former Associate Head Coach at Richmond
This exclusive open practice presentation is a great example of a comprehensive, goal-oriented practice. Up-and-coming head coach Kevin McGeehan not only lets you witness a live practice, he also shares keen insights on goals and reasoning for each element of it. From warm-up to conclusion, the emphasis is on fundamentals, attention to detail in execution and team communication. Practice has an air of fulfilling the "bigger picture."
All areas of the game are addressed, so every drill has a specific role and purpose in building and growing towards the ultimate goal. Shooting drills are breakdowns of the offensive strategy. Hustle and defense drills complement the overall defensive strategy. And to make sense of it all, you are introduced to the program's approach to advanced statistics to improve the overall quality of the team.
Practice begins with a warm-up. This is a critical part of practice to Coach McGeehan, who believes that it should be maximized by implementing skill work. A brief "individual skill work" session is followed by a team warm-up that's also filled with skill work.
To practice their intricate "spread motion attack offense," various groups work 5-on-0, emphasizing execution, especially timing, and spacing for each variation. Every drill is competitive as players go against each other 5-on-5 and 3-on-3. The "pirate" drill is a great 5-on-5 drill that's competitive at both ends and forces the team to transition into defense as quickly and effectively as possible. In the next segment, you witness Campbell's match-up zone defense, as they practice against a 1-4 high setup and learn the different defensive rotations and switches.
The last part of the presentation is dedicated to the coaching staff's use of advanced statistics in practice. You'll learn what the staff tracks, why and how to use it to motivate players' competitive spirit. Analyzing players' practice performance on a daily basis gives coaches and players great insight and deeper understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses.
Get a lesson from this fast-rising coach on how he uses "add ons" to improve drills that have been taught for decades to take his program to the next level. Use every element of practice, even warm-up, will challenge your players to execute fundamentals to perfection.
147 minutes. 2015.
