Reply To: Game Intelligence / Decision Training

[Tom Molloy]

I wouldn't go so far as to cast them as Evil Drills but coaches use drills way too often. Drills are an important part of the Coaching Toolbox but not the whole toolbox. I will probably use some of the drills I saw today as tools to teach some concepts. The 2-0 could be used to practice shooting one timers or else taking the shot from the wide lane and putting it low to the far side to cause a rebound (rebound pass) I would add other components to the other drills. This would be the teaching part of the practice and then we move into games and transtion games. I like to use games fifty to eighty percent of my practices.

Technique drills are very important in player development. The technique then needs to be put into a competitive situation.

I agree with keeping score and I do use tournaments in pracitce. I don't think it is necessary to punish the loser. In Kohlbergs order of maturity the lowest level is doing something 'for fear of punishment'. I would rather have players motivated intrinsically and not extrinsically. Be motivated by the joy of winning or the hatred of losing. I do have the loser do something like laps sometimes but just for fun. Jusso often has the winner do laps because the loser is already upset.

So if drills are about 25% of practice and they are efficient and isolate something that needs to be worked on then I think they are very beneficial.

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'