A practice plan is a bet: you're betting two hours of gym time that what you run tonight shows up Friday. Most plans lose that bet. This template wins it.
The template
| Block | Time | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Ball-control warm-up | 15 min | Every touch scored |
| Serving + passing | 25 min | Real serves, charted |
| Skill block | 30 min | One skill, game-speed entries |
| System block | 30 min | 6-on-6 with constraints |
| Competitive finish | 20 min | Somebody wins, somebody runs the cart |
Rules that make it work
- Every block has a score. Kids compete when winning exists.
- Balls enter like they do in matches. Serve or free ball over the net — not a coach's toss from the ten-foot line.
- The last block always has stakes. Ending practice on a dead drill teaches your team that finishing doesn't matter.
- Each block, have a focus for each drill. Don't run them blind in the drill. Let them know what we are working on, how we are working on it and why ahead of time and reiterate those points during the drill.
Common failure modes
- You blow the schedule on block one. Set a timer; the plan is the boss.
- You coach every rep. Pick two teaching moments per block and let the rest play out — the game teaches faster than you do.
- You don't plan enough for the allotted time. What you think will go well in your head may certainly not translate to the court, plan for extra.