Test or Teach - A Word about Practice Activities.

One of the traps we coaches fall into is the pursuit of "new" practice or training activities.  One particular website I subscribe to publishes several practice or training activities a week.  To be perfectly honest, I don't know why I am still subscribed to this site as rarely do I find anything of real value on it. Then again, value can be a relative thing.

For example, today's offering is on reaction speed and finishing. As I looked it over there was immediate recognition that the exercise, as designed and explained,  tests the reaction speed and finishing ability of the players participating in it.

The author proclaims the exercise is designed to improve the time needed to accelerate, change direction and win a 1 v 1 duel, but there are no coaching points or instructions included for how to do this.  What are some of the keys to look for and address to help the athlete improve his acceleration, ability to change directions and finishing?

The emphasis here is on repetitions... muscle memory, I suppose.  That performing a task repeatedly will bring speed to the performance of the task.

On another level, there is some value to be found in the athlete recognizing certain cues - when the ball will be played in to begin the active portion of play in the exercise, for example. But even here there is limited value for the emphasis is on the active participant being a ball watcher - that is, watching a very small portion of the game.  The truly great players are game watchers - they see as much of the game as possible.

Coach:  When you are selecting practice activities give consideration to whether the activity tests ability already present in the athlete or is designed to teach and improve the athletes ability in the designated technique and or tactic.

There is a difference, an important difference.  Make sure the training activities you select meet the need you wish to address. 

When I tell people it often takes me 1.5 hours to plan a 1.5 hour practice session many roll their eyes at me.  The simple truth of the matter is, there is a critical need to select (or design) proper activities to achieve the goal or purpose of the session.  If your session is preparatory for a game the following day, sure, go ahead and use exercises that test a player's ability or readiness to play.  But if your session is not pre-game in nature, that is, it is a session for teaching / improving, then make sure your activities are designed for that purpose. They should include points of emphasis, coaching points and an idea of what coaching points can be made AND an idea of when those coachable moments will occur in the activity. 

Do your homework coach! 

One of my favorite quotes is, "Failing to prepare properly is preparing to fail."   When I speak of this the players all think it directed towards them.  It might have been, but only first after having been directed to myself.  Coaches must properly prepare to coach.  And we cannot expect players to properly prepare, if we are not properly prepared.