Had a question about practices -- what are some philsophies about practice pace? I've heard some folks make the case for slower practices, and I've heard some coaches make the case for faster practices.
And by fast/slow, I mean two different things:
(1) Managing/shortening the down time between drills (like speeding up the pace of hitting infield, splitting the team into two lines for grounders so that two coaches are hitting instead of one, etc)
(2) Asking players to do skills faster, particularly as competition (like throwing relays)
The case for a slower pace -- focus on precision, don't want the players to be rushed into mistakes, more opportunity for the coach to identify and focus on mistakes, better reflects the pace of an actual game.
The case for a faster pace -- puts more mental pressure on the players, depending on the drill, adds an element of competition, increases the number of reps that players get, ability to cover more material during practice, improves conditioning.
The one other variable I've heard is that the ages of the girls could be a factor -- having slower practices with younger girls, and faster practices with older girls. I've heard that college practices are generally pretty fast paced.
Thoughts?
And by fast/slow, I mean two different things:
(1) Managing/shortening the down time between drills (like speeding up the pace of hitting infield, splitting the team into two lines for grounders so that two coaches are hitting instead of one, etc)
(2) Asking players to do skills faster, particularly as competition (like throwing relays)
The case for a slower pace -- focus on precision, don't want the players to be rushed into mistakes, more opportunity for the coach to identify and focus on mistakes, better reflects the pace of an actual game.
The case for a faster pace -- puts more mental pressure on the players, depending on the drill, adds an element of competition, increases the number of reps that players get, ability to cover more material during practice, improves conditioning.
The one other variable I've heard is that the ages of the girls could be a factor -- having slower practices with younger girls, and faster practices with older girls. I've heard that college practices are generally pretty fast paced.
Thoughts?