Soccer Awareness Training Center

Soccer Awareness Training Center Soccer Awareness Coaching and Training Programs What is Soccer Awareness?

ABOUT WAYNE HARRISON Ex-Professional Player with Blackpool; England and Oulu Palloseura; Finland Represented Great Britain in the World Student Games in Mexico Bachelors of Arts in Sports Psychology UEFA A License 1996 NSCAA Premier Diploma holder Author of 14 Coaching Books and 4 DVD s DOC for Al Ain Soccer Club; United Arab Emirates; Middle East; 7 Youth National Championships in 2 years at Professional level Proponent of Soccer Awareness One Touch Developmental Training Owner Soccer Awareness Developmental Training programs

; founder and owner; created the Soccer Awareness concept in 1996 Soccer Awareness develops BOTH coaches and players and educates parents The ultimate goal in coaching is helping each player develop his or her talents and abilities to the fullest. With this in mind, we created this Unique Soccer Awareness philosophy of developmental coaching and training. It simply means training the mind before the body. - Mission of Soccer Awareness To teach Coaches how to develop self-thinking players and to then empower players to make their own decisions and think for themselves To create the Thinking Player for soccer development To Educate Parents in a better understanding of the game of soccer Vision of Soccer Awareness Soccer Awareness will provide coaches, players and parents an overall educating program based on the five fundamental principles: 1. Developing Coaches with a clear vision of development with a particular methodology of encouragement and a player driven mentality 2. Creating a Culture for players for self-belief both as an individual and a team player 3. Allowing Personal player self-expression within the team framework set by the coach 4. Finding a path to the players personal and / or professional goals 5. Ultimately promoting a winning culture 6. Parental education to help them understand soccer and therefore support their children in a more educated way Soccer Awareness PAGE 3

Goals of Soccer Awareness To create a love for the game in all players To keep the game FUN and Enjoyable; to foster an Innate desire to play To teach players a Global Mentality for soccer development To initially teach Individual development before team development Where team play development becomes an extension to individual develop and the two combine and compliment. To teach players to ALWAYS be in position to receive the ball To teach players to think, to move, and to pass more quickly, to make accurate; faster and more successful decisions with One Touch Training being the building block for training this mental development To teach players to make the correct decisions as to when to play one touch, play two touches, to run with the ball, dribble the ball, pass the ball, and head the ball, cross the ball; shoot the ball; all at the right moments. To teach players to develop the right Winning Mentality To teach players free flowing Movements for a Dynamic TEAM style of play within a particular framework. To provide the best support and education for players to be able to excel at College and Professional level Soccer Awareness Coaching Programs from a team concept work well with all systems of play; and especially the 4-2-3-1 method of playing which requires an immense amount of imagination of movement and thought in the way the units of players interchange and transition.. Books and DVDs are provided to teach this system of play as well as firsthand experience from coaching symposiums on the theme. Soccer Awareness Development for Players: Soccer Awareness ideal originated from the identification of the most important things to teach players. Wayne looked beyond the technical process; and wanted to get INSIDE the head of the player first. Thus the Thinking Process of a player became the focus, developing ways to teach awareness of space, time, movement and transition, significantly BEFORE the player received the ball. Own Playing Days: He drew from his own experience as a player knowing if he had more of this innate Soccer Awareness ability he would have been a far better professional player. Now and the Future of the Game: Soccer Awareness training is needed now MORE than ever before. Its influence on the game will continue to grow and grow; as the game gets faster and faster both in thinking and movement of the player and the ball. Soccer Awareness PAGE 4

