When I was an athlete, I was often frustrated with the lack of intensity and focus in practices. I hated going to a practice knowing exactly what we were going to do because we had done the same drills the day before and the day before that and the week before that. Starting practice with the internal emotion of boredom never really got my heart or mind into being the best I could be.
It is from my experiences as a player that I have developed the way the Golden Eagles practice. We want players to be both physically and mentally engaged from the moment they step on the court until the second practice has been completed. In order to do this, practices vary from day to day. In fact, no two practices are ever the same. While we do repeat some drills in order to create muscle memory, we try to keep the repetition fresh by changing the drill slightly or making a new emphasis to the drill. We believe that no two games are exactly the same so players should be adaptable and flexible to the nuances of every game.
It is from my experiences as a player that I have developed the way the Golden Eagles practice. We want players to be both physically and mentally engaged from the moment they step on the court until the second practice has been completed. In order to do this, practices vary from day to day. In fact, no two practices are ever the same. While we do repeat some drills in order to create muscle memory, we try to keep the repetition fresh by changing the drill slightly or making a new emphasis to the drill. We believe that no two games are exactly the same so players should be adaptable and flexible to the nuances of every game.
One of the challenges freshmen face in our system is the concentration they must bring to practice. They become emotionally and mentally fatigued long before their legs give out. Most of the freshmen are not used to engaging their brains as much as their bodies. We make certain they focus on each drill by creating a consequence for not performing the drill correctly. We might make an emphasis in a drill such as boxing out with contact. If players fail to box out with contact, then all players must do a frozen push-up while I pontificate on how critical it is to make contact on a rebound. On such an occasion, players might discover I can be quite long-winded. We might also make the drill a perfection drill which means the player must perform the drill correctly before she can get out of the drill. For example, if we are working on denying from the wing, players must see both ball and player, have the correct technique, and force her offensive player to catch the ball away from the basket. She gets the opportunity to continue doing this drill until she shows perfection.
To engage our players, we move quickly from drill to drill. We explain the drill, teach the correct technique, then we want our players to execute properly while playing at game speed. It is important our players learn to practice while focusing at game speed. While this is tough for newcomers, it becomes easier as players have to think less and allow their body to simply react to what it has practiced a thousand times before.
We always have minimal lines for drills so no person is standing in a long line waiting for a turn. In fact, we only want our players resting in line for 30 to 90 seconds. If they are standing longer than that, we know their minds wander and they lose their focus. They have to keep mentally present when rest periods are short.
To be a Golden Eagle, athletes have to learn to focus and bring both their minds and their bodies to practice. By learning to focus and become mentally tough, they are elevating their games to a higher level.
To engage our players, we move quickly from drill to drill. We explain the drill, teach the correct technique, then we want our players to execute properly while playing at game speed. It is important our players learn to practice while focusing at game speed. While this is tough for newcomers, it becomes easier as players have to think less and allow their body to simply react to what it has practiced a thousand times before.
We always have minimal lines for drills so no person is standing in a long line waiting for a turn. In fact, we only want our players resting in line for 30 to 90 seconds. If they are standing longer than that, we know their minds wander and they lose their focus. They have to keep mentally present when rest periods are short.
To be a Golden Eagle, athletes have to learn to focus and bring both their minds and their bodies to practice. By learning to focus and become mentally tough, they are elevating their games to a higher level.
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