Four Limited-Contact Drills to Drive Competition, Teach Defensive Skills

Align the defender on one side of the circle and the runner with the flags on the other. On the coach’s command, the defender must try to take both flags from the runner.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's book "Win Forever" was where I first realized the importance of the development and cultivation of competition in practice.

The truth is, most players – particularly young ones – develop a negative perception of practice. It becomes monotonous drudgery, a means to an end, to get to what really counts in their minds: the actual game.

Talk to any coach, and they'll say success lies in preparation, that practice paves the way for competition. This is why many coaches find ways to turn drills into acts of competition, pitting one player against another. The reasons are simple: It drives effort, and it makes drill work fun.