Benefits of Using a Practice Routine

To ensure that only good things happen in every practice and bad things are avoided; here are my thoughts on the benefits of developing and using a practice routine…

Routines Eliminate Power Struggles helping coaches avoid commanding their players through a practice like the "FUNdamental SOCCER 9-Step" practice:

1.   Start Practice (Introduce Theme)

2.   Warm-up (Inside the FUNdamental Square)

3.   1+1 (Cooperative Play)

4.   1vs.1 (Competitive Play)

5.   Break (Relax/Hydrate & Prepare for 2nd Half)

6.   Small-Sided Games (Cooperative & Competitive)

7.   Scrimmage (Cooperative & Competitive)

8.   Cool-Down (Physical & Mental)

9.   End Practice (Compliment –Review –Assign Home/Play)

This is just what we do; in this sequence and at this time of every single practice! Coaches stop being the bossy person and misunderstandings are greatly reduced.

 Routines Help Players Cooperate by reducing stress and anxiety for everyone. We all know what comes next. Everyone gets fair warning for transition through the use of these ‘Buzz’ words:

1.   “Practice Starts Now!”

2.   “Warm-up”

3.   “1+1”

4.   “1vs.1” 

5.   “Break” 

6.   “Small-Sided Games” 

7.   “Scrimmage” 

8.   “Cool-Down” 

9.   “Practice Ends Now!”

No one will feel like they are being pushed-around.

Routines Help Players Learn to Take Charge of the Practice. Over time and with persistent patience players can be taught to:

1.   Behave/Concentrate (At the start of practice)

2.   Warm-up properly (Each player with a ball)

3.   Lay-out cones/discs/flags & Cooperate (Playing 1+1)

4.   Compete & Keep score (Playing 1 vs. 1)

5.   Relax and Rehydrate (Practice 1/2 time Routine)

6.   Form teams & (Start the Small Sided Games)

7.   Organize & (Start the Scrimmage)

8.   Cool-down properly (Without Constant Reminders)

9.   Listen, Respond & (Clean-up the grounds)

Players love being in charge of themselves. This feeling increases their sense of mastery and competence. 

 Note: Players who feel like they are independent and in charge of themselves have less need to complain and be oppositional.

 Players Learn the Concept of "Looking Forward" to things they enjoy, which is an important part of making a happy accommodation with the demands of a practice. They may want to only ‘scrimmage’, but they must learn that we always end each practice with a ‘scrimmage’, and they can ‘Look Forward’ to it.

 Regular Routines Help Players Get on a Schedule, so that they can go from… a.   Every Individual with a Ball (Warm-up)

b.   Pairs with a Ball (1+1 and 1vs.1)

c.   Small or Large Groups with a Ball (Small Sided Games)

d.   Full Team with a Ball (Scrimmage)

 Routines Help Build in Those Precious Connection Moments. We all know we need to connect with our players at every practice. If you build little connection rituals into your routine they will eventually become a habit.

 Try a “secret-team hand-shake” when you first see them coming to practice. Or, a "recognition" ritual when making points-of-refinement like: "Love your shiny red shoes and if you ‘hop’ on one the other can bring the ball under better control”.

Rituals like these slow you down and connect you with your players, and if you do them as just "part of the routine" they build security as well as connection and cooperation.

 Routines Help Maintain Consistency in Expectations. If everything is a fight, you end up settling for running more laps, giving more lectures, skipping warming-up, forgetting technique development, ignoring cooling-down, etc. 

 With A Routine you will eventually stick to healthy expectations for everyone on the team; Because, "That Is Just The Way WE Do Things In All Our Practices!"

 Final Notes: These ‘FUNdamental Practice/Principles’ were developed by the California Youth Soccer Association (CYSA) State Instructional Staff under my leadership.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article and sharing with your soccer community.  Questions and Komments on this subject are very much appreciated!

Your FUNdamental, Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)

Emeritus State Director of Coaching - California Youth Soccer Assoc. 1979-2012

Author - Internationally Published FUNdamental SOCCER Books Series

Producer - highly acclaimed ‘FUNdamental SOCCER - DVDs.

Internet Clinician at: www.fundamentalsoccer.com