The Thinking Process: Therefore, players MUST think, move, pass, position, and transition MUCH more quickly and have the ultimate ability to make much quicker and more accurate decisions than before; thus using fewer touches on the ball. Soccer Awareness within this model of speed of play also develops SELF THINKING players who are not coach driven / commanded; but coach guided. Making Mistakes: Within this method of teaching players are allowed to make mistakes without criticism; and rather; encouraged / guided to learn from these mistakes to improve themselves. Soccer Awareness training is a very positive experience for all coaches and players alike. Coaches and Players: A Two Way Process To be successful and produce the best players possible; the coach and player must have a two-way relationship; that in time is led more by the player than the coach, which perhaps is a rather new concept to the game of today. This must be the way forward in coach and player education. Soccer Awareness Development for Coaches: Coaches are taught to understand the needs of players and to create a player self-thinking environment for the players to learn in. Players empowered by coaches to self-determine on the field, also encouraged to offer OWN opinions and thoughts; even (especially) from as young as 7 years old. Players guided by coaches; not told; as to what to do. Players decide for themselves, the when, where; how and why they do things on the field; what soccer awareness identifies as the SKILL FACTOR of technical development Produces; in time, much more soccer Intelligent; self-confident, self-determining and successful players than all other coaching styles combined. The coaching method should be one of teaching / guiding / helping the players to think for themselves and be encouraged to make their own decisions from as young an age as possible; so the question and answer and guided discovery styles are best. The game is about players, not coaches, and games should be based on player decision making. Coaches set the team play framework; the players decide what to do within that framework. As coaches we are trying to make ourselves redundant to some extent so players need us less and less as they improve their decision making. The coach has the great responsibility to develop this decision making aspect of learning with players as well as the technical and tactical skills they teach. Soccer Awareness PAGE 5

A Continuums Development Model to Explain how Soccer Awareness Works Development Coaching for Thoughts and Actions A player; parent and coaches guide on Soccer Awareness Continuums of development using ONE touch play to train the mind 1. A logical order of assessment for development of the player 2. Stages of thought (psychological) processes combining with technical; skill; tactical and physical 3. Determining quick thinking and quick play and emphasizes ONE TOUCH TRAINING to train the mind 4. Combinations of thought and execution on and off the ball 5. Associated Words: look; communicate; position; control; technique; skill; mobility; transition LOOK / OBSERVE: Look is a psychological aspect (because it is in the thinking and identifying options phase of the continuum); and it can be a tactical aspect (but still in the mind, not the end product and thus the tactical decision), determining the best tactical solution for the next phase of play by observing what is around them (own players, opponents and where the space is). SKILL: The term skill refers to an ability to select and implement an appropriate and effective response from a range of possibilities. In other words, a skilled player knows what to do and where to do it and represents the execution of the technique. Skill has psychological; technical, physical and tactical aspects of the continuum, psychological through thinking about the best option available preferably in advance of the ball; technical in terms of the technique of the player with the ball, physical in terms of the actual body involvement and tactical as in the end product, being keeping possession by good decision making and picking one of the best options available. This is the end product of the technical part of this process. This can be a one or two touch pass (or more touches if the need is there), a dribble, perhaps a 1 v 1 confrontation; a turn, a cross, a shot or a run with the ball. What is the best option at that moment in time (or combinations of any of these)? COMMUNICATE: Communicate is a psychological aspect, the same as the look in terms of the thinking and identifying options phase of the continuum, the passing player communicates with the receiver, the player on the ball (receiver) has seen what he or she needs to do, they communicate this to their teammates, and / or, the teammates off the ball have seen what options there are, as the ball is travelling, and have communicated this to the player on the ball (or communication from both parties). Soccer Awareness PAGE 6

POSITIONING: Positioning is a psychological aspect (knowing where and when to position) and a physical aspect (the actual body movement) of the continuum. It entails, foot preparation, body position and moving into space to receive. Mind and body preparation is a vital part of this ensuring the mind is prepared beforehand; and the body position is correct and prepared beforehand with the right foot preparation also and the player is in open space to receive. CONTROL: Control is a technical aspect (first touch control) and a physical aspect (using the body) of the continuum. TECHNIQUE: Technique is both technical and physical aspects of the continuum; and is the how to do it, the decision of when and where to make the technique work is in the next skill phase. As mentioned in control, mind preparation, body position and foot preparation can affect this one way or the other. TACTICAL MOBILITY: After the ball has been technically received and the skill has been implemented, what does the player now do? Now we are considering the ensuing positioning of the player off the ball. Mobility (movement) is certainly psychological (as they have to think about where they need to go next in the phase of play for movement OFF the ball to be of best use to the team); but also physical as it is a physical motion; and it can also be a tactical aspect as the player needs to know where to move to in a tactical sense. MENTAL TRANSITION: Transition is psychological first, the player has to want to do it and think about where they need to do it, and physical as it is a physical motion. When transition is mentioned in these continuum s it is always in the positive sense meaning the player works hard to win the ball back after losing it; and there will be levels of this that the coach has to identify with each player, as some players work harder than others in this particular facet of the game. This can apply to teammates off the ball also (see below). TEAMMATES OFF THE BALL: To make all this work, the other players off the ball must be in tune with what the player on the ball is trying to do and must move to help them and it must be done in both the terms of communication and field positioning. If this does not happen then all the good work of the player on the ball may be wasted because there is no one open to play to in the next phase of play; or the player on the ball may be forced into making an individual move or play until a support opportunity from a teammate opens up. Soccer Awareness PAGE 7

