12 Commandments of Practice Planning
By Shane Dreiling
1.
Communication is key
- Echo
calls - Players call out names of teammates and names of drills.
- Head
Coach uses each player’s name within first 15 minutes.
- Listen
to Practice – You find out a lot about your team by closing your eyes and
listening.
2.
Practices should be organized
- Plan
practices in advance and stick to what you write down.
- Drills
should have simple progression - 1/0, 2/0, 1/1, 2/2, 3/0, 3/3.
- Special
situation practices regularly.
3. Practice should
be competitive.
- Make
up games within the drill.
- Players
do not stop until the whistle blows.
- Change
practice partners regularly in drills to continually challenge players.
4. Drills should be
intense and quick.
- Keep
focused. Players are to think
outcomes – process – learn – intensity.
- You
are not teaching drills, you are teaching the game of basketball. Keep things simple.
- If you
talk one minute, you went 30 seconds too long.
- Keep
stats on drills – gives players something to shoot for.
- 1-minute
drills keep teaching points intense.
5. Alternate hard
and easy
- Hard
parts of practice shouldn't last more than 5 minutes.
- Alternate
hard and easy parts of practice.
- Do all
conditioning with a ball – adds a skill component to conditioning.
6. Practice the way
you play
- Practice
full court if you are a fast break team, etc.
- Half
court drills turn to full court to practice defensive transition.
7. Starting spots are
earned in practice
- No
such thing as a game player (come to practice and work). Reward the traits you want to see.
- Each
day the 2nd unit fight to earn the starting spots
and the starters fight to keep them.
8. Practice to
improve team 1st
- Treat
every game the same (Kids notice when something is different).
- Focus
on your opponent 2nd.
9. Do breakdown and
station work daily.
- Have
1 coach with big men, 1 with guards.
- Work
on individual skills to improve the overall team. 2/3 individual, 1/3 team.
- Do not
get hung up on drill technique.
Correct quickly and keep moving.
10. Practice shooting daily
- Everything
else you practice is worthless if you can't take advantage of
opportunities.
- 20
minutes a day.
11. Shorten practices as season goes on but keep intensity
up!
- Shortening
practices rests players and helps boost morale.
12. Start and end each day with meeting
- Starts
positive – Players and coaches responsible for getting things going!
- Ends
positive (reminders for what's coming up and tomorrow's focus).
- Reward
practice players for effort.
