Bo Wasurick
football coach
"No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care."
- Theodore Roosevelt
practice philosophy
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect”.
~ Vince Lombardi
Our practice structure and habits need to be one of the trade marks that set our program apart from others. What we get on game day is simply a result of what we put in on the practice field. We need to run crisp and clean practices that have the look of military precision.
Well Organized Practice
Each practice will be well organized with a segment clock and corresponding practice schedule. The schedule should be clear as to where each and every drill will be taking place. If the offense and defense comes together in period #7 then is should be stated that it is on the south 30 yard line of field one. This allows all players and coaches to be at that location for the start of the drill promptly when the horn sounds. All logistical items should be laid out on the practice schedule so that there are no surprises once the practice starts. Players should know where to go when they are not in the drill and where to go if they are rotating.
High Tempo
We are only allowed a small amount of time on the practice field each week. This time needs to be maximized. The practice field is not the time for young men to be on a knee getting a lecture. Our goal is to get as many plays ran and have as many bodies involved as we can during the entire practice. It may look like a fire drill in the beginning but it will rapidly transfer to a organized and controlled chaos. There should be coaching going on between every play. That coaching should be done on the fly. Coaches should go meet the player on his way back and coach him on his way back to the line. I do not believe in stopping practice to talk through problems. We have meeting rooms and white boards to do that. When a period is going it should be high tempo. In between drills players and coaches need to run from drill to drill. There should not be walking on our football field. The best way for us to improve is to get as many plays on film in practice that we can then sit in meetings, and teach our players with.
Practice With Purpose
Coaches can come up with some beautiful drills. There could be cones on one end, bags in the middle, and a hoop at the finish. The drill may be something worthy of a NFL Films video, but if it does not emphasize techniques that are a priority for us to improve then it is a waste of time. Every drill of every period in practice needs to focus on improving priorities of our position and team. Just doing a drill because we always do that drill is just as bad. Practice time needs to be spent with specific intent. If 90% of our run game is inside and outside zone then the reps in an inside hull period should be 90% inside and outside zone. Our lineman’s fundamental time should be spent on working primarily inside and outside zone. We should not dedicate half of our fundamental time to pulling on counter if that is less than 10% of our run game.
At the start of each week we will have a list of Team, Group, and Position goals that need to be addressed during the week. Every coach should then focus their practice time on addressing those goals throughout each practice period. As a head coach I should be able to ask any player or coach what they are working on today and they should be able to give me an immediate response. It is important that we establish daily goals and focus our attention on improving that one thing at a time.
Practice Situations
A football game is a collection of complex situations in which we ask kids to make intelligent decisions to determine the outcome of the game. If we want our student athletes to make intelligent decisions in these situations then we must practice these situations. Setting up a 3rd and 5 period for 7 on 7 is very valuable in getting the athletes to understand the importance of every yard in that situation. This also includes complex situations like a four minuet drill to run out the clock. Taking a safety if it is necessary to run the clock, and gain field position. Playing the sticks on 3rd and 15 because anything short will force a punt. Situational awareness wins ball games.
Be Prepared
Players and coaches should always come prepared for that days work. If it is a practice in shorts it is expected that the player be dressed in his team issued shorts and t-shirt ready to go when the practice begins. This also means that players are mentally ready to start once they step on the practice field. We will have a visible marker on the practice field that will signify the practice field. It may be a blue line painted across the turf. Once a player steps across that blue line there mind should be focused on football. It does not matter what is going on at home, with their girlfriend, in the classroom, or after the game on Friday night. Once they cross that line it is time for the team.
Practice More Difficult Than Games
Our practices should be more difficult than the games. We should run more plays, run them faster, and run more variety of plays than will be run in the game. This will allow the game speed to slow down even more for us on Friday night. We will feel more rested and have the ability to go 100% for longer because the game is not able to match our practice intensity and tempo. The games are the reward. They should be fun. Practice is where the work is done to earn the right to have the fun on game night.
Meetings are Practice
In our program meetings are practice. All rules that apply to practice also apply to meetings. Players that are not on time to meetings will be dealt with the same as players that are late for practice. All players will show up for every meeting with a notebook and a writing utensil. Failing to have these items would be the same as showing up to an on field practice without your helmet and shoulder pads. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to the person conducting the meeting to show up without note taking items. It is a good practice to get in for your professional lives, therefore it will be stressed on our team. It is also imperative that players are attentive, and involved in meetings. Coaches need to engage the young men in the meetings. Ask them questions, get them on the board, have them ask each other questions. Whatever can be done to get the athletes involved in the meeting, and drive the points of the meeting home is what should be done.
Schedule in Mental Breaks
With all the technology available for coaches it is easy to create more and more demand on the players and coaches. It is important as a coach to always remember that the athletes need some time away as well. Getting young men home in time for dinner with their families is important. If you keep them late at night do not ask them to be there early the next morning. We are still dealing with fourteen to eighteen year old kids. While we as coaches live this stuff to 99% of the student athletes it is only a portion of what they have going on in their lives. Showing them that you care about those other things by trying to schedule in some time for it goes a long way. It will also make them more focused the time that they are in meetings and on the practice field.