You can equate the aspects of mobility ; transition to off the ball player s also. Therefore the main components in improvement required are: 1. Observation BEFORE receiving the ball 2. Body and foot preparation BEFORE receiving the ball 3. Developing Two Way Communication BEFORE receiving the ball 4. Identifying options resulting in successful decision making BEFORE receiving the ball 5. Maintaining possession through these factors 6. Teaching Movement Off the ball 7. Developing successful Mind transition when the ball changes hands The decision making thought process of the player about to receive the ball at any one moment is as follows: 1. Observe where the ball is coming from. 2. Observe how the ball is coming (on the ground, in the air). 3. Know where teammates are before receiving the ball. 4. Know where the opposition players are before receiving the ball. 5. Before the ball arrives, get both feet into the correct position and the body in the correct position to receive it 6. Decide what to do with the ball. (technique / skill to use (emphasis on a good first touch) - pass, run, shoot, cross, dribble, dummy / leave. (What are the options?). Narrow the list of possible outcomes from all available options. 7. Observe where the ball is to be moved, passed or played. can be based on where you are on the field of play. (Assess open spaces and supporting options on the field) 8. Decide when the ball goes. (The timing of the technique / skill used) 9. Decide how the ball goes. (The selection of the technique / skill used) 10. Decide why the ball goes. (Compare all options with the team s tactical objectives) From this we are trying to establish the following in the players make up: 1. WHAT do they do? (The technique or skill used / what are the options to move or pass the ball depending on the position on the field of play) 2. WHERE do they do it? (Position on the field can dictate this in the decision making process) 3. WHEN do they do it? (The timing of the technique or skill used) 4. HOW do they do it? (The selection of the technique or skill used) 5. WHY do they do it? (The tactical objective) 6. What is the END PRODUCT? A pass, a shot, a cross, a dribble, or a turn 7. What do they do next once the ball has left them? (Likely move to support in the next phase or a later phase of play, getting free from a marker to be able to be a part of the development of play again) Soccer Awareness PAGE 8

A scientific basis for developing self thinking players by Parents, players and coaches all get informed of this information which proves scientifically this method of teaching works Myelin Growth is the Key. (Reference: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle) Myelin and its relationship with Guided Discovery Coaching Human skill is created by chains of nerve fibers carrying a tiny electrical impulse from the brain to the body. Myelin: what is it? Myelin is the insulation that wraps around the nerve fibers in our brains and increases signal strength, speed and accuracy and speeds up decision making in your thoughts and movements What makes it grow? Scientific research proves; Myelin is produced by a person thinking about and analyzing skill situations themselves; and being trained with self-thought as a major part of the process. Making and correcting errors; constantly generating solutions to ongoing problems; the game is dynamic; and situations change every second, new decisions have to be made every second. This occurs in deep practice: the more you practice; the more decision making situations you find yourself in; the more thought it takes to solve them; the more myelin is grown, the faster the body and brain processes these; the better the decisions made. The game is getting faster, using fewer touches on the ball, which creates the need for quicker thinking and better decision making players This is a fast growing trend in modern soccer that cannot be ignored. HOW DO WE AFFECT THIS IN OUR TRAINING? Technique and skill Technique is the actual movement; skill is the when and where of the movement aligned with correct decision making It is no good having great technique but little skill; or vice versa. Players need to learn to be good at both to succeed. This training teaches both. Soccer Awareness PAGE 9

