When I was head coach I always had a practice plan. I had an overall plan for the season and then I had a detailed practice plan for each day. A practice plan is a must as it keeps you organized, keeps practice on schedule and allows you to look back and see what you have covered so that you are prepared as games start and the season progresses.

Get Organized And Stay On Schedule

Before the season starts, look over your master plan for the year. This overall plan should build upon the previous season’s strengths and your evaluation of incoming players. At our high school we had ten days of practice before our first game (three of which were tryouts). My master plan included a schedule of what I needed, and wanted, to get done before that first game, and then I built daily practice plans from there.

When you have practices scheduled out by the minute, you don’t waste time.

When I was coaching, our girls were expected to get to practice and warm up before our start time. And then when our practice was scheduled to start, we started. We often did a few drills that warmed the players up a little more (always using a basketball) and then got to work. Go into every practice with a detailed plan for the day so that you can take advantage of every second on the court.

Gym time is precious. Use it.

With your master schedule in mind, you know what offenses, defenses, inbounds plays, presses and press breakers you’ll be running, now look at what drills will prepare your players to run these with success. Each year I pulled out a giant folder that held drills that I had used over the years, and ones that I found online or picked up from coaching clinics, and got to work. Many coaches keep their coaching information on a computer. Everyone has their own method, just make sure you develop one, and use it.

Have A Detailed Practice Plan

When I was in college our coach had a detailed, written, practice plan and a manager to run a timer that kept us on schedule. When I was an assistant basketball coach at Blanchet High School, our head coach had a detailed practice plan written on notebook paper that he kept folded in the waistband of his coaching shorts. When I became a head coach, I did that same thing. I was often tucking and un-tucking that paper from my sweat pants, as I stepped into drills to demonstrate, but my practice plan was never far away.

Eventually I made a practice plan template just for me. At the top there was a spot to list the day’s focus or things that I wanted to emphasize. It had a spot to record the date and the practice number so I could reflect back on practices. It had a column for the activity or drill we were doing as well as a place for notes about that activity. And there was a column for the time on the clock and the minutes to be spent in the activity.

At the bottom of the page there was a spot for final notes or reminders that I wanted to give to the players. And last there was a place to put a quote or notes about an inspirational story that I wanted to share with the team. Having my practice written out this way helped me to take advantage of every practice.

Of course not every practice was perfect. That isn’t possible, but having a practice plan is possible, and it will help you to be a better coach.

Be Prepared And Be Flexible

Schedule your drills down to the minute, but then be flexible. If you are coaching a team that you’ve had for a while you know what to expect coming in and where you can start. If the team is new, or young, you may have to be more flexible, and though you need to be prepared, you need to adjust depending on the ebb and flow of practice.

For example, if our team was working on our basic 2-3 Zone defense for the first time that season. I would have already worked on the basic defensive stance, done defensive slides and other defensive skill drills. And I would have used a 4 on 4 shell drill to focus of defensive shifting, nearly every day. On the day I added the 2-3 Zone, my practice plan and notes leading into the 2-3 zone portion might look like this…

 

3:22pm            6 Minutes        Wing/Post Pass           Notes: With ¾ post defense (person-to-person D)

3:28 pm           8 Minutes        Wing/Post Pass           Notes: Add wing defender (person-to-person D)

3:36 pm           8 Minutes        Wing/Post Pass           Notes: Front post demo/work (person-to-person D) (2-3 Zone) no wing defense

3:44 pm           10 Minutes      Shell Drill                   Notes: Reminders on shifts. Emphasize help-side D

3:54 pm           6 Minutes        2-3 Zone                     Notes:  Demonstrate shifts with former players. Middle start high, drop to front low post. No wing deny. Talk the cutters.

4:00 pm           10 Minutes      2-3 Zone                     Notes: 5 on 5 half court. TALK!

 

I could adjust times depending on how practice was going, but I had a good roadmap of where I was going and how I wanted to get there.

After practice, take notes on what needs more work and write down other thoughts about the day. My practice plans started clean and crisp, but by the time that I added the papers to my practice folder at the end of the night, they were wrinkled, tattered and splattered with notes.

This is where the magic begins. This is when you really put the practice plans to work. Take what you learn from each practice, add and adjust to future practices and your team will be on their way to a successful season.