This post represents a new feature I intend to make a regular feature--meaning it will reoccur now and again. It's kind of a catch-all but the idea is to keep these short and sweet and on point--and still offer something broadly helpful. (That may be a very tall order. We'll see.)
Today's key is aimed at optimizing practice. There are a number of important ways to optimize practice but today's key is the most important. Key: every possible aspect of practice should replicate game play. The objective is to train your mind and body in such a way that every repetition and action undertaken in practice mirrors those same actions under game conditions. For example, every laning drill begins with players in position with barrel tips on the board awaiting the horn. Every last one every time the players line up to do the drills. This way everything about training to lane simulates the exact conditions of a real match. (Which also means its equally important the distances you're shooting comport with the actual match environment. Laning on short or long fields is almost counterproductive.) Another example would be the 1-on-1 warm-up drill I prefer. The action takes place on one half of the field (a standard RaceTo scale field normally) either the snake side or the D-side. Competing players line up at the other corner opposite the half the drill is being run on. If you're playing the D-side line up at the snake corner. On the whistle a player at each snake corner runs across the back line of their end of the field and may not begin shooting until they reach the other corner bunker. At which point other conditions may be added. The core idea is that I want the player in a mental and physical state during the drill that begins to replicate both the early adrenaline rush or late game fatigue experienced in match play when the score matters.
Today's key is aimed at optimizing practice. There are a number of important ways to optimize practice but today's key is the most important. Key: every possible aspect of practice should replicate game play. The objective is to train your mind and body in such a way that every repetition and action undertaken in practice mirrors those same actions under game conditions. For example, every laning drill begins with players in position with barrel tips on the board awaiting the horn. Every last one every time the players line up to do the drills. This way everything about training to lane simulates the exact conditions of a real match. (Which also means its equally important the distances you're shooting comport with the actual match environment. Laning on short or long fields is almost counterproductive.) Another example would be the 1-on-1 warm-up drill I prefer. The action takes place on one half of the field (a standard RaceTo scale field normally) either the snake side or the D-side. Competing players line up at the other corner opposite the half the drill is being run on. If you're playing the D-side line up at the snake corner. On the whistle a player at each snake corner runs across the back line of their end of the field and may not begin shooting until they reach the other corner bunker. At which point other conditions may be added. The core idea is that I want the player in a mental and physical state during the drill that begins to replicate both the early adrenaline rush or late game fatigue experienced in match play when the score matters.
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4 comments:
Nice, I'd say a lot of posts have fallen into this category recently. I don't think I missed it but, wasn't there a follow up on the way to the team chemistry posts from a while ago? We are all over the place here at vftd, it's great
Anon
That does sound familiar now that you mention it. I'll check. Thanks for the reminder.
Looking forward to more of these posts!
One question, I guess my team isn't the only one having problems practicing in the harsh winter conditions in the north. The solution is reball indoors half of the year. The field is about a half millennium field both in length and width. We practice breakout drills anyways. Every time I express the importance of realizing that we only are shooting half the length we will be doing when the outdoor season begins for us and when it does we have to adjust. At least we learn to put the stream of line where we intend to.
Do you feel this is contraproductive and do you have any good ideas of how to do this instead?
Marcus
My answer depends on the experience of the players you're working with. For relatively new players it's probably worthwhile as there is more to it than the actual lanes they are shooting. By D3 or perhaps even more experienced D4 players is where I would draw the line. At that point once you can get outdoors again you're almost re-training the more experienced players as they should already have a good understanding of the process.
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