Improving Basic Dribbling & Awareness with Lots of Touches in Possession of the Ball

Clinic 1a): Objective: Improving basic dribbling and awareness with lots of touches in possession of the ball

SOCCER AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT FOR COACHES AND PLAYERS

Four areas of Awareness:

1. “On the Ball” Awareness before receiving the ball,
2. “On the Ball” awareness as the player receives it and moves it on quickly using one or two touches only;
3. "On the Ball” awareness if the player maintains possession of the ball using several touches; and:
4. “Off the Ball” awareness in terms of their positioning of players supporting the player On the Ball.

This works if all players are in synch and thinking ahead of the ball and it is not just the player on the ball thinking ahead.

This is awareness with lots of touches on the ball.

Principles of Dribbling

1. Initial Movement: In a straight line at a slower speed.
2. Deception: Unbalance the opponent.
3. Accelerate: Into space using change of pace
4. Space behind opponent: pass the ball past defender and run.
5. Restricted space behind: dribble past defender (in slow, out quick).

Coaching Points:

• Tight close control.
• Skill to use body to dummy and feint.
• Skill in changing direction and pace.
• A positive attitude.
• Use of own or established dribbling
• Looking around with your head up to have an awareness of where the other players are and where the immediate space is to move into.
• This is more looking for yourself and when you are ON the ball.

A way to test if they are really looking around and behind is to ask them to stop, and then ask them, without them looking again, who are immediately behind them. If they were looking they will know.

1. Coaching Points

• Awareness of where other players are whilst maintaining possession of the ball ensuring players are looking around away from their own ball
• Dribbling and Turning
• Shielding
• Anaerobic Fitness work.

2. Moving around with the ball, staying in space with your own team to begin then players mixing in with each other. Stop and check positions. Check how spread out players are, discuss the implications of being in possession of the ball in a game and making it hard for the opposition to mark you by using as much width and length as possible. Therefore the players must use the spaces as effectively as possible.

3. Continue with dribbling and turning but emphasize keeping the head up and not looking at the ball but looking around, in front, and side to side and behind (for younger players equate it to a bird on a fence, that is, a bird on a fence just spends time looking around). The players can see the ball in their peripheral vision without looking at it directly.

4. Emphasize awareness of where other players are who are working in the same area by looking around; in front, to the side, and behind. Set the rule that when a player meets another player they must move to get away from them as if they were a defender in a game situation.

5. Ball each player dribbling and turning in a tight area avoiding other players. Coach can dictate techniques practiced. Work on improving ball control with quickening movement.

6. Keep emphasizing looking away from the ball and not down at it all the time so they get an
awareness of player positions and where space is to play in. This is the basic beginning of awareness training.

7. Have players running INTO traffic testing their ability to control the ball and observe others in the same spaces, again increasing the awareness concept.

8. Commands

• Turn (checking that no one is behind them first of all with a look over the shoulder then a turn if the space behind is free) Doing different turns they are good at.
• Out (they run outside the nearest line and check back in always looking to over the shoulder to see where other players are so they do not run into them.
• Switch (changing soccer balls and continuing dribbling)
• Dribble (using a dribbling skill they are good at in a tight area)
• Right foot only (inside and out) This is more difficult so they will tend to look at the ball but remind them to look up when and where they can
• Left Foot only (as above)
• Quick (change pace and move more quickly for a few seconds but with the ball under control)
• Number (coach will hold their hand up with a number of fingers indicated, the players have to shout the number immediately by looking up and observing but also keeping control of the ball).

Download PDF of Full Clinic

Recap: NSCAA 2013 Indy

I had a great week in Indianapolis at the NSCAA National Convention. I was honored to be able to present a field session on Developing the 4-2-3-1. It was very well received and there were approximately 1600 coaches from all over the USA and abroad watching the session.

Reedswain; who sell my books and had a booth at the Convention told me the Soccer Awareness: Developing the Thinking Player and Coaching the 4-2-3-1 books were sold out from the session I did.

What surprised me was the number of coaches who told me they had never seen it done this way before considering I have been having teams play like this for several years now..

Now to implement it throughout all the teams at the Surf Soccer Club who I have joined recently as the Boys Academy Director.

Exciting times ahead.

Coaching Video: Numbers Game Continued

Here is another coaching video which is a continued clinic on the numbers game.

Comments from World Class Coaching Clinic

Nebraska WORLD CLASS COACHING
International Coaching Seminar
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, June 1&2, 2012

Wayne Harrison: Coaching Clinician presenting:
1. Coaching the 4-2-3-1
2. Counter Attacking in the 4-2-3-1

Wayne is an outstanding clinician, and was well-received by coaches attending the Nebraska World Class Coaching Seminar. His passion for the game immediately rubbed off on the players he was working with, and they clearly enjoyed the sessions he conducted. He has the ability to convey relevant information to his teams while at the same time fostering an environment for learning by encouraging his players to figure out various situations for themselves. Wayne interacts with players and coaches alike in a thoroughly positive manner, which I am sure contributes toward accelerated learning for any individual fortunate enough to work with him.

