THE PLAYER THINKS FIRST
Whilst Scanning is THE MOST topical subject in soccer today I began my journey teaching it way back in 1996.
“I know for a fact I’d have been a much better and more successful player if I had a greater ability to scan the field and was taught it at a young age for this vital thinking process to become a positive Habit in my brain. Since I began teaching it I’m very good at it now, a bit late for me 45 years later but it is giving many young players a chance to develop and succeed with this Scanning Mentality; of which I’m very proud.”
1996
— Founded
14
soccer coaching books — including the 88 eBooks, Wayne is the most prolific author in the USA
88
eBooks
180
Videos — YouTube channel @soccerawareness
7
— Wayne was the technical academy director in charge of the program that produced National youth titles at various age groups at Al Ain, the top professional club in the UAE and former Asian Champions League winners — with 6 more as runners-up
RECOGNITION
José Mourinho responded to two of Wayne’s books, Developing the Thinking Player and Coaching the 4-2-3-1. Inter Milan’s Marco Monte called Al Ain under Wayne the closest model to Europe’s best academies.
Educational Soccer Symposium professional Clinician for the NSCAA (Seven presentations including on the field and classroom clinics), World Class Coaching, Reed Swain, and many State organizations throughout the USA as well as in the UAE, Germany and Japan.
The Mourinho letter · Full bio
We” matters to us: at Al Ain we had a team of great coaches helping, and Soccer Awareness has always been shared work — coaches helping coaches, so players learn to think for themselves.“
WHAT COACHES AND PARENTS SAY
“My daughter Haley started training with Wayne Harrison when she was 11 years old and continued for 3 years until Wayne moved out of San Diego County.... After just 3 sessions with Wayne, her coach at the time commented on her decision making.... Over the next three years Wayne’s soccer awareness curriculum transformed Haley’s game and her confidence.... Haley committed to play Division 1 soccer at Yale University.... We are forever grateful to have found his clinics!”
“I’ve always felt helping players develop a soccer brain was one of the most important and difficult tasks a coach is faced with. Watching the progression of training drills Wayne presents to get the players to see the play before it happens is exciting. I can’t wait to start applying these principals to my training sessions.”
“Your sessions were so interesting, well organized, and informative I left the clinic knowing I had learned much and felt the money and time was well spent. I especially liked your communication with the players demonstrating in your sessions. Your directions and information to the players was concise and delivered in a respectful and positive manner. And the humor tucked in amongst it all kept us all entertained!”
“Wayne Harrison’s drills will be very helpful in training our young players to be better players on the field. They will also help us to be better coaches, and we will implement all we have learned from your teaching in our own coaching. I would like to see more clinics from him to help improve my coaching skills and learn more from one of the best.”
THE COACH
PLAYER · COACH · AUTHOR
The man running the session: Wayne Harrison — former pro, UEFA A licensed coach and, per his bio, the most published author of soccer coaching books in the USA.
Soccer Awareness is led by Wayne Harrison, former Blackpool FC professional, former Academy director at Blackpool Football Club, and UEFA A licensed coach. Soccer Awareness is how we teach young players to scan, think and decide ahead of receiving the ball.
Wayne Harrison in his playing days at Blackpool — in the tangerine shirt.
CREDENTIALS
UEFA A Licence (1996)
NSCAA Premier Diploma
BA Sports Psychology & Applied Physiology
Great Britain 4 Nations football team, World Student Games in Mexico, 1979
The Al Ain Academy was voted the Number One Professional Academy in the United Arab Emirates by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council Consultant Marco Monte of Inter Milan who described it as the closest model to the best European professional club academies using Wayne’s Soccer Awareness training model for the Thinking Player developed over many years and with his experienced professional youth team coaches.
Educational Soccer Symposium professional Clinician for the NSCAA (Seven presentations including on the field and classroom clinics), World Class Coaching, Reed Swain, and many State organizations throughout the USA as well as in the UAE, Germany and Japan.
Live TV analyst for Abu Dhabi Sports
As Eden Prairie HS varsity girls coach (2005–08): state champions in year one, made championship final games three times in four years before moving to Al Ain to pursue a professional career again in 2009.
Tonight’s Session
Every session trains the brain first.
Arrival rondos
The condition game
Scanning under pressure
Free play
One Touch Mentality
The thinking is done before the ball arrives. Scan, then think and decide, then set, then perform. One touch when it is the right choice — not always one touch.
Set a one-touch condition in rondos and small-sided games
Train the scan first
Build support off the ball
Add pressure and shrink the space
Remove the condition so players choose
Coach with questions
The player THINKS they only have one touch that forces them to SCAN or they may lose possession. In Reality they can do anything in the moment that proves to be the best decision by them to retain possession in the next phase of play once the ball leaves them
The Player Decides
Develop every player to the fullest by training the mind before the body.
The coach guides; the player decides
Technique is the easy part
Space, time, movement and the decision come first — the ball is the last part
The Method — Four Areas
Before — scan and prepare
Receiving — one or two touches
Keeping it — dribble, turn, run
Off the ball — teammates move so the next pass exists
Flow: set a condition, players master it, remove it, players decide.
Continuum of Development — Eight Stages
1 Look and observe. 2 Communicate. 3 Positioning. 4 Control. 5 Technique. 6 Skill. 7 Mobility. 8 Transition. The factors: Psychological, Technical, Physical, Tactical, and The Skill Factor — decision making. The 10 decisions before receiving: See — where the ball comes from, ground or air, teammates, opponents; Set — feet and body in position; Decide — what, where, when, how, why; then the end product, and move to support.
Core Training
One-touch mentality (foundation)
Scanning (foundation)
Rondos in every session
3v3 and 4v4 games
8v8 development
Best of Soccer Awareness sampler
Career
Everton youth / Sheffield Wednesday 1973–1978
Blackpool FC Professional 1978–1983
Oulu Palloseura · Finland · Workington · Carlisle 1983–1989 — including player-coach
Soccer Awareness Founder 1996–now
Blackpool FC Academy director 1996–2000
EDEN PRAIRIE SC Director of Coaching and player development · 2000–2009
Al Ain FC Technical Academy Director, in charge of the youth coaching program 2009–2011
Surf SC / San Diego / Chill SC director roles 2012–2020
Tonka United / North Star FC director roles 2020–now
Go Deeper
FEATURED EBOOK
Scanning, Movement Off the Ball Behavior and Teaching One Touch Thinking
Wayne Harrison explains the basic principles of developing the One Touch game — first and second contact, two-footedness, and quick thinking processes and quick decision making. The practice and game forms have one goal: composure in possession, less time and fewer contacts on the ball. 147 pages, ages U11–U19. Published by the Institute for Youth Football (IFJ96).
Buying takes you to Peter’s shop, where your payment goes directly to him.