Note to coaches & parents: Please check out the MyGoalMine web site and app today to see how your teams can benefit from an integrated goal-setting program that is operated from your phone. For info, CLICK HERE.
Note: This post has been repurposed from an article published many years ago in Student Sports Magazine written by basketball coach Tom Marumoto.
A practice plan is a projection of how you can get from Point A to Point B in your development as a basketball player as efficiently and quickly as possible.
It’s like a map that gives you direction and helps you stay on course. It generally consists of two elements: a practice schedule and goal-setting.
Practicing shooting can be enhanced with a goal-setting program. Photo: Cajon HS.
The first part of a practice plan is to develop a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly practice schedule. Within the schedule, it’s also important to prioritize your skill weaknesses then develop the schedule accordingly.
If you need to strengthen your rebounding, for example, that’s a skill that should take up more of your time than if you’re already a very good passer.
The second part of a practice plan is goal-setting. Goals keep you mentally focused, eliminate boredom, maintain competitive drive and motivate you to constantly work hard. It is commonly the most neglected aspect of a training program.
For general goals, perhaps you want to be a starter next season or earn all-league honors or get scholarship offers. Write them down and then use a goal-setting app, such as those from My-GoalMine.com, so you can monitor those goals all the time.
It’s additionally crucial to set preliminary goals to help you get to your general goals.
For example, if you’re an off-guard, your goal could be to make 55 percent of your shots from the field and 85 percent of your free throws. Then when you practice shooting, keep track of your percentages. It’s easy to do if you try 100 shots or even 50 shots. Then track the totals in a notebook or your phone to see if you are improving or not.
Once you have attained proper form and are seeing your percentages go up, the next step is to practice these skills at game speed. Don’t just go through the motions. Half-speed will only get you so far life.
The bottom line is to use the off-season training period to your advantage. Have a passion to reach your full potential and use tools such as those found on My-GoalMine.com to help you. As General George S. Patton once said. “Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhiliration of victory.”
For more on the My Goal Mine program, CLICK HERE.
