Soccer Awareness, One-Touch Mentality by Wayne Harrison

Soccer Awareness: What is the Link between the Cognitive Thinking Process and Teaching a One Touch Mentality in Players?

• The game is getting faster using fewer touches on the ball, which creates the need for quicker thinking; more intelligent movement off the ball; and better decision making players
• Soccer is a thinking game that begins in the head of each player. What is the link between the thinking process and teaching “A One Touch Mentality” to players?
• My main focus in training is the decision making process each player goes through to be successful. Important Questions: WHEN / WHERE / HOW / WHAT AND WHY.
• How often do you see the ball arriving at the players’ feet and he or she doesn’t know what to do next? You can almost hear their brains ticking over.
• The relevance of a learning a “One Touch Mentality” to the modern game.
• As the game gets faster, so is the need for players to master this VITAL innate ability because the game is getting faster using fewer touches on the ball, less space to work in as defensive tactics improve; which creates the need for quicker thinking; quicker moving; and better / faster decision making players.

There are three types of youth soccer player:

1. Those who don’t know what’s happening in a game;
2. Those who know what’s happening but only as its happening.
3. Those who already know what is going to happen next.

In his online seminar Wayne Harrison talks about:

1. The relevance of a learning a One Touch Mentality to the modern game
2. The Decision Making Process
3. The Skill Factor – When? Where? How? What and Why?
4. Continuums “Look and Think” Model of Development
5. One Touch thinking and “Movement OFF the ball” – How do they relate?
6. How can you implement One Touch Mentality into your Warm-Up

In his field session he shows:

1. Awareness Rubber Neck Training with 5 Players
2. Non-Competitive Numbers game: Passing in sequence
3. Peripheral Vision Development

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One-Touch Mentality with Wayne Harrison:

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About the Author

Wayne Harrison is a former professional player and has been a highly qualified professional coach for many years. He has held the position of Academy Director at Blackpool Professional Football Club in England and at Al Ain Professional Fooatball Club in the UAE.

Some of his accomplishments as a soccer coach are:

• UEFA Professional “A“ License Coach since 1996
• Professional Player (Blackpool) and Oulu Palloseura (Finland)
• Professional Coach in England and abroad (Finland; United Arab Emirates and USA)
• NSCAA Premier Diploma holder and Staff Coach
• Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Psychology / Applied Physiology
• Represented Great Britain Soccer team in the World Student Games in Mexico
• Proponent of a revolutionary proven one-touch training program to develop a quick playing and quick thinking mindset in the player and creator of many age group related coaching programs for players and coaches
• Produced 7 National Championship winning Professional youth teams in 2 years in the UAE 2009 – 2011 as the Director of Coaching for Al Ain Soccer club with his Soccer Awareness coaching program