As a coach, you know that every practice should have a specific objective followed by a sequence of activities that achieve your objective. Your practice plan is your guide to an effective practice.
Your practice plan can be broken down into 5 W’s:
Every individual — whether it be coach, volunteer, athlete, or parent/caregiver — should be assigned a duty and it is the head coach’s role to ensure that every individual understands their role and responsibility for practice.
Planning the actual content of practice is key. Clarity is crucial and the simpler the explanation the better the understanding. Repetition is also important. Participants need to see how the skill or technique is performed, they need to hear how it should be done, and then they need to practice it over and over again until they feel confident that they’ve mastered it.
The importance of time can’t be underestimated. Although attendance and punctuality are important, effective time management also depends on the flow of sequence of activities and the total time for practice.
Make sure participants are clear about the facility where practice is held. If the weather influences whether you are inside or outside, make sure participants know what they need to bring along such as sunscreen, hats, jackets, etc.
Your participants must be told the reasons for doing an activity, which includes understanding the basic concept of the skill as well as the coach’s expectations. A quick explanation that outlines ‘why it’s important to do it this way’ can increase understanding and acceptance by participants.