The coaches had some good advice, but they also said some things that you'd be better off not following. What should a coach focus on during the first practice of the season?

Look at the following questions and take your best guess at the things that should occur the first time you get your team together.

1. Two coaches talked about sharing team rules. Is this a good thing to do in the first practice? a. No. Talking about rules shouldn't take precedence over playing time. I can share rules with them in a handout and tell them to be sure to read the handout. b. Yes. Team rules are important, and I want to make sure we're all on the same page.   2. One coach said he uses the first practice as a time to assess players' abilities and tendencies. How can you best use the first practice to assess players? a. Don't do anything special to assess talent during that first practice; that assessment is ongoing. b. Use the first practice to assess talent. Have the players perform some sprinting, passing, catching, and blocking activities. Play some small-sided games, with each one focusing on a specific skill so that each player has lots of chances.   3. One coach mentioned getting right into basic drills on blocking, tackling, and other skills during the first practice. Is this a good approach to help you assess talent? a. No. Drills are better used to practice skills, not assess them. b. Yes. Drills are a great way to assess skills, because you get to clearly see how a player performs.   4. Your first practice is, by nature, a little different from the rest. One way you should approach it differently is to give what you might deem, in later practices, an excessive amount of praise, to set a positive tone for the year. a. true b. false   5. Ownership is an important issue among players. If players feel they have some say in how they are coached and how they play, they'll be more motivated to buy in to your program. Thus, it's a good idea to give them this ownership up front by allowing them to decide what to do in the first practice. a. true b. false

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