Normally I stop and look briefly. But one day I stopped and we chatted. I told her about a marvelous book called, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards.

I heard her speak at a Montessori school and she talked about many things. She had worked at the time with a man who had won a Nobel Prize for his work on the brain. (I forget his name.)

What follows is a metaphor not documented science. Let us be clear on that. Dr. Edwards and the Noble winner worked on the function of the brain and its two hemispheres. The two hemispheres are separate units connected by a large cord. The two work in separate ways but also work together.

Basically, the left hemisphere is what controls the right side of the body. This makes most people right handed as the left hemisphere is the dominant one, and as a result, most people are right handed. This hemisphere is one that creates linear thinking. First, then second, then third and so forth. It is logical and progressive. What we call linear. All in a straight line. Stay with me; we will get there.

The right hemisphere is more holistic. This means that things are not seen in parts but in their totality. Like a face. We do not see a nose, then lips, then eyes. We see the whole face. Recognize the whole face, not a part. Where this hemisphere is the dominant one the person is typically left handed. (I am left-handed in case you never noticed.) Let us put it all together.

Betty Edwards told a story about driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles in a stick shift car. As she pulled into Los Angeles, she had no recollection of her trip. When did she change gears? Where was she at any given point? But most of all, how come that this was all vague and unclear? It was because she had done it many times and it was automatic.

Let us go through the learning procedure that was involved. When people first start to learn something, the learning is all in the left hemisphere of the brain. Linear. Slow. Dreadfully slow. You have seen them. Slowly lift the clutch, and slowly push down on the gas. The tongue comes out of the corner of the mouth.

Now try this one. The push passes for the first time. Foot up and ankle locked. Eyes down and the tongue out of a corner of the mouth. And slow! Right? Unsure and slow. When the skill is learned it passes to the right hemisphere where the procedure becomes automatic. Holistic.

Ask a good driver how to shift. Teach me! You will get a stare. The person has to stop and think about it. Think about it. The process is actually slowed down by thinking. In the left and linear and slow hemisphere. "Don't ask me to tell you; let me show you." Which means, don't let me use the left hemisphere; let me use the right hemisphere.

What does all of this mean for soccer? It means that we begin with the slow process of feeding the soccer skill to the left hemisphere. It means that we give enough practice to have the skill moved to the right hemisphere where it becomes automatic. It means that we cannot show the skill or show a video and expect kids to learn something. It means that we cannot read about it as you are doing. It means doing it over and over and over until it is automatic and well placed in the right hemisphere. Holistic.

Beyond the linear and tongue wagging sequence. Practice at doing it over and over. Making it automatic. I am left handed and right brained. I am waiting for you to have the kids respond and become right brained in terms of soccer.

We will leave the artwork until next season. We must start with one thing at a time. Left brained. But start there!!!

FUNdamental Reader - Alan would 'love' to answer your soccer question. Just send them to us and your question and Alan's response will be published in future issues...!