Coaching Tips

Practice Organization Tips

• Plan every Practice. Don’t take valuable time during practice to plan your next move.
• Inform Assistants what their duties will be during practice.
• Begin practice on time and keep it controlled, but moving fast.
• Use the same sequence for your loosening-up drills at each practice and choose drills that reflect the sport activity.
• Keep your best players from always pairing off during warm-up and drills.
• Teach fundamentals in a 1, 2, 3 – step progression.
• Minimize listening and lecture time. Athletes will progress faster if they see a demonstration and learn by doing.
• Discipline problems will be minimized if all are kept active. If you must discipline, do so by taking them out of the activity and sit them down for a period of time. When they return to play, welcome them back and let the discipline be over.
• Use positive reinforcement. When improvement does not take place immediately, your athlete will not sense failure unless you show a negative reaction.
• Be patient, persistent, flexible, and maintain a sense of humor. In other words, be yourself and have fun.