Regular Season Nov 8, 2009
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How important are practices to the success of your team and athletes, and why?
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Dave Thorson
DeLaSalle boys basketball coach |
 | Quality practice, not just practice, is fundamental to both a team's, and an individual's quest for excellence. In our basketball program, we focus on two important ingredients for quality practice. First, physical intensity, defined as performing to one's physical peak on a daily basis, is critical to improvement. Going through the motions and not pressing to one's limit, will reduce the level needed to truly excel. Second, mental intensity, defined as the understanding and focus needed for execution of skills and team work at the appropriate time, must be paired with physical intensity for peak individual and team performance. Championship synergy is created when these two ingredients are paired. |
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Lisa Harfield
St. Paul Harding girls basketball coach |
 | The first thing that comes to mind is team chemistry. Team chemistry shapes how well the team will play together. Being able to understand and respect teammates' capabilities, allows better and quicker anticipation. If you can anticipate your teammates' next move, the better your reaction, such as rebounding, cutting, screening, switching on defense, etc., which gives you an advantage over your opponent. |
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John Bergeland
Centennial wrestling coach |
 | A bond of trust must be built between coaches and student-athletes if the team is to experience success. It starts with developing individual skills and aims to translate those skills into match-like situations. This requires meticulous planning and a high level of effort and dedication on the part of the wrestlers. Without practice, such virtues as teamwork, tenacity, self-confidence, leadership, and camaraderie can't be successfully woven into the fabric of the team. |
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Jamie Grossman
Academy of Holy Angels girls hockey coach |
 | We preach a two-or three-practice-to-game ratio, and feel that the majority of our improvements come from our practices. We talk to our parents early in the year and tell them to take a stopwatch to a game and time the amount of time their athlete spends with the puck on their stick, and then do the same for a one-hour practice session. Practice is where we build confidence in our athletes, and it gives us a chance to teach them how to work together as a group. We can definitely tell the difference in our team in games we play when we don't have a practice the day before. |
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