to host our third annual coaching summit, and I’ve never publicly shared how this project got started. So here goes …
A few years back, I was fortunate to sit down with Gary Kleiban, Christopher Cramer (Topher), and Ian Lane at a restaurant in Orange County.
Wait. Let me back up a bit to paint the picture.
Topher was visiting from Portland and observing Brian Kleiban’s Chivas USA Academy Teams for several days. Although he and I had been connected online for several years (thanks to 3four3) we had never met in person before. I decided to make the 3.5 hour drive down and watch some games and meet him face to face.
At this point, I was just a dude who followed Gary and Brian’s work closely, but I wasn’t part of the inner circle. No special access. Gary probably couldn’t even pick me out of a crowd.
After the last game was over, Topher, Ian, and I lingered as Gary was making his way towards the parking lot. We chatted briefly and mentioned to Gary that we wanted to go grab food and keep the conversation going.
He declined our invitation and we parted ways in the parking lot.
The three of us got in our cars and started heading to a nearby restaurant. Just a few minutes later, Gary called me to ask where we were going, and said he would meet us.
I can’t remember his exact words, but it was something along the lines of: “This is important. Opportunities for conversations like this are important. Let’s meet.”
Listen to Gary Kleiban discuss how “table talk” was a crucial part of his development as an educator.
After six hours of conversation and an incredible amount of coffee, we walked out of the restaurant with an idea for gathering even more coaches together for opportunities to share stories and ideas.
The 3four3 Coaching Summit was born.
Fast forward 3 years, and we’ll be hosting our 3rd one!
We’re prepping for what will surely be the most personal, educational, experience we’ve offered.
Without being too cheesy, a 3four3 family has formed across the country. The Summit has become our family reunion. Someone new always shows up. Someone always gets a little too drunk. And the family is always growing.
Listen to Joey Cascio talk about the importance of having a network like 3four3.
We do have some changes to tell you about, though.
We’ve moved the event from Las Vegas to Southern California. What does that mean? It means we’re able to offer you more for less this year. And that’s what I’m most excited to tell you about.
We’ve dropped the price a substantial amount because we’re hosting this years summit in our backyard. Okay, not our real backyard, but we’re actually hosting the event where Gary works. He got a killer deal for one of the high-tech classrooms at Cal State Fullerton where he is a physics professor. And we didn’t hesitate to pass those savings along to you. But that’s not all.
Cal State Fullerton is also where we run the 3four3 Players’ Club. It’s our home field. And we’re excited to show you what we’ve been building here in Southern California. Who knows, maybe we can help you launch a similar program. Which brings me to another exciting change we’ve made.
There will be an on-field portion on Friday evening of this years summit. This has been the #1 request from past attendees and we’re excited to finally make it happen. The session will consist of a 3four3 Coach leading our club players through key Core Activities in the methodolgy while you and other coaches have a chance to discuss and critique what you’re seeing.
Of course, we’re still offering a full day of classroom sessions on Saturday. This year will feature presentations from academy directors, academy coaches, fitness experts, and more.
Saturday night we’ll get together for networking, drinks, and food at our coaching mixer.
Gary and I have drawn inspiration from other conferences that we’ve attended in the business and tech world. I’m also utilizing my experience in the entertainment realm to help pull this together. Combine that with our passion and dedication for improving soccer in this country, from top to bottom, and I’m proud to think the 2017 coaching summit will be the most unique and valuable coaching education event in the country.
Of course, critical to mention, our speakers are hand selected practitioners who have proven they not only practice what they preach, but are successful at executing it.
Don’t miss our 3rd, and final, coaching conference. We’re going out with a bang!
