Drill and Skill Progressions and Loads

When thinking about skills and skill development with players keep the context of the game in mind. Repping a skill outside of a game context will not help the skill transfer in a game effectively. Get to game-like in skill and drill progressions quickly. Once a player has shown that he/she can perform the skill with some proficiency start to add progressions that load in-game context and decisions. Help players learn the in-game triggers to look for and act upon. Players that can anticipate and react to game-like situations and game conditions are better equipped to solve situations that only occur in a game.

Another way to build technical skills within a game context is to add constraints or complexity to the drills or activities. This can be done adding more players, restricting certain actions, changing locations on the court or adding a time element in which skill/drill has to be performed.

We frequently add in progressions and loads to many of the drills we use. In fact, we frequently say that a good drill has three elements, it's retainable (by players), it's loadable and it's transferable. When these three elements are part of a drill, you have a good drill that will help build skills and in-game decisions of players. An Important part of player development is teaching players how to solve (for themselves) and adapt to in-game problems and situations.