Practice #3 (2/2)

Ken and I are really starting to feel a time cruch. We have a lot to get through -- the rest of a brand new man offense, zone, set plays, defense, etc. -- and not much time before tournaments start. And this particular man offense isn't something that Ken and I have run before so we're feeling our way as we go. As a result last night's walk-throughs and simulations were sloppy, but I think it was an important practice because we were able to see what adjustments we need to make with the timing of the cuts. I really think that the system will start to make more sense for people now that they've actually walked through it and not just seen it on paper.

Again, our biggest problem is our throwing. We had 19 in players at practice last night, but fewer than half could consistently complete passes. We did several simple throwing drills with no defense, indoors without wind, and there were a ton of throwaways, where a good team would complete close to 100% of the passes. We couldn't even do dump drills with no defense without lots of drops and throwaways. In most cases, it's not a lack of athletic ability but just a lack of experience. We have to continue nagging them about throwing as often as possible outside of practice. I'd like to split into A and B groups at practice sometime so the more experienced players can run the offense without as many turnovers, while the B group can do some much-needed fundamentals work.

On an individual note, we made Lisa handle on the flick side during the butterfly drill and she did reasonably well. I wouldn't say she's an A-line handler just yet but she has made a lot of progress. It's good to see Bethany at practice. She's lacking ultimate experience but her size, speed and agression will be big plusses for the team if she can make it out consistently.

On a personal note, I've always had a difficult time teaching beginners how to throw. When I was learning, I just kept doing it until I got good at it. A few people gave me a few pointers, which I can pass on to new players now, but for the most part, it was just about making little adjustments here and there until I got it. That's why I think people need to not only throw a lot, but take it seriously and focus on getting better each time out.