Creating a youth sports practice plan is one of the most important things a coach can do. Too often, coaches fly by the seat of their pants and just do one drill or set up a long scrimmage. Kids pick up on the lack of organization. Nothing makes a practice feel longer than a disorganized, boring practice. So how do you create a youth sports practice plan? What are the main components no matter the sport? There is a basic template you can follow.
Spending a few minutes designing a practice plan can pay off tremendously in engaging the players and getting them to learn. Map out the practice to the minute. You will always adjust and typically not stick to the exact timing of it, but having everything spelled out is essential to effective coaching.
So how do you create a youth sports practice plan?
WARM UP
Hot take here but I do not spend too much time warming up. Typically children under 13 do not need much time at all and under 17 need a bit more but not a ton. Let’s avoid standing in the circle and doing jumping jacks.
Dynamic stretching is good. Find a set, sport-specific group of stretches and make it automatic so the players know what they are doing each practice and game.
Start with a handful of leg stretches – specifically for hamstrings, quads and calves. If you are an upper body sport, pencil in some exercises to get the joints, shoulders and back loose.
There should be a jogging component to the warmup.
Incorporate some basic sport-specific movements. For baseball, set up a throwing program that builds progressively. For soccer, incorporate basic dribbling and passing. For basketball, set up a jogging and dribbling drill.
OBJECTIVE AND SKILL WORK
What is your objective for the day? In developing a practice plan, there must be a practice objective. Focus on one (or two) skills that are essential to development. You can focus on a skill and a play. But your objective has to be established. This should be outlined in your unit plans that are written before the season.
The first part of the practice should be scripted with drills that pertain to the objective. Everything is a build up. If you are designing a football practice, start with drills that pertain to the plays you will be running. Maybe your objective is your passing offense. Script some throwing and catching drills for the players to work on. If your soccer practice is focusing on corner kicks, your drills should focus on striking the ball or finishing.
TEACHING SEGMENT
After you have run your skill work segment, you can transition into the teaching segment. Make sure all of your players are engaged by bringing them close to where you are teaching.
Have a plan for how you will teach. Make this simplified. Do not give the players too much to remember. Break the lesson into smaller chunks and explain things explicitly.
After a few moments of teaching (no longer), immediately get into having the players demonstrate the plays you are working on.
If you are teaching two similar plays or concepts, have the players work through one before moving on into the next one.
It is vitally important for the players to be involved in the teaching segment.
One trick to keep the players engaged is to have the players teach or reteach the play. Call someone up and have them teach the team in their own words.
This part of the practice is the meat and potatoes of what you are working on.
Again, this should all be scripted. How many minutes will you lecture? How many minutes will you demonstrate? How many minutes will you reteach or have the players reteach?
COMPETITION
The next part of the practice should be some sort of competition that is based on the teaching segment. Break down the concepts and have the players compete in some way. If you are teaching corner kicks, see how many the offense can score. Divide up the offense and defense and keep score of how many goals are scored versus how many are stopped. In football run plays focusing on what was taught.
There should be competition throughout the practice. Competition breeds success.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A coach must have a scripted practice plan. The plan should be set by the minute. Be prepared to adjust accordingly but having a blueprint is essential.
- There must be a practice objective. What is the focus of today’s practice?
- No one part of the practice should be more than 15-20 minutes. Players must be kept active and engaged.
- Player engagement is crucial. Players must be kept active and be a part of the teaching and learning process. Have the players teach and demonstrate as much as possible.
- Competition has to be embedded into drills, skills and plays. Get the players used to competing all the time.
COMING SOON – PART 3 IN THE COACHING 101 SERIES – HOW TO MOTIVATE YOUNG ATHLETES