The five W's of successful practices.

Every philosophy of practice has it right: What happens to the athletes in practice will have a major influence on what happens to them in competitions. The better the practice, the more likely they will be to experience success.

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Our best coaches will direct most of their time and energy to the organization of practices that will prepare their athletes physically, mentally, and emotionally for competition.

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden: "Don't mistake activity for achievement--practice the right way."

The coach's first duty is to project credibility: that he has the experience, background, and ability to teach the techniques that will produce success in competition. The athletes must be convinced that the technique can work for them. Even coaches with a history of achievement have to convince the athletes that they have the teaching skills, insights into the sport, and understanding of the athletes to know what they have to do in order to win.

Like a lesson in the classroom, each practice must begin with a specific objective and involve a sequence of related activities. That objective must be implanted in the team and accomplished by the end of practice.

Iowa's fabled wrestling coach, Dan Gable, who won 10 NCAA titles, recommends, "In every practice session, you have to emphasize the fundamental areas, drill on them, and see that the athletes feel self-satisfaction after every practice."

Both coaches and athletes will feel satisfied whenever they can organize an effective practice by following the five basic W's: Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

WHO

The Who involves the coaching staff, athletes, trainers, managers, and any other personnel. Coaches have to assign duties to every individual and make certain that each understands his or her role and responsibilities in the practice. The coach must be especially attentive to the individuals whose duties may change from day to day.

Experienced coaches often use the buddy system with their athletes, pairing them up at the first practice--older athletes (seniors and juniors) with younger ones (sophomores and freshmen). The coaches may also pair the athletes according to goals, interests, and physical development.

The buddy system will enable the athletes to learn more quickly. Each set of partners must understand that they are required to cooperate, and be as interested in their teammates' achievement as their own.

The coach must check to see that partners are encouraging each other, teaching each other, and pushing each other during practice. As a rule, the buddy system will improve the athletes' self-discipline, commitment, and effort, especially prior to competition.

WHAT

This refers to the actual content of practice: the warm up, exercises, instruction, and conditioning. For many coaches, a typical format for practice will include the following:

Announcements (a 2-5 minute meeting to explain the day's agenda and schedule, such as bus departure, uniforms, etc.).

* Warm-up and stretching.

* Running and/or weightlifting.

* Agility drills.

* Instruction.

* Drilling.

* Competitive drills or scrimmaging.

* Conditioning.

* Warm down.

In each of these activities, coaches must make their athletes realize the importance of practicing with intensity and diligence. Coaches can also involve the athletes in the teaching process and begin instruction by asking for opinions about the techniques they plan to cover.

For example: How would you block against this defense? Why do we need to hit the cut off man? How should I finish the stand up from here?

This brief question-answer session will help them learn and improve their mental approach to the practice.

Options in the teaching of techniques:

1. Coaches can demonstrate the technique.

2. A highly skilled athlete can demonstrate the technique.

3. A video could be used.

4. The coach can lecture.

5. The coach can use pictures or illustrations.

Coaches could obviously use a combination of these instructional methods, but they must make sure that the athletes do not just sit passively while the coach teaches.

The learning process must be active with everyone involved all the time. A big mistake made by many football coaches is to have 75% of the team sitting on the sidelines watching 11 other players practice a play.

There should be a continuous dialogue between coach and athletes to determine who has mastered a skill and who hasn't. The coach should maintain eye contact, talk in a conversational tone, and teach techniques from different angles to keep their attention.

The technique being taught should also relate to some previously mastered skill so that the athletes can connect the instruction with what they learned earlier.

Clarity is crucial. The more simplistic the explanation, the better the athletes will understand. The athletes must stay quiet during the instruction, even if it is coming from a teammate. Repetition is important. Athletes have to see the technique performed, hear how it should be done, then practice it themselves over and over until they gain mastery.

It is unlikely that athletes will practice a skill one way and perform it another way in a game. That is why repetition is so important: to make movements instinctively, by reflex.

