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Managing Your Program – Spring Practice: Make it About the Details and Developmentby: Keith GrabowskiOffensive Coordinator Baldwin-Wallace College © More from this issue As we head into spring practice, now is the time to set a focus that will carry the team into strong summer preparations and camp, eventually leading up to the 2013 season. For many areas in the country, a spring game against an opponent is not part of the equation. This is a time that will end in an inter-squad game, or for some, no game or scrimmage at all. This is true at the NCAA Division III level, where we cannot even put on pads. However, this is still a great time to make progress and set up positive habits in the approach to how we practice. Even the teams that are allowed to play an opponent have several weeks until that happens, so the week-to-week crunch and grind of the season is not quite the same. Without that opponent looming at the end of a week, the enemy is complacency. Even with the limitations we have at the D-III level, we find ways to maximize our time on the field and coach with great attention to detail. The spring should be about setting some specific objectives by position and using performance to set the depth chart coming into camp. We set up our practices and drills to be very detailed and, at times, competitive. We grade our practices with great precision. Learning is the key that drives all of this. We really want our players to make a jump in the understanding of our offense and how they can succeed in it. Whether it’s in the meeting room or on the field, our players understand that attention to detail is expected. I’ll tell freshmen all the time that the key for them is really learning. The impact on them is much greater when the pace slows down a bit and they receive more reps than they did in camp, where there was a sense of urgency to make the most of the 25 opportunities before our first game. The growth we see in our freshmen at this time is huge. They’ve had a number of months to develop in the off season program, and the second time through learning our system helps them make a big jump. Our approach to coaching in the spring really helps us develop our depth, and inevitably there will be a player or two coming into spring low on the depth chart who will work his way up to being a starter. Here are some ideas we use to accomplish our goals. The chart shows how each player rotates. We use this flow throughout the season for all of the different plays we are working. Receivers acting as defenders are taught to give a key so that the offensive player reacts accordingly in performing his route. The quarterbacks rotate through each station, getting at least two repetitions to each different receiver. The quarterback coach stands behind with a stopwatch giving one of the quarterbacks his release time on each repetition. The expectation is that if five quarterbacks are throwing, the ball will come out at different times for each because they are moving their eyes and feet through the progression. The RB and TE coaches serve as quality control on each side, and the WR coach serves as quality control in the middle. They are looking both at the receiver’s execution and how good of a look the defenders are providing. The expectation of any player in line is that they are also critiquing the players involved in the drill as well as getting their own mental reps. Detailed drills with involvement by everyone creates an intense focus and a positive learning environment. The competitions are a range of things like punt, pass, and kick competitions, the “Kentucky Derby” in which one member of the team has to carry another piggy back around the field for a lap, and more conditioning drills involving some kind of relay. For drills not involving all members of the team, the team captains must make sure that all members of the team compete and represent their team at least one time or the team is disqualified. Point totals are posted each day and the leadership that develops is outstanding. The awards for the winners are t-shirts and front-of-the-line privileges for the entire season. This is a privilege they can invoke anytime. This may be waiting in line for a team meal or picking up their gear each day from the equipment manager. It’s a little thing, but a constant reminder of hard work and discipline. Spring is a great time to accomplish much. Regardless of limitations, the spring is an outstanding time to develop great habits, team chemistry, leadership, and to have fun. |
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