– Peter Underwood
Assistant Soccer Coach at The University of Nebraska
Youth Director at Capital Soccer Association, Lincoln, NE
UEFA ‘A’ Licensed Coach

Thanks for doing a great job…as usual Wayne.  The attendees loved your 4-2-3-1 sessions.  We will definitely invite you to present sessions at our upcoming seminars.  Thanks again.

– Mike Saif, World Class Coaching

Soccer Symposium for Player Development

On Sunday, April 29, coach Wayne Harrison of CV Manchester Soccer Club presented a coaching symposium focused on his “Thinking Process” of training. The symposium, held at Carmel Creek Elementary School, was open to all interested coaches, parents and players. Harrison shared his views on coaching players to develop “vision” and to play a thinking style of soccer.

A former professional player with Blackpool Football Club in England and Oulu Palloseura in Finland, Harrison also represented Great Britain in the World Student Games in Mexico. His coaching experience includes Youth Director at Blackpool and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. Harrison holds the UEFA “A” License, the NSCAA Premier Diploma and a degree in Sports Psychology and Applied Physiology.

The symposium was designed to benefit players and coaches by presenting the 4-2-3-1 style of play favored by many top professional teams, including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Arsenal. As important was the focus on developing the thinking process of players and showing the importance of the mind in playing soccer. Harrison explained how to “train the mind” to increase “speed of thought and movement” during a game.

“I felt the clinics were successfully received,” said Harrison, “and very well performed by the players who attended. I would like to thank them for their efforts. I also want to thank Manchester Soccer club, and particularly Directors of Coaching Billy Garton and Jeff Illingworth, for supporting me on this Symposium.”

Coaches from several different clubs attended, and several shared what they had gotten from the day.

“I had a fantastic experience at the Coach Wayne’s soccer clinic,” said fellow CV Manchester coach John Matich. “Wayne Harrison presented relevant information to soccer coaches at many levels. It made me think outside the box, and gave me some great ideas to bring to my own teams, including a clinic on the 4-2-3-1 system which was brilliant.”

“I found the symposium to be very informative,” said RSF Attack Soccer Club coach Shawn Beyer. “The training sessions were clearly run and outlined. [Harrison] offered very useful techniques and tactics to read the game quicker and play the ball faster.  Also, it is clear Wayne is up to date on the modern style of play of the great Barcelona team with his understanding of their system played in the 4-2-3-1. I would attend another clinic if offered and took much away from the symposium.”

Warren Schwitkis of San Diego Soccer Club was also enthusiastic about the training from the Symposium. “Wayne Harrison is a detail-oriented guy who cares about the profession, and his coaching clinic symposium reflected this.  He does a fantastic job in preparing and delivering a training session. Wayne is clear and concise with the players during the session and also with the coaches surrounding the pitch.  I was very impressed with his knowledge.”

“The experience was worthwhile and extremely positive,” said Hector Garcia from Surf Murietta about the symposium. “Although there were many topics on the agenda, Wayne managed to cover all of them in a very organized manner. He was clear in his transmission of concepts   while keeping the environment light and the kids engaged. Wayne’s passion for the game and promoting growth is genuine and contagious. I look forward to attending future events.”

Santiago Baltazar, a coach with Olympicos Soccer Club, said, “[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.”

“I’ve always felt helping players develop a soccer brain was one of the most important and difficult tasks a coach is faced with,” said Travis Lucero of Encinitas Express. “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.”

In order to further spread the word on his training methods, Harrison had the symposium videotaped to create a DVD presentation that can be used alone or in concert with his eleven books on soccer training. The goal is to provide a better understanding of the training methods through the two mediums. Several coaches who were unable to attend have already approached Harrison about the DVD, and portions of the training will be featured on the CV Manchester website.

“Hopefully coaches and players got some new ideas from the clinics to enhance their abilities and range of knowledge in both the nature of the topics and the style of delivery,” said Harrison. “It is all about focusing on the decision making of the players and not the coaches.”

Harrison has been asked to present his symposium for several clubs in San Diego and Los Angeles and at the World Class Coaching Symposium in Nebraska in June. Later in the year he will travel to Antigua and Panama to share his knowledge and training methods in those countries as well. He is available and excited to share his clinics, and can be reached at wayneharrison@soccerawareness.com. 

Coaching Symposium Recap - April 2012

With an overcast day in San Diego, it made for a perfect setting to host my first free coaching symposium with Carmel Valley Manchester Soccer Club.  First, I have to thank everyone for coming out to watch and for the Manchester Soccer players that came out to help demonstrate during the clinic. It was a great success.

Here are a few topics we covered in the three hour clinic:

• TEACHING MOVEMENT “OFF THE BALL” THROUGH THE TRANSITION DIRECTIONAL TARGET GAME
• SPECIFIC PERIPHERAL VISION COACHING SESSION
• 4-2-3-1 Basic Ideas

If you're interested in having Wayne speak at your clinic or event please contact us.