Coach ,

We love to learn from the higher levels and even marvel at the way a highly organized practice runs.  Of course that is a product of the size of the staff and the technology used to assist it, but we can get more efficiency out of our practices without a wealth of resources. 

As we hit the second half of the season, getting the most out of the time we have is critical to performing optimally on game day.  Derek Leonard, Head Coach at Rochester HS in Illinois, has some practice methods and procedures which can allow for optimal teaching as well as being able to manage the workload.

Coach Leonard has it figured that out at Rochester High School. He’s won Class 4A state championships and has a record of 177-36. This season Rochester HS is 5-0 and outscoring their opponents 203-35.  This offensive juggernaut relies on a fast tempo offense to get it done. 

Whether you are a no-huddle and play with your hair on fire, or huddle up and milk the clock, there’s a lot to learn from how the Rockets practice.

Dividing it up into three basic tempos, red-yellow-green light, Coach Leonard is able to clearly communicate the purpose and pace of each segment of their practice.

The whole idea is that what you do during the week is designed to be more difficult than what you are faced with on game day.

We all love the idea of being able to run an incredibly fast-paced practice, but Coach Leonard makes some important points about the reality of going fast all the time, especially if the roster is like a high school team’s.

They do run as fast of a pace as they can on game day, but it's knowing when and how to do it in practice that makes them the most effective in their coaching. 

Going as fast as possible in practice is not always the most productive.  Coaches need to know when to coach and teach. He doesn’t want anything at average speed.  He makes the point that kids will learn to pace themselves and go 75-80%.  With his method, they feel they get 100% speed and more out of their green light periods.

He explains it and goes over some examples here.

Video: Make Practice Harder than the Game

This was an outstanding talk which Coach Leonard put together.  He goes on to outline what the entire week looks like for them.  It is a great resource if you are looking for some tweaks to your practices.

Good luck as you prepare for another week!

Always be growing!

Coach Grabowski

P.S. 

Are you looking for resources on how to teach your offense to operate faster on game day?  I highly recommend these:

Glen Elarbee, OL, Tennessee - Tempo Run Game & Counter

Keith Barefield, Asst HC/OC Grayson HS (GA) -  Elite Tempo