BOOK REVIEW
wants to move back to this area . Think I got a chance ?” “ I ’ d say so ,” Glenn said with a wink .
Sure enough , I got the job , thanks in no small part to Glenn ’ s backing and support . As he would later confide , he knew he stood to learn a lot about the game from me , so he put in many good words on my behalf with the hiring committee . I say that not to toot my horn , but to show that Glenn was eager to learn . But even with an open mind and big heart , his initial reaction to vision training was filled with doubt and skepticism .
The precise moment took place a couple months later and a few thousand miles from LIU ’ s Brooklyn campus . Glenn was having a hard time bringing players into the program — soccer was a particularly suburban sport , so luring young female players to loud , gritty Brooklyn was something of a challenge . I ’ d been recruiting internationally for years and , based on my success , was able to convince Glenn to give it a go .
That ’ s how we ended up in the city of Gothenburg on the southwest coast of Sweden in the spring of 1999 . A former player lived there , so Glenn and I were able to share a room in her apartment . It was such tight quarters that the pair of twin beds we slept in had to be separated by a hanging sheet otherwise we ’ d literally be breathing on each other .
We were having a rest after the red-eye flight from New York , fighting off the jet lag , when I mentioned the concept of vision training . We ’ d been talking about qualities to look for in players on the recruiting trip . Glenn mentioned things like speed , athleticism , bite and finishing ability , all of which made sense . But they weren ’ t the ones for me .
“ Do they see the field and make smart decisions based on what they see ,” I said .
“ Well , sure , these are athletes ,” Glenn replied . “ They have to be able to run and look around them .”
“ If they ’ ve been taught how to do it ,” I said , pushing back . “ Effective vision isn ’ t something you ’ re born with . It ’ s something you discover . That ’ s what vision training is all about .”
“ Yeah right !” said Glenn sarcastically with a condescending look .
Glenn would later joke that it was the jet lag that made him so dismissive , but whatever the cause , he wasn ’ t interested in talking about vision training one minute longer .
Over the course of the next few days , during early morning walks on cobblestone streets and evening taxi rides to far-flung training facilities , I shared more of my coaching philosophy with Glenn . I told him about how I like to meet with every one of my players five times throughout the year . How they do the majority of the talking as I listen . I talked about different training drills I use to help players scan the field and spin away from pressure . I explained why I open every training with a gratitude session , with a few of my guys saying something they ’ re thankful for . With each conversation , I could tell that Glenn was trusting me more and more .
“ Tell me more about this vision training ,” Glenn said out of nowhere , as we were making our way to a club on the outskirts of town on the last day of the trip . Between the men ’ s and women ’ s clubs , we ’ d probably seen a few hundred players since touching down in Sweden .
“ No way , I ’ m not going to tell you anything ,” I said , without a hint of humor or irony . Sometimes , the best antidote to resistance is more of the same .
“ What do you mean ?” Glenn asked , genuinely perplexed .
“ Every time I ’ ve brought up vision training in the past , you ’ ve pissed all over it . So no , I ’ m not going to tell you anything .” We sat in silence the rest of the way to the facility .
The next day we were sitting next to each other on the flight back to New York . It had been a successful trip , especially since this had been Glenn ’ s first dip into the international pool of soccer talent . From a short list of a dozen or so top players , he had two or three promising prospects . Things were looking up for the Lady Blackbirds of LIU .
“ TJ , for real man , I want to know about vision training ,” Glenn said , somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean .
I looked him in the eye and smiled . “ You ’ re a real stubborn ass , you know that ?” I said . Then I pulled out my notepad and sketched out a few of my best intro-to-vision-training drills .
“ In soccer , as in life , first memories have enormous influence over the formation of habits ,” I started . “ When young players first touch a soccer ball , where do they look ?”
“ Down at the ground ,” Glenn answered .
“ Exactly ,” I said . “ So the first step is to break them of that habit and get them to look around , eyes wide open , scanning the field for information .”
I walked him through a simple exercise I use to rewire my players ’ brains . With a ball at their feet , I have them look straight ahead and do simple movements — push the ball forward , pull it back , roll it side to side and so on . As they become more comfortable with the ball , they make larger , faster movements , like dribbling laterally and switching directions . It ’ s a simple drill that empowers players with the information needed to make quick , well-informed decisions . This is the first crucial step to begin building the habit of looking up and around .
“ Once they ’ re empowered on their own ,” I continued , “ the next step is to get your players to connect with others .” I sketched a second drill involving groups of 14 to 16 players in a 40-yard grid . At first , the goal is to scan and move within the grid , staying as far away from each other as possible ; the key is finding the open space . Then they need to make eye contact with another player and switch positions at speed ; now we ’ re teaching recognition and validation . Then a ball is played into the grid and players have to scan and pass it around , earning points every time they look to the side or behind them before receiving the ball ; now they ’ re learning how to eliminate blind spots and achieve success through group connection . All of this is done without anyone shouting , clapping or calling for
16 | Soccer Journal