THREE STAGES OF SUCCESS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL / TEAM PLAYER 1. Deep Practice: We start without pressure and build it to training under pressure as the players become capable technically. Deep practice now means training on the edge of your capabilities (same as training under pressure); and training in this capacity leads to mistakes: being made as players learn to perform tasks they are not totally comfortable with yet. So making mistakes helps the learning process. Pressure training example: NO SPACE PLUS NO TIME EQUALS MORE ACCURATE AND FASTER DECISIONS. This increases the speed of skill acquisition becoming 10 times faster than regular practice that simply incorporates technical drills of the same repetition without deep thought. Simply put mistakes lead to better skill acquisition over time and with practice; and helps the learning process to determine the where, when, how and why of decision making. Specific practice within deep practice: 1 v 1: an example: practicing the same theme over and over, initially as a technique, then as a skill; it could be passing one touch; first in isolation as a technique, second as a skill; in this 1 v 1 set up; identifying different options at speed in one touch passing and quick thinking. 2. Ignition: This is the motivational fuel that generates the energy, passion and commitment of a person from within to perform deep practice. It is intrinsic motivation where the player has a self willed drive to succeed. This is the catalyst and it represents a huge level of commitment requirement from the player. This is also ignited / inspired beyond the intrinsic by master coaches. 3. Master Coaching: These coaches create an active learning environment where the players are actively engaged; and are led by guided discovery methods of coaching. Children retain only 18% of concepts learnt passively; but 68% of concepts learnt actively. Training should be player centered not coach centered. A need for positivity: the types and manner of words and actions used by a coach can influence the player greatly. Negative words and actions can have as much bad influence and damage confidence as Positive words and actions have great influence and build confidence. So; going backwards, the formula is; Master coaching creates Ignition; that encourages Deep Practice; and especially SPECIFIC Practice; that produces Myelin; that produces improvements in accuracy, strength and speed of decision making Soccer Awareness PAGE 10

The emphasis of one touch training to develop the mind: what does it teach? NOT JUST ONE TOUCH. For the individual receiving player it teaches: 1. Quicker Thinking: The game is getting much faster so players need to think much more quickly to be able to cope with this increase in pace; which means they have less time to make decisions. So...1-touch creates quicker thinking players 2. Body and Foot Preparation: One touch means getting the body / feet into appropriate position to receive. So...1-touch develops body positional awareness (e.g. may need to let ball run across the body to save the touch) 3. Quicker Play: The game is getting faster so players have less time on the ball so a natural progression to cope with this is to use fewer touches of it. This means using one touch more; and acting more quickly particularly in tight situations; hence observation BEFORE receiving the ball is a necessity. One touch play forces the player to do this if they want to be successful. This means LOOKING BEFORE RECEIVING THE BALL, ASSESSING OPTIONS EARLY It requires a look over the shoulder, to the sides and behind the player; BEFORE RECEIVING THE BALL 4. Improved TECHNIQUE: One touch demands / promotes technical excellence when distributing passes (using 1-touch) received in the air (foot, thigh, chest, head) It also improves the first touch by lots of practice relying just on it. Improves and speeds up the SKILL Factor: This is decision making awareness when and where situational play. Skill is the end product of technique, the how, why, when and where of the technique. 5. Faster Ball Movement: The ball is moving faster too; as well as the players move faster which suggests quicker passing sequences. So, faster ball movement, faster running of the players; quicker closing down by opponent s means everything is quicker; so thinking and decision making has to match this. Hence being very good and successful at one touch play is an essential part of a modern day player s makeup. 6. Limited Space Possession and Tight Situational Play: One touch teaches players how to maintain possession in tight spaces or when closely marked: 7. Ball Mastery: One touch requires players to demonstrate ball mastery when receiving (cushion pass to teammate in close support vs. hard pass to teammate supporting at a distance) 8. So...1-touch teaches players how to correctly weight their passes 9. Fitness: More frequent and quicker movement off the ball means players have to work harder to support the player on the ball as they have little time with it and need instant help. If the ball is being passed consistently by one touch then the ball is travelling faster and more frequently so the players have to work just as quickly and frequently off the ball to cope with this and maintain possession of the ball; thus it improves specific football fitness. Soccer Awareness PAGE 11

