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BREAKING THROUGH Sports vision training still offers enormous opportunities in the game of soccer for individual and team development by Charles Dickerson
Tag Lamche, a graduate of Sussex University in the United Kingdom with diverse interests in elite sports, has first-hand knowledge of the prevalence of sports vision training in soccer, particularly from the UK and European perspective. In the early 1990s, he began research into the area of "visual awareness" in competitive soccer. Through the years and by means of a dialogue with many top coaches, Lamche developed a unique vision training program called EyeCoach, which aims to greatly improve a player's sensory and motor-visual response on the soccer field. Lamche says most players reach a point in their development where their skills with the ball become tied to what they can see. "These players hit a glass ceiling and only very rarely do any of them manage to break their way through," he says. "The few players that do, can develop into exceptional play-makers; players who are always ahead of the game. Once through, they're into the zone. From there, their game intelligence and composure under pressure has a real chance to flourish." EyeCoach was officially launched in 2004 and, despite many positive testimonials from players and coaches who have followed the program, Lamche says sports vision training has barely touched the surface in soccer. "In the UK, soccer clubs—from professionals down to the grassroots—remain largely unaware of the potential of sports vision training," he says. "I'm very hopeful this will change in the near future, but as things stand, there's still a long way to go before visual skills training becomes an accepted part of the elite conditioning process." Role of sports vision training in soccer Lamche says visual skills are central to soccer with specific challenges for goalkeepers and for the various out field positions. Much of this is already recognized in conventional training (as proscribed by the Union of European Football Associations (EUFA). Coaching courses emphasize the importance of skills such as field awareness; keeping your head up, and optimizing your field of vision by opening your body up to receive a pass. "While EUFA guidelines confirm the importance of visual skills in the game, there is very little appreciation that the acquisition of these skills can be accelerated and expanded through specialized training," says Lamche. For example, he says sports vision training can: • Improve a player's ability to pick up advance visual cues in open play scenarios. • Help players to read the game more effectively, both on and off the ball. • Improve a player's passing abilities by overloading visual demands and exceeding the challenges normally experienced in game situations. "There is huge potential," says Lamche. "The scientific research has gathered momentum recently, across the full spectrum of sports. The technology has evolved enormously; for example, the ability to measure saccadic eye movements has vastly expanded and will continue to do so with more dynamic applications coming on stream." For the time being, however, there is still a mountain to climb before sports vision training is accepted as a mainstream technique aimed at supplementing existing soccer fitness, skills and tactical training formats. Overcoming obstacles Some reasons for the slow adoption of sports vision training thus far in the UK and Europe, according to Lamche, include: • A lack of scientific evidence regarding the efficacy of vision training. • Suspicion of any initiative that isn't strictly sport specific. • A fear of some training initiatives that involve high-tech applications and/or expensive specialist coaches. • General apathy and a tendency to recycle the tried and trusted methods due to the high proportion of ex-pros who go on to become coaches. • A distinct lack of longer-term development work addressing more complex technical skills. Windows of opportunity In many ways, Lamche says visual skills training represents the final frontier in elite sports training. It has huge potential to elevate skill levels, creativity and the play-making ability of players. It can also revolutionize the game in terms of excitement and entertainment for fans. Such advances will not be possible, however, without serious effort and commitment from players, coaches and management. Players. With few visual skills specialists serving British soccer, Lamche says most players do not undertake any specific work to enhance their motor-visual performance. "I suspect the visual skills component is done on a voluntary basis; it's certainly not mandatory," he says. "I believe most pro players, lacking the knowledge to appreciate the potential gains to be had, will tend to skip the training, preferring instead to work-out in the gym or, dare I say, go shopping." While you'll find less-dedicated athletes in every sport at every level, you'll also find those that will completely embrace innovation in training. "The players must have the desire and self-discipline to commit to a program of total development in all areas," says Lamche. Coaches and management. The requirements are similar at the coaching and management levels. "Coaches are vital because they set the training program, the playing philosophy, and the strategies and tactics for the team," says Lamche. "It can be very problematic, if coaches and managers feel threatened or undermined by new techniques." Another problem is coaches or managers who do not clearly understand the role of visual skills in the game . "In my experience, most team managers see visual skills training as a fad or an exotic activity to distract their players for an afternoon," says Lamche. "I'm often astonished to discover there are senior coaching staff on professional clubs with not the slightest concept of what visual skills training actually involves, or any awareness of what is out there. To many of these coaches, a sports vision training session is just a one-off opportunity for the players to bond—like the team all trying an afternoon of mountain biking or rock climbing." Practical applications While the drills in the EyeCoach program are a trade secret, there are many sports vision training exercises that can be incorporated into soccer training (see pages 34 to 35). Head swivel. At Manchester United, Lamche says they used to play a small-sided game known as the "Green Cross Code." Players preparing to receive a pass would have to first look to the left and then to the right to assess options. Those who failed to do so prior to receiving the ball, would forfeit possession to the opposition. Key concepts. Lamche says coaches should stress the importance of scanning the field, finding the open space, anticipating the play, and opening your body up to maximize your visual field when attacking. On defense, Lamche says the grassroots coach should stress fundamentals such as "maintaining a 'defensive triangle' to ensure you position yourself so you can see the ball and the attacker you are marking." Conclusion Sports vision training can develop a player's ability to assess what they want to do with the ball before they've even received it. "This is perhaps the most critical ingredient to playing one-touch, high-quality soccer," says Lamche. Charles Dickerson is a researcher and staff writer for SportsVision Magazine. He may be reached by email at: info@sportsvisionmagazine.com |
