Coach ,

Outdoor Track and Field season is just around the corner and we are all starting our initial practice planning for the 2026 campaign.

Coach John Wooden said, “I would spend almost as much time planning a practice as conducting it. Everything was planned out each day.” 

As track coaches, we spend so much time planning and preparing that we have to be as efficient as possible. Some programs have a huge number of kids and organizing a practice plan can be challenging. Some coaches have to cover several events each season and in order to do so effectively must find proper practice planning techniques. 

Here are 3 of my favorite coaches who absolutely know how to effectively plan a practice to ensure each day runs as smoothly as possible! 

In our first clip, Coach Todd Lane of LSU Track and Field talks about four key components of practice planning for the jumping events with the explanation of Density, Complexity, Individualization, and Variance and how to utilize them. (click image to watch clips)

Density, Complexity, Individualization and Variance

In our second clip, Coach Lance Harter of Arkansas Track and Field discusses how a week in his middle-distance program is set up depending on the time of year and different practice or competition focuses. 

Week Plan

In our last clip, Tony Holler, founder of Feed the Cats, discusses how to develop a practice plan for a successful sprint program. His full-speed, galactic workouts, target specific systems that are aimed solely on getting faster!

Speed Workouts

Thank you to each one of you for sharing your passion and love of the sport with the kids you coach and the communities you serve. I hope today's clips will assist you as you build and organize successful practice plans this season!

-The Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches helping Coaches

P.S. If you like to stay ahead of the curve on tools to help make practice planning more efficient, we discovered a free practice planning tool here -->>