Athletic Practice Rules Part Three
This is the third part in a four part series on practice.
Just because practice is simple, do not overlook its importance.
Here are the four basic rules of practice:
You must practice to become better.
What you learn first is what you remember.
How you practice is how you will play.
You must have a simple practice plan.
Rule Number Three:
How you practice is how you will play.
In the last lesson, we finished up with the law of primacy or what you learn first is what you will know and do forever. The law of primacy leads us into rule number three perfectly. Rule three is “how you train is how you will play.”
When I was in the Air Force, we had a saying, “Fight like you train and train like you fight.” Meaning, how you practiced everyday was how you would perform in the heat of the battle or during an emergency. In a nutshell, this is called the law of exercise.
When you practice you should be doing everything exactly as if you were in a game, race or battle. From the way you put your socks on to the exact motions you will make as you run, catch or ride, everything should be the same as game or race day.
If you build good habits from the beginning and train like you want to play, the physical motions of your sport will become second nature. This way, you will be able to free up valuable brainpower to think, compete and win. Usually, if you out-think your opponent, you win.
The Hero of the Hudson, Capt Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger saved the day along with 155 lives on January 15, 2009 because he flew like he trained. In simulators, pilots train for hundreds of hours how to deal with emergencies and the unexpected. In a crisis situation Sully fell back on his training and years of experience. He saved the day because he flew like he trained.
How do you practice like you are going to play?
Tell us.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Nice post, heard he is a supernice guy to fly with.
November 5th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Man, Awsome post, makes me look at practice in a different way. I was not that serious when i played softball in junior high. Im soooo glad Sully practiced and remained calm. I would have freaked when i smelled the burning ducks.
November 6th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Saw(read) what you suggested about practice and you are right on. In my business and my golfing I find that the more I practice the
better I get. Great advice
Jack the golfer
November 6th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Rick, You are right on track. I trained people for many years and practice or lack their of, predicts future behavior.The weakest of those among us fail to plan, prepare and practice. Practice improves, refines and improves our skills. A great lesson for young or old people to learn. JM
November 7th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
My grandson plays football for a very disciplined team that works together perfectly as a unit. The entire team spent the summer lifting weights, practicing their skills and preparing themselves for a championship. Each member of the team does his job and knows that he can rely on his team members to cover his six if he should miss a block or tackle. The team won the region championship last night and is headed into the playoffs for the state championship. They are ranked number one in the state and are a favorite to win the title. Hard work, practice, dedication and a mutual respect for each other has really paid dividends for this football team. JR
November 7th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
“Hard work, practice, dedication and a mutual respect for each other has really paid dividends for this football team. ”
That right, Good Luck at State.
Play Hard, Play Smart
RM
November 7th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Thanks, Rick
March 4th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
“Fight like you train, and train like you fight,” is right on target, whether in war, sports, or daily life. But, we often practice that which we expect to be confronted with, and we become experts at both “normal” and “emergency” procedures.
We need on occasion to train for the unthinkable — a complete “system failure.” This means an “outside-of-the-box” problem like that facing Captain Sullenberger, suddenly in command of a “glider” in search of a landing strip. A coach can be faced with endemic flu that leaves his entire squad barely able to walk, let alone compete effectively. How about those Madoff investors that are now in a survival mode after financial ruin.
Captains are usually trained in a drill that gradually eliminates the various sources of electricity so that the airplane must inevitably return to Earth, whether successfully or otherwise. On such a “dark and stormy night,” when weather, fatigue, and crew scheduling are all arrayed against him, the captain must make instant decisions on how to conserve the remaining electrical power and find a place to land within the few minutes still available to him. There is no single “checklist” to follow. He must draw upon his available knowledge of all the aircraft systems, external resources available to him, and his professional judgment honed from previous training and experience.
In an even competition, the champion that emerges will usually be the person or team that has gone beyond the usual preparation. The champion believes that he has an edge because he is ready to exploit a perceived weakness in the other team not otherwise known. He has studied all aspects of his opponent, not just his on-field capabilities.
The champion has prepared “out-of-the-box” and is ready for anything. Then, he is ready to fight!