When Olympic swim coach James "Doc" Counsilman learned that repetitive drills could be tedious and dull, he used silly antics and humor to make his swimming practices fun.

The coach has to set up a sequence of steps that will take the athletes from a basic skill level to a more advanced level. Each step should be fairly easy to perform to reduce anxiety and increase the athlete's interest in moving ahead to the next technique.

The coach should provide constant reinforcement and rewards. He must make sure that the technique is suitable for the athlete (conforms to his experience and age) and that the athletes are given enough time to practice it.

They should change the activity if the athletes become sluggish or bored.

Another major factor in the learning process is fatigue. The athlete should not be introduced to a new technique with a heavy dose of conditioning exercises. Athletes have to focus on the learning process. This is hard to do when exhausted.

Coaches would also do well to avoid introducing new techniques late in the week or season. Norman Vincent Peale effectively summarizes the main points: "Nobody ever mastered any skill except through intensive, persistent, and intelligent practice. Practice it the right way."

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WHEN

When John Madden coached the championship Oakland Raiders, he subscribed to two rules: "Be on time and play like hell."

Coaches must not underestimate the importance of time, and this doesn't refer simply to attendance or punctuality. Effective time management also depends on the sequence of activities and the total time that should be devoted to each day.

Athletes have to know the exact starting and ending time of each practice. The length of the practice should depend on several variables: the age of the athletes, their level of maturity and physical condition, and the stage of the season.

As a rule, shorter (one hour) practices are suitable for younger (8-12) athletes, and longer practices (two to two and a half hours) for older athletes. Flexibility is often necessary. For example, the athletes may be distracted by an event that happened earlier in the school day and may be still focusing on it. The coach must be ready to talk about it and make adjustments.

WHERE

Athletes must be clear about the facility in which practice will be held. Just saying, "Meet in the gym after school," could leave some athletes uncertain about the practice location: Where do we begin--at mid-court, the foul line, on the bleachers? Should we wear running shoes or cleats? Are we practicing inside or outside?

Athletes need all this information in advance (the day before is usually suitable) in order to be mentally and physically prepared for the practice.

Experienced coaches will know how to put their facilities to the greatest use. They will plan in advance and discuss the facilities with other coaches, especially if they have to share space.

If, for example, they want their athletes to lift weights, they must consider the weight room's location in the practice area, the travel time needed to venture there and back, and the supervision required.

"When I decide to drop a coach," says an Ohio principal, "it's usually because of a lack of supervision ... I want my coaches to be watching and communicating with the kids, not somewhere else."

Supervision cannot be neglected before, during, or after practice. Coaches risk a liability problem whenever they fail to supervise their athletes properly, especially when engaged in very intense competitive drills or moving from one area to the next.

WHY?

Athletes must be aware of the reasons for doing each activity. They must understand the basic concept of the skill as well as the coach's expectations. A quick explanation such as, "You need to do it this way because" or "Here's why it is important to do it this way," may do the job.

When athletes accept the reasoning, they are more likely to take on the responsibility for mastering the technique. They will view practice as an opportunity to eliminate weaknesses and make themselves better players. They will also listen more closely and show more effort.

The wise coach will, therefore, preface his instruction with the reasons why the athletes have to learn the skill or strategy. Practice has to be purposeful and the athletes have to know what is expected of them.

To review: Use the buddy system and allow the athletes to give input on the practice activities.

Keep them busy and under supervision at all times.

Reward faithful attendance and be prepared to vary the practice schedule, possibly using game-oriented drills or conditioning activities, to keep the athletes' attention and interest.

You might also provide extrinsic rewards (certificates, for example) for diligent practice efforts.

Accomplishment and closure are the keys. By the end of each practice, the athletes should feel confident about their improvement and eager to return the next day.

You can make all these things happen with the five W's.

By Keith Manos, Richmond Heights High School, Cleveland, OH