Overview
What do we do when it’s hard to drill? Whether it’s weather, low attendance, or a lack of space, obstacles present themselves all the time.
So what can we do when these things rear their ugly head? Here are a few ideas to keep us on track!
Skill-Building
Yes, drill team is a TEAM activity. But is it really?
We prefer to think about drill being an INDIVIDUAL activity requiring extreme attention to unique, individual details that is performed as a group.
Syncing up between team members is always important but when we teach groups, we tend to find that the issues plaguing a group aren’t TEAM issues – they’re individual issues manifesting themselves as team ones because not enough time has been spent developing the individual drillers and focusing on their technique.
You can have a great practice with three drillers if the focus is on building their individual skills!
We recommend partner work to get the job done!
Supply & Armory Clean-Up
The supply room (or arms room) is a reflection of the whole team. If space or numbers are an issue, we can get busy in one of those areas and practice our extreme attention to detail by making sure everything is neat, clean, and organized.
Perhaps rifles need to be re-taped or uniforms need some attention for an upcoming meet.
Just because we’re not conventionally practicing doesn’t mean we’re not being productive!
Routine Creation
If you’re a team that has an exhibition drill routine, an unconventional practice can be your best friend!
Perhaps you’re short on material. With fewer cadets or limited space, it’s easy to break drillers into groups before challenging them to create more sequencing for the routine.
Maybe you have the entire routine down. Great! You could challenge the cadets present to revise parts of the routine that could use some spicing up!
These are things that often go neglected when practice time as a team is at premium but these practices that increase our creativity can be JUST as productive!
Team Building
Practice time doesn’t need to be about running through sequences and drill cards alone. In fact