I prepare a practice schedule but often deviate because of time constraints or find that a drill or segment isn't working. Because we have thirteen players, we usually scrimmage with groups of four, four, and five. The scrimmage involves a certain amount of possessions before the next group substitutes in.
Here's yesterday's practice schedule.
At one point, because of the team's overall lack of concentration, I stopped practice and sent the players on a lap...as a test. At the UCONN women's practice at Gampel the other day, I watched the players take a couple of warmup laps before practice. No player cut a corner. NONE. At our practice most of the players cut the corners, some never even got outside the lines. I considered this a teachable moment, explaining that excellence comes from preparation and attention to detail. Coach Wooden might have said, "if you don't have time to do it right now, when will you have the time to do it right?"
Doing it right matters. Working your process matters. When you 'cheat the drill' you cheat yourself and your teammates.
If you're a young player and you give a lackluster performance at practice, what does that say about you? Do you 'cheat the drill' when you do your schoolwork or at a part-time job?
UCONN won their road opener last night against 7th-ranked Ohio State, 100-56. If excellence is your ethos, you don't cut the corners.
