Don't Be Boring

Be creative

If you’re not intentional about it…your drills, practices, and workouts are probably getting boring.

You probably do the same thing that you’ve done for the last 17 practices in some variation. And your players are probably able to predict what comes next. And they probably aren’t as locked in.

So my challenge to you is this…

DON’T BE BORING - BE CREATIVE

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Well, how do I do that, coach?

Some ideas:

1. Use the scoreboard or clock

   1. compete to reach a score before the clock hits 0:00

   2. compete to complete a task in the fastest time possible

   3. chart those scores and attempt to beat them the next time you do the drill

2. Keep score - always

   1. duh

3. Chart results

   1. always, always, always chart your results - for individual drills and team drills

   2. make the players compete against their best scores…if they lose, they do pushups (or whatever you want)

   3. this goes for both individual and team drills

   4. heck, you could even keep a program record book for players to strive for

4. Add perfection pressure to drills

   1. if someone bobbles the ball during a passing drill…it’s a loss or restart

   2. if someone misses a layup…it’s a loss or restart

   3. if the ball hits the floor…it’s a loss or restart

   4. you get the point

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EXAMPLE 1:

• BORING = split players up for a team shooting drill, get some shots up from 3, move on to the next drill

• CREATIVE = split players up for a team shooting drill, play to a number of makes, do a best of 3 series, and make the losers do pushups…change the shot types, only give points for swishes or back-to-back makes, take points off for 3 misses in a row, etc.

EXAMPLE 2:

• BORING = Shell Drill, playing 5v5 working on your offensive sets, nobody knows the score, 5v0

• CREATIVE = use an alternative to Shell Drill, play “make it take it” to 5 made buckets, let players call the plays, if you ask a player the score and they don’t know it…they’re subbed out, play 5v4, etc.

EXAMPLE 3:

• BORING = shoot 20 free throws and go home

• CREATIVE = FT Golf (shoot 18 shots…swish = birdie, make with rim = par, miss = bogey), Streaks FTs (shoot for 3 minutes and count the highest streak during your time), Partner Competition FT shooting

EXAMPLE 4:

• BORING = do a transition offense drill to work on throwing it ahead and making layups on the run

• CREATIVE = do the transition drill and if you don’t complete it in 37 seconds (which was their previous best), you lose…and then add variations (if you miss a layup, you lose for example)

EXAMPLE 5:

• BORING = do the same 3-4 shooting drills each practice to get reps up

• CREATIVE = do the same 3-4 shooting drills, keep score, track progress, post the results for everyone to see, and have a “Shooter’s Ladder” similar to tennis

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Don’t be boring - be creative.

There are boundless ways to make your practices more interesting, have your players striving to reach their absolute best, and well…more fun. If you do those things, your players and team will get better at a faster and more optimal rate as well.

Also, they won’t hate practice. And neither will you.

Leave a few ways you make practice more interesting/engaging in the comments!

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