My Practice Philosphy

Basically, I think practices should be about two things: learning skills and playing games.

Learning skills means players are improving at their craft.

Playing games means players are competing and having fun.

Put those two together and players will look forward to coming to practice every day.

Put those two together and you'll be shocked how fast a team can improve.

Skills, not drills.

Drills are only effective insofar as they help players improve; that is, insofar as they teach transferable skills.

A great example of an ineffective basketball drill is three-player-weave: many teams do this drill, but it doesn't actually teach a transferable skill.

Instead, I think practice time would be better spent on teaching transferable skills, such as shooting, finishing, and/or decision-making.

And while I do think there's a place for "block practice" and dry reps, my favorite way to teach is through games.

A games approach to coaching.

Study after study has found the "games approach" to be more effective than other approaches because it maximizes (1) fun, (2) retention and transfer, (3) active learning time, and (4) conditioning.

Fun

Having fun and "playing with joy" is a thrill to behold. A games-based, competitive practice brings this out in players.

When players are fun to play with, their teammates often reciprocate. Having fun in the gym injects joy into team members' lives.

Retention and Transfer

One of my favorite teaching quotes is: about the dangers of fire, the burnt hand learns best. This means that players need to "get burnt" in competitive scenarios to actually learn the lessons they need to learn to be more effective in games.

If players are failing in practice then players are learning in practice. And learning is the goal.

You're never going to learn to ski by reading a textbook. Eventually you have to strap on your skiis and hit the slopes.

Active Learning Time

One thing I hate to see in practice is long lines. Players don't learn when they're in a line, and they don't have fun either. A games approach to coaching keeps players' brains and bodies active throughout practice.

Conditioning

Higher activity time leads to better conditioning. Workouts are great, but there's only one way to get in basketball shape: by playing basketball.

Enter the Stretch Zone.

The organization Outward Bound has a concept that is helpful in thinking about the optimal pace of learning: they speak of a Complacency Zone, a Stretch Zone, and a Danger Zone.

In the Stretch Zone, players' competencies are being stretched & tested, and players are learning through failure via frequent, instantaneous feedback loops.

A games approach to coaching keeps practices in the Stretch Zone. That's where I want my practices to be.

Sample Practice Plan

There are lots of different types of practices:

Early in the season vs. late in the season
Day before a game vs. day after a game
Shootaround vs. full practice
Etc.

While each practice type is different, below is an example of what a typical skills- and games-focused practice might look like from me:

Time	Drill	Description
0.00-0.02	Opening Remarks
0.02-0.14	Dynamic Warm-Up / ACL Injury Prevention
0.14-0.17	Shooting "tune-up"	"Tune-up" your shot like a mechanic would tune-up a car --> go through different progressions.
0.17-0.22	5v0 / 5v1 full court offense progressions	Review primary and secondary break options as a unit.
0.22-0.32	5v5 "Circle Drill"	Full court 5v5 game with rules that help encourage transition opportunities.
0.32-0.34	Water Break
0.34-0.44	Shell Drill	Drill used to teach quarter-court team defense concepts.
0.44-0.49	1v1 Shooting Small-Sided-Game	Game designed to encourage 1v1 shot vs. drive decision-making.
0.49-0.54	2v1 Finishing Small-Sided-Game	Game designed to encourage decision-making in a 2v1 scoring scenario at the basket.
0.54-0.59	Finishing School	Dry reps practicing different finishes driving to the basket.
0.59-1.14	3v3 & 4v4 "Advantage Games"	Games where offense "plays from an advantage". Progress to 4v4.
1.14-1.16	Water Break
1.16-1.23	5v5 "Situational" Game #1	Live 5v5 game that simulates an end-of-quarter and/or end-of-game scenario.
1.23-1.29	Guard/Post Breakdown	Guards: Floater School (mastering floaters); posts: Post School (mastering post moves).
1.29-1.36	5v5 "Situational" Game #2	Live 5v5 game that simulates an end-of-quarter and/or end-of-game scenario.
1.36-1.38	Water Break
1.38-1.43	Special Defense Implementation	Whether it's a full-court press, a quarter-court zone, or some other special defensive wrinkle, this is the time to teach it.
1.43-1.48	Competitive Shooting Drill	Whether competing as a team or as individuals, this segment will allow players to get game-like shots with the pressure on.
1.48-1.58	5v5 "Mystery Box" Game	Game with "mystery" defensive wrinkles designed to keep the offense off-balance. Offense is encouraged to "figure it out".
1.58-2.00	Closing Remarks