Youth Soccer Training & Development: Myelin & Training - The Scientific Concept in Skill Development

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Youth Soccer Training & Development: Myelin & Training - The Scientific Concept in Skill Development

In this article, I explain the scientific background to the Soccer Awareness training method. A previous article introduced Awareness Training and explained how it helps players develop skills more rapidly than traditional training methods. In this article I want to explain the scientific background to Awareness Training and how the approach speeds up and improves decision making and the thought processes in soccer.

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Quick Transition Directional Play Promoting Passing and Movement Off the Ball

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Quick Transition Directional Play Promoting Passing and Movement Off the Ball

This session improves quick decision making, tight control because the spaces are small to play in, and thinking in advance due to the switch in direction of the play. You can also work on the defending players.

 

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Patterns of Play: Building from the Back in an 8 v 8

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Patterns of Play: Building from the Back in an 8 v 8

8 v 8 is at the younger ages; and not wanting to baffle them with science too early; we will choose far fewer ways to build out from the back than we do at 11 v 11.

But we will establish patterns of play they can learn to do that are very simple; but also very effective when done correctly; and we will change the boot ball mentality many clubs follow; and teach the game correctly without fear of failure. 

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The Tiffiny League and Wayne Harrison

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The Tiffiny League and Wayne Harrison

We currently have two Soccer Awareness teams, 2002s and 2005s, playing in the competitive Tiffiny league in Vista and will be building upon that for the upcoming Spring league when many clubs are in their down time. 

Both teams have signed up again already within 3 days of advertising for the Spring League showing the success of this (starting March 6th, through June 14th; 14 games and 14 training nights), we would like more teams to participate with us and discover the benefits of the Soccer Awareness training model. 

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Soccer Awareness Session: Quick Break Counter Attack

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Soccer Awareness Session: Quick Break Counter Attack

The team in possession has to make three passes then they can pass into the lone striker. Two
midfield players break quickly to support (making a 4 v 2 overloads in favor of the attacking team) and / or one defensive midfielder can recover. Start with a big overload then introduce the recovering midfielder later when the session is working well to offer a bigger challenge. This leaves a 4 v 1 situation in the middle zone in favor of the other team who are currently defending, if no recovering midfielder is used to begin. If the defenders win the ball or the keeper receives it, the ball is played quickly into the middle zone (to a 4 v 1 overload again) where they make three passes then get the ball into the striker to attack in the other direction.

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Video: Soccer Awareness One Touch Training Drill

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Video: Soccer Awareness One Touch Training Drill

This is the first of a typical four part Soccer Awareness training drill. In this exercise, we are teaching players to scan the field and make decisions BEFORE receiving the ball while positioning themselves in passing lanes. There are three progressions of this drill that can be found in the Soccer Awareness Training Center.

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Patterns of Play: 3-3-1 at 8 v 8

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Patterns of Play: 3-3-1 at 8 v 8

Taking simple tactical ideas created on the training field to the game situation. Coaches teach certain movements in training; players take ownership of them in the game situation.

How to Break Down Player Movements:

  • The following presentation is designed to simplify all the potential Patterns of Play of young players at 8 v 8.
  • This is done by showing a two player rotation per slide.
  • Eventually we will show several movements but coaches need to build up to these slowly and with patience.
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Intrinsic Motivation

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Intrinsic Motivation

Developing players is a passion and helping youth soccer players be successful is close to my heart as a coach. I believe intrinsic motivation along with great coaching to help awareness training and decision-making are needed to be a successful player. What else is critical for success? It is a player’s raw material and their inner need to be triumphant that is critical. When these are all combined and a player plays to their strengths – that is when success happens on the soccer field.

The most important tip I can share is simple. Success is not earned by practice alone, it is generated through intelligent hard work and an inner desire to be successful.

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How Do You Define Soccer Intelligence?

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How Do You Define Soccer Intelligence?

I call it Soccer Awareness

This is the “thinking” part of the game. The game starts in the head of the player and we as coaches must guide the players to think more quickly and with better accuracy in decision making. 

Therefore soccer intelligence is based around players being able to identify their options BEFORE they receive the ball; and pick out the best option of hopefully several available to advance it; and maintain possession of it in the next phase of play.

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What is "Soccer Awareness"?

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What is "Soccer Awareness"?

The “Soccer Awareness” idea originated from what I felt were the most important things to teach players.

I looked beyond the technical process as that is easy to implement and wanted to get INSIDE the head of the player.

Thus the “Thinking Process” of a player became my focus, developing ways to teach an awareness of space, time, and movement, but significantly BEFORE the player received the ball.

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