Creating a Practice Plan

Maybe this is a little simplistic for a blog post, but its still a very important thing - especially for new coaches to get right.

An organized practice is critical to accomplishing what you set out to do each day. I've gone through multiple different plans, both written and typed before my current template, which is done on computer and printed out before practice. I've placed download links below, one for Microsoft Word, and one for Macintosh Pages.



Practice Plan/Template Word Pages

I have only a few set rules for my practices. The first is that part of our daily preparation is ball-handling. The second is that we do 20 minutes of shooting everyday, a suggestion made by Bobby Hurley during a clinic I saw, and an idea that I fully subscribe to. The last is that team drills (4 on 4, 5 on 5) last between 10-20 minutes, while individual drills (defensive slides, scoring, shooting) last about 5-10 minutes. I leave 5 minutes at the end of every practice for stretching and dismissal so that we never run off the court and straight to the car after a 15 minute scrimmage.

I've also included blank diagrams on the page for myself to write in drills that I need reminders on how to set up.

Plan, Prepare, Execute, Evaluate. Every practice, every time.