194: Rethinking Practice – Are We Doing It Right?

from The Coaching Life Podcast Hosted by Chris Stewart and Pat Martin

In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into one of the most important—and sometimes, most underprepared—aspects of youth and high school sports: practice. Are we practicing the right way or the wrong way? Do drills actually build transferable skills, or are they just busy work? How much of our time should be spent on fundamentals versus competition? We tackle questions like: Are our practices preparing players for real game situations? How can we design drills that force decision-making instead of mindless repetition? What’s the right balance between technical, skills work and competitive reps? We also challenge coaches and parents to rethink the purpose of practice and to ask tough questions about their own routines and to even discuss with your players, "What did you learn today?"