Competitive Practice Drills to Sharpen Player Execution

with Tina Mattera,
Tufts University Head Coach;
2012 NCAA Division III National Champions;
2012 National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Coach of the Year;
2016 NFHCA Regional Coach of the Year;
5x Final Four appearances; 8x NCAA Tournament appearances;
2x New England Small College Athletic Conference champions ('09, '16);
2x NESCAC Coach of the Year ('08, '09);
over 200 career wins

In this video, Coach Mattera breaks down many of the drills she uses at her practices that ensure her players perform at their best on game day. You'll be introduced to numerous competitive exercises that pit teammates against one another with the end goal of maximum skill growth.

Starting Off Practice

Mattera kicks things off by showcasing her Air Dribble and Yard Stick Pull drills that build stick handling feel. Next, she dives into an exercise that works on transferring balls in the backfield, which she often uses in the practice immediately before a game day. The reps you'll see are designed for Mattera's 3-2-3-2 system, but can be adapted to fit the scheme of your own program.

Competitive Games

The 2v1 Bang Bang drill is a continuous, physical drill that Mattera first diagrams on the whiteboard prior to moving to the field. The goal of the drill is to see how quickly players can move the ball, how quickly offensive players can get the defender caught wrong-footed, and how quickly the offense can get off a clean shot on the keeper.

Coach Mattera continues by showing her 4v2 Transfer Drill. This is a great disadvantage drill to train the defense to communicate with one another while they're outnumbered. Additionally, defenders will learn to play with the mindset of shifting to keep the offense contained to one side of the field.

Additional drills shown include:

• 4v2 Continuous - A great early-season drill in which Mattera likes to pit different groups of players (forwards, mids, defenders, starters vs. subs, left side vs. right side, etc.) against each other to observe various player combinations.
• BC Drill - A fast-paced 4v3 into 1v1 drill that incorporates a hidden conditioning component.
• 5v5 with Box in Middle - Another fast-paced exercise that splits players into teams and trains athletes to make good decisions in a short amount of time.

All coaches will appreciate Coach Mattera's approach to practice. Her drills are fast-paced, always have a competitive goal in mind, and work multiple skills at once. If you're seeking better execution from your own team, this video is a fantastic choice!

87 minutes. 2020.