“Practice like you play.”

For a lot of athletes, especially youth players, practice can sometimes be a chore rather than training.  If this is the case for you as a coach you often get players going through the motions and not giving a full effort.  They can get away with not giving 100% effort because well, it’s just practice.  How will your players get better if they are not giving their full effort?  You practice like you play, you get results, and you get better.

Easier said then done right?  There is a simple solution to this dilemma.  Instill competitions throughout your practice and make your practices competitive.  By having competitions within your practice you make it a game-like situation where there are winners and losers.  Serious athletes do not like losing, spice up your drills and make them competitive.  Keep track of points, passes, goals, whatever it is that you can measure a winner.

Going through the motions is the worst thing that can happen at a practice.  Another way to combat this issue with competitiveness is having your players fight for starting spots.  If you practice well during the week and give 100% effort, you will earn a starting position.  If you go through the motions and your effort is lethargic you earn a spot on the pine.  Your players should have to earn their spot for a starting position.

Lastly, make it fun.  There are many way that you can fix your mistakes by doing drills/games that are fun.  Be creative.  If you are having trouble clearing corner kicks.  Make a competitive drill that has consequences when you give up a goal on a corner.  Your players should be clawing and fighting to get the ball out of the danger area.  If you fail to clear and you get scored one, set a consequence that as soon as it happens, the defenders are sent sprinting to the other side of the field and back. 

Players love competition, but they hate sprints!  Make it work, make it fun.