Championships are won on the practice field. Yet not all teams practice like champions practice. The truth is, practice doesn’t make perfect. The way in which we practice makes all the difference. So, how can you increase the quality of practice?

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As a coach and NCAA athlete myself, I’ve put in my time on the practice field, court, etc. Like many of you, I’ve seen players just go through the motions. On numerous occasions I’ve observed two tennis players rallying with one another, just hitting the ball back and forth with no real intent or purpose. They were not trying to see how many consecutive shots they could hit in a row. Nor were they focused on cross-court rallies, or even constructing points.

These are what some coaches call “junk reps.” I’m sure you’ve seen it too. As a coach, I told my players that in practice they were either (1) getting better or (2) getting worse. Junk reps generally fall into the “getting worse” category. So, how can you establish practice conditions that foster a focus on continuous improvement?

The key is to increase the amount of focused effort each athlete brings to his or her practice. Goals are the best way to increase focus and effort, making every repetition and drill count.

Coaches can help their players get more out of practice by applying this 3 part structure.

Part 1: At the beginning of practice, tell your players what the objectives are.

• What is the focus of practice going to be?
• What areas do you want to see improvement in?
• Set your expectations.

Part 2: Based on the intent of the practice plan, have each player set an individual goal.

• What specific element of their game do they want to improve?
• It should stretch his/her comfort zone.
• He/She needs to identify a way to measure progress and/or success.

Part 3: Have coaches and other players provide feedback to each athlete based on his/her goal.

• Did you achieve your goal?
• Why or why not? (no excuses)
• What can you do to make improvement going forward?

This may sound too simple to make a difference, but you’ll notice an increase in focus and effort toward improvement in every drill if you stick with it. Beyond collective goals for practice, setting individual goals helps team members take responsibility for their own improvement. They can be held accountable to it.

Better yet, as they see tangible evidence (through evaluating their practice goals) that they are getting better, their confidence grows. As teammates see each other getting better, the confidence of the team grows. That is a powerful force when it comes game time.

Use index cards or a large whiteboard to capture and track each day’s individual practice goals. One volleyball team I worked with used this strategy to hone their fundamentals and improve player consistency. Champions don’t leave getting better up to chance: they are intentional and relentless with their pursuit of improvement. Deliberate effort applied on the practice court pays off huge when you go toe to toe with your opponent.

Question: How can you encourage your team to set practice goals to help them get better today? Please share your great ideas in the comments section below.