What If Wednesday Was Your Easiest Practice of the Week?

For most of my coaching career, Monday and Tuesday probably looked a lot like yours.

We worked.

Both practices were usually close to two hours, and we practiced fast. At North Forney, we talked about practicing like our “hair was on fire.”

Our periods were short—four minutes was usually the max. Coaches weren't allowed to give dissertations between reps. Coach it in short bursts and move on.

We called it the Religion of Repetition.

And we competed. A lot.

Good vs. good.

Competition was a huge part of our philosophy. Players don't get better just because they know what to do. Eventually, they have to execute it against somebody good enough to make it difficult.

Years ago, I read a story about the track coach at Oregon talking with the Ducks’ head coach and challenging the way they were practicing late in the week.

“YOU’RE DOING IT ALL WRONG.”

His point was that Olympic-level track athletes don’t completely shut it down 24 hours before they compete. They rest and recover 48 hours out, but the day before competition, they ramp things back up and wake the body back up.

The concept was simple:

48 HOURS BEFORE COMPETITION → REST & RECOVER

24 HOURS BEFORE COMPETITION → RAMP BACK UP

That got my attention.

Like most football coaches, I had always thought Thursday should be the easiest day because it was closest to Friday.

This suggested something different.

Give the body its biggest break 48 hours before the game.

Then wake it back up 24 hours before the game.

So we tried it.

“NO SWEAT WEDNESDAY”

I originally heard the concept called “No Sweat Wednesday.”

I loved the idea.

I just couldn't bring myself to go that far. :)

So ours became:

MENTAL WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was helmets only.

We still moved fast, particularly on offense, but we reduced the number of reps. There was a lot of team, kicking game and situations.

But there was no good-on-good competition.

Monday and Tuesday were about installation, repetition and competition.

Wednesday was about dotting our I's and crossing our T's mentally.

Know the plan. Know your assignment. Know the situation. Know the adjustment.

Get it right.

HERE'S WHAT OUR WEEK ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE

MONDAY — GRIND - Full Pads - Thud • Individual & Team • Good vs. Good
~120 min

TUESDAY — GRIND - Full Pads
Tackle to ground (quick whistle) • Individual & Team • Good vs. Good
~120 min

WEDNESDAY — MENTAL - Helmets Only
Mental day • Fewer reps • No Good vs. Good
~70 min

THURSDAY — WAKE UP - Shells
Game tempo • THUD contact • Good vs. Good
~70 min

FAST FRIDAY — PLAY
Game Day
Turn 'em loose🏈

One important note: those practice times gradually got shorter as the season went along. By later in the season, Mental Wednesday was often closer to 65–70 minutes and Wake-Up Thursday around 60–65 minutes.

The goal wasn't simply to practice less.

It was to make sure every day had a specific purpose.

IT ALSO FIXED ONE OF MY BAD HABITS

I used to be guilty of fussing too much at Thursday practice.

Maybe some of you can relate.

It's the day before the game, and suddenly the head coach notices EVERYTHING.

A receiver lines up wrong. Somebody misses an adjustment. The kicking team has 10 guys. A lineman misses an assignment.

And you're thinking:

“Holy crap. We play tomorrow!”

So you start correcting.

Then correcting some more.

Pretty soon, you're fussing at everybody during the practice that's supposedly designed to send your team into Friday feeling confident.

Mental Wednesday eliminated most of that for me.

Wednesday was when we handled the details.

If something wasn't right, we slowed down and fixed it.

By Thursday, I wasn't worried about whether they knew the plan.

They knew it.

Now it was time to wake them up.

WAKE-UP THURSDAY

This was the part that initially felt strange.

After taking the shoulder pads off Wednesday...

we put them BACK ON Thursday.

Thursday was short, but we got after each other.

Not full-contact, tackle-to-the-ground football.

Controlled THUD contact.

Fast.

Competitive.

Good vs. good.

We weren't trying to beat each other up the day before the game.

We were trying to wake the body back up.

It went right back to the original idea:

48 HOURS OUT → REST

24 HOURS OUT → RAMP BACK UP

FRIDAY → GO PLAY

Our players loved it.

Our coaches loved it.

And I loved what Thursday practice became.

There was energy. There was competition. There was confidence.

Then we got the heck off the field.

EVERY DAY HAD A JOB

Eventually, our week had an identity:

INTRO GAMEPLAN/GRIND MONDAY → 

COMPETITION TUESDAY → 

MENTAL WEDNESDAY → 

WAKE-UP THURSDAY → 

FAAAAST FRIDAY

That's probably the bigger lesson.

Don't practice a certain way simply because that's how football teams have always practiced.

Ask yourself:

What does our team need TODAY to play its best Friday night?

Monday and Tuesday, maybe they need to work and compete.

Wednesday, maybe they need to think and recover.

Thursday, maybe they need to feel fast, physical and confident again.

Friday?

Turn 'em loose.

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

Take a look at your Wednesday and Thursday practices.

Are you grinding Wednesday and then gradually backing off all the way until kickoff simply because that's what you've always done?

What if you flipped it?

Give their bodies the break on Wednesday while challenging them mentally.

Then put the shoulder pads back on Thursday for a short, fast, controlled, competitive practice.

I'm not telling you it's the only way to practice.

I'm telling you what happened when we tried it:

WE NEVER WENT BACK.

And if you ever try Mental Wednesday + Wake-Up Thursday, I predict you won't either.

Good luck this week!

See you next Wednesday,

Randy