Every kid wants to come back. Here's how you make that happen.
Intentional Performance
The Four Pillars of Practice
Intentional
Every activity mirrors a real game moment. Ask: When does this happen in a game?
Variable
Mix skills, conditions, and constraints. No two reps the same. Blocked practice doesn't transfer.
Challenging
Use the 70% rule. Have a harder and easier version of every drill. Adjust for each athlete.
FUN ★
Creative, active, novel. Skill acquisition treated like a game. ~70% success = the fun zone.
70%
The Fun Zone. Each athlete should succeed about 7 times out of 10. Below 50%? Make it easier. Above 90%? Make it harder. Adjust per individual — not per group.
Universal Game Structures
Small-Sided Game
3v3 or 4v4. Score by completing actions. Basketball: shots. Soccer: crosses. Baseball: contact. Football: completions.
Target Game
Score by hitting zones. Basketball: paint, mid-range, three. Soccer: far post vs. near post. Baseball: opposite field.
Keep-Away / Rondo
4v2 or 3v1. Decision-making under pressure. Change who's in the middle after N mistakes.
1v1 Challenge
Attacker vs. defender. Live reps. One-on-one decisions at game speed. Rotate every 3 possessions.
"What If We…" Adjustment Bank
To Make Harder ↑
Reduce space or time
Add a defender
Limit touches / contacts
Score in fewer zones
Require non-dominant side
Add fatigue (sprint first)
To Make Easier ↓
Expand the space
Remove a defender
Give more touches
Add more scoring zones
Allow favorite side
Freeze defender briefly
Practice Template (Fill In)
Sport / Age
Duration
Warmup Game
Small-sided. Competition-based. Gets them moving.
Skill 1
Too easy →
Too hard →
Skill 2
Too easy →
Too hard →
Finish Game
Full-speed, decision-rich. Connects skills to game.
Huddle
One Up / One Down / One Forward
OARS — Coaching Conversations
O
Open Questions
What was hardest today? / Tell me what you were thinking. / How did that feel?
A
Affirmations
What they did + why it matters. "You tried the new move — that's exactly how you grow."
R
Reflective Listening
Repeat what you heard. Name what they felt. "It sounds like mistakes hit harder when you feel you let the team down."
S
Summaries
Pull the thread. "So you feel strong defensively, want more reps finishing, and are unsure about your role. Did I get that?"
Bounce-Back Protocol (After Mistakes)
1
Feel It
One breath. Acknowledge the mistake. 3 seconds max.
→
2
Reset
Physical trigger: shake it out, step back, tap glove, clap once.
→
3
Next Play
Eyes up. Body language confident. Full attention on what's next.
Prime → Perform → Learn
Prime
Before the game. Identity statement. Breath. Intention. "Who are we today?"
Perform
Between plays. Reset. External focus. Bounce-back if needed. Present moment only.
Learn
After: One Up (proud of). One Down (improve). One Forward (work on next).