10. Time Management: One touch play means thinking quickly identifying options early so this in many instances can give the player more time on the ball because they have already seen where the space is to play before they have received the ball. So, it creates Time on the ball to allow for more touches; if needed; by identifying options earlier 11. Identification of Players and Space: It offers the means to a faster identification of players positions; both teammates and opponents Offers the means to a faster identification of when and where to pass to feet or to space and where the space or player is to pass to 12. On the Ground Patterns of Play: One touch encourages passing on the ground to maintain possession so it is easier for the next player to control the ball. For the attacking team: 13. Movements OFF the Ball: Training with one touch means the player receiving the ball has to move it on quickly therefore players have to move OFF the ball more quickly to help support the player receiving it. This is a VERY IMPORTANT aspect of one touch training as it involves all the other players off the ball and their positioning to help the player on the ball, preferably before they receive it so it can happen more quickly. 14. Style of Play: Encourages a fluid, attractive style of play and develops a good tempo / speed of play 15. Combination Play: Encourages combination play (wall-passes, set-up passes, third man runs). There is no better play than a give and go one touch pass combination to beat defenders so it is difficult to defend against, especially in and around the attacking third / penalty area when quick play is applied 16. Aesthetic Effect: Is pleasing to the eye (Arsenal / Barcelona / Manchester United) 17. Counter Attacking Play: Useful when teaching the counter-attack as fewer touches means the ball travels faster 18. Ultimately: One touch play is designed to improve the player s first touch in the redirection of the ball, to help players identify their options before they receive the ball, and thus know which option next is best. This next option may not be a one touch pass in the actual game situation but may be a dribble with many touches, a turn, a run with the ball, a cross; a pass or a shot. By learning one touch passing; which to be successful needs the player to be able to identify options before receiving the ball; the players develop an awareness of many things including teammates positions, opponents positions, where the space to play to is etc. One touch is challenging mentally, physically, technically and tactically. Soccer Awareness PAGE 12

19. Better players will thrive on one touch sessions, and rise to the challenge of it 20. Facts: Statistics show that 1 touch play is a significant factor in the build up to scoring goals, for example; goals scored by Manchester United from one touch build up play was almost 50% last season. So now without Ronaldo; who was a great dribbler; and so had lots of touches on the ball when creating and scoring goals, and was the heart of the team having much possession of the ball, you could theorize that this percentage should rise, perhaps significantly; with the current players making one touch play even more significant in their development of play and also in your training. 21. Scoring Goals: 70% of all goals are one touch finishes. 22. Defending Team Shape: It may be compromised because of the speed of play. Defenders can t slide, drop; press etc in time to create defensive blocks. And this creates frustration because defenders always seem to be reacting to the ball s rapid movement often one step too late because of the speed of play. Thus, it offers less time for defenders to close you down. It moves players around (because it is physically demanding thus it creates gaps to play in / through) One touch training mentally trains the mind: 1. When and where to Dribble and keep the ball in their possession (when the conditioned game is not being played and they are allowed to be free) 2. When and where to Pass 3. When and where to receive and turn (when the conditioned game is not being played and they are allowed to be free) 4. When and where to shoot one touch or take more touches 5. When and where to cross Yes, learning one and two touch play will also help them become better at dribbling and turning because it will help teach them when and where to do it, and each skill will need to be learned, one touch, two touch, dribbling and turning, for them to become better all-round players. How does soccer awareness help players, coaches and parents? Provides a STANDARDIZED Player / Parent and Coach Education Program Provides professional Guidance on the game of Soccer Has a Standardized teaching Methodology for coaches Promotes club Affiliate Partnerships through the educational teaching programs it provides for each affiliate Provides a Standardized Soccer Awareness Training Program for coaches Provides a Standardized Soccer Awareness Training Program for players Provides an educational process for parents to teach them a better understanding of how the game is played Soccer Awareness PAGE 13

ABOUT WAYNE HARRISON Married to Mary for 30 years with two daughters Sophie 26 and Johanna 23 Wayne is available for Soccer Symposiums and Conventions wherever they are needed; and able to offer field clinics and classroom presentations of your choosing. He has vast experience in this field of work. His specialist system of play is the 4-2-3-1. His favored type of development training is that of creating the THINKING PLAYER through his SOCCER AWARENESS methods of coaching. His belief is developing the MIND of the player through ONE TOUCH training, which is purely to help the development of the SKILL FACTOR (the when, where how and why of decision making; or the thinking process). He wants all coaches to teach where it is the player who becomes the decision maker not the coach. You can contact him on soccerawareness@outlook.com and / or view his website www.soccerawareness.com