Dyish
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Maximize practice time - 2006/08/23 18:21
I coach my daughter's 5th/6th grade church rec team. I really enjoyed Brian's book and plan to incoporate many of his lessons into this year's season. Quesiton for you coaches out there. This team practices once a week with games on the weekend. The practices are usually 1.5 hours in length. What are some of your suggestions/best practices for maximizing practice time?
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GAtwood
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Re:Maximize practice time - 2006/08/23 20:21
I've been coaching youth ages up thru HS age for about 6 years now. I also coach girls, and have actually only coached young men at summer camps I've worked. One observation I can make that I think makes it clear where best to focus your practice time is that in the 5th & 6th grade, if the teams are fairly evenly matched- the team that shoots a higher percentage from within 3-4 feet of the basket will usually win. Most scoring at youth ages comes from close to the basket, especially at about 10-11 yrs old and younger. While it isn't necessarily all about winning, it is about scoring.
So the question then is- what drills will help my players to finish more consistently when they are right at the basket? I think you have to include (or begin with) Mikans. In a full size gym with 6 baskets you can use every basket and run 12 players thru real fast. We make it competetive- They go 1 minute timed, and count each make out loud. After a "rep" I point around to each basket and ask, "how many," always acknowledging improvement no matter how many makes. Our individual best is 32 makes in 1 minute, and they won't get high counts like that until they start moving their feet quickly. When they are younger (less than about 14) I generally allow them to do the Mikans however is most comfortable for them as far as using 1 hand or 2 to put the ball back up. With the older kids we use 3 variations of Mikans- first is the original way, like a little one handed hookshot/lay up off the glass. Second is reverse (from behind the glass) and again with a single hand (hand closest to baseline). With the reverse we emphasize a body angle that is not square to the back board, instead using an angle that more approximates the angle of approach for a baseline reverse lay up. The third variation is to use two hands for the put back shot. The "record" I mentioned was accomplished with the third method. In my experience, I'd let most of a 5th and 6th grade girls team use both hands and stay away from the little one handed hook shots unless you have an athlete who can perform that. A 10-11 year old should be able to accomplish about 10-15 makes in one minute after doing it a few times. Expect low counts down to around 6, and a quick strong kid at that age will get into the mid 20's. Make them have quick feet during the drill, and talk to them about setting a sustainable pace if they have trouble finishing strong. It's only a minute, but if they are hustling, they will definetly feel it. One nice thing is you will see improvement with every kid almost every time they do Mikans. A kid may only mkae 6 the first time, and that may be a little embarassing, but they will get better right away, and you noticing that makes them see and feel improvement.
Other close in drills are good too- lay ups, shooting. Start with non competetive but quickly progress so there is some challenge, and/or so that game conditions are more approximately created. Like in shooting drills- after they get the idea of the drills, start having team mates run at the shooter to incorporate fakes and drives off fakes, then finish with either lay-ups or pull up shots. Have them do 2 line layup but line 2 is chasing the dribble from behind. Get a small football blocking pad and have them make lay ups after being bumped. The bump can be anywhere- at the 1st dribble simulating a defensive reach, along the way to the basket, or even in the air (be careful).
While defense can't be ignored, offense skills are more difficult to master, and you need to be able to score. It was pointed out to me when I started that there is no "magic offense" or set play that will lead to increased scoring, and that consistent scoring is the result of skill sets- primarily making lay ups & put backs, and perimeter shooting. I mention this because I believe it's very important to spend precious and limited practice time -especially w/this age- building skills, not trying to memorize where to go and what to do in a set play. What would serve a young developing athlete better- to spend that 20 minutes practice segment shooting the ball, or to spend it trying to get that screen for the flex cut just right? And I appologize if You're already well aware of this & I'm preaching to the choir.
Hope this helps.
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coachronn
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Re:Maximize practice time - 2006/08/24 03:31
Coach: Years ago I was faced with 1 1/4 hr. practice time for HS varsity. I developed a system whereby I could cover most all offensive skills at one time, then be able to concentrate on other areas. When the JV’s left the floor, we went right into specific drills—no time wasted. I never used punishment or
conditioning drills. Everything we did was part of the game. One thing that saved us a lot of time, while covering most all the basic skills, was to use Station Drills.
