re: drill work

Three key components

A massively underrated aspect of coaching?

Running great drills.

Seems like something that should get a bit more attention, doesn’t it?

Young coaches flock to the Xs and Os, the flashy parts of it.

But what’s more important than drill work?

Nothing.

And even when we do talk about drill work, it tends to be surface level.

We never really get to the heart of it.

Here are three completely underrated aspects of running a great drill:

Starting Point

A drill should have a defined starting point.

Where should the player start the drill from?

What’s their stance?

Where are their eyes?

This should be clearly stated and concrete.

It’ll help you start the drill right.

Ending Point

A drill should have a defined ending point.

Is it a “finish line”?

A certain finishing posture?

A whistle?

How can we ask players to “FINISH!” the drill unless they know exactly where the drill ends?

Rotation

A clean rotation keep drills moving.

Once a player runs a rep, where do they go next?

If there are “show players”, how do they rotate through?

You’ll save a lot of time — and run a smoother drill — if this is all explained ahead of time.

Final Thoughts

So much goes into great drill work.

These three simple components set the tone and make you look organized as a coach.

Don’t skip them.

All the best,

Jon Svec
Defensive Coordinator
St. Francis Xavier University
X-Men Football
Email: jsvec@stfx.ca
Twitter: @jonsvecx