In this episode of The Art of Practice, presented by GoRout, host Keith Grabowski interviews Tonganoxie High School Head Coach Preston Troyer about moving beyond drills to teach transferable football skills. They discuss closing the gap between practice and game performance, with an emphasis on developing self-sufficient problem solvers for game day.
The conversation examines effective practice design, showing how to create realistic scenarios that require players to make quick decisions instead of relying on routines. Coach Troyer explains the key elements of execution and presents a system for identifying and correcting “execution leaks” before they impact performance. The interview also covers strategies for maximizing scout-team efficiency with modern tools and implementing high-tempo periods to ensure weekday teaching leads to successful game execution.
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Chapters
- Teaching for Skill Transfer with Preston Troyer
- Defining Execution: The Core Components of Success
- Drill Architecture: Injecting Realistic Decision-Making Into Practice
- Building On-Field Solvers: Teaching Players to Adapt Post-Snap
- Comprehension Check: Bridging the Coach-to-Player Communication Gap
- Finding the Leak: Identifying and Fixing Execution Failures
- Scripting with Purpose: Adapting Your Scripts to Varied Defensive Looks
- Steel Sharpens Steel: The True Value of Good-on-Good Periods
- Scout Team Efficiency: Leveraging Technology on the Practice Field
Connect on X:
Keith Grabowski: @CoachKGrabowski
Preston Troyer: @CoachFBInsights
GoRout: @Go_Rout