The most time used is at the beginning of the season when teaching all the drills and getting to know which drill is done at which basket. I put a diagram of the drill being done on the wall or bleachers behind each basket. The players learned quickly what to do and how to perform the drills at each “Station”. Daily, we’d use the first fifteen minutes
of practice in these drills. That left an hour for all the team stuff. It wasn’t the most effective way to cover all the basic skills that needed time, but we didn’t have time, so it did become the most efficient way to do skill drills.
Today, I still use these drills. In camp situations, where I have hours to cover the material, I can spend as long as needed in each drill. If we have a gym with side baskets that have a key, or at least the markings, I will even have everyone stay at a basket and do the same drill at each basket, instead of changing baskets.
The coach, and if you’re lucky to have assistant coaches, can move around to the “Stations” and see that the players are performing the drills correctly. Making corrections adds time to the drill, but that’s a “necessary evil”. I never had an assistant coach during the time I developed this drill, so I needed something I could handle by myself. The Station Drills enabled me to do that and to be time efficient.
The important thing to remember,is to never stop teaching and critiquing--don't just let them go through the motions. Get the skills done correctly. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. If they practice incorrectly, they get very good at doing the drills incorrectly. The following is from my book, due out this fall, so the material keeps referring back to chapters and there are diagrams accompanying the material. Since it is for high school level, if you do something like this, you'd probably modify it for your own uses. I hope you will find this useful.
Yours in Sport & Spirit,
Coach Ronn
STATION DRILLS
Each drill lasts two minutes, with one ball for two players, sharing each drill equally. After two minutes, the players take the ball and rotate counter-clock-wise to the next “Station”. There are six “Stations”. Players waste no time getting to the next basket and right into that drill. Since most gyms have six baskets, this should work for most
gyms and teams. I use the end baskets for things that need more room.
Station 1 End basket. Spot shots. (Chapter 9) One player rebounds and passes out to the other player moving through the “Shooting Spots”. Passer can also move out to play passive defense, just getting a hand up and doing a “dummy” rebound blockout after the shot.
Station 2 Side basket. Tipping/Put back. (Chapter 10) Players put ball over the top of rim, tipping it in or catching the ball in the air and shooting it before landing. Can also tip ball back-and-forth over the basket several times before shooting.
Station 3 Side basket. Free throws. (Chapter 9) Each player shoots 2-3 shots at a time, while the other player rebounds. Can rebound and tip/put back.
Station 4 End basket. Individual Moves With Ball. (Chapter 12) Players take turns doing jab,cross-over, open-step, with reverses, etc., finishing in a variety of ways. Guards/wings start from 3-point line, from different areas. Inside players start from elbow, mid-post, close-in wing positions.
Station 5 Side basket. (1-on-1) Defense In The Key Drill. (Chapter 13) Must follow rules strictly here for drill to be effective. No jump shots.
Station 6 Side basket. Power Move. (Chapter 14) Everybody does this drill from the low box on each side. Go both baseline and over the front of the rim. One player passes from wing in to player at low post. Repeat several times, then switch the player posting.
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Dyish
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Re:Maximize practice time - 2006/08/24 05:05
To you both. Thank you. We are doing some of the drills, but you two have provided more. Never tried the Mikan drill at this age, but your points are very well taken.
Thank you.
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coachmccormick
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Re:Maximize practice time - 2006/11/22 11:19
Coach:
In thinking about this, I would suggest choosing a system of play which lends itself to skill development. Therefore, when you break down and teach the system, you develop better skills, so you have a strategic approach to skill development.
For instance, I switched recently to a system like the one used by Pepperdine University and Memphis University. So, the first 30 minutes of our practice is 2v0 work, running through the different options in our offense. However, each aspect incorporates, dribbling, jump stops, passes, receiving the pass on the move, shooting, making a direct drive to the basket, etc. All the offensive skills we need in the game are developed through the motion of the offense. the only skill we don't really use is screens, as it is a motion offense based on the dribble rather than the pass.
However, because the offense is easily broken into parts which train skills while also implementing the system and teaching the cuts of the system, we do not spend any time actually teaching or practicing the offense beyond these drills and scrimmaging. So, that leaves an hour to work on defensive footwork and rotations, FT shooting, transition offense and defense and scrimmaging.
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Dyish
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Re:Maximize practice time - 2006/12/04 23:33
Thanks for the tip. I have actually started a bit of what you described, by trying to incorporate various skills to be used and taught while at the same time teaching them our offense set, etc.
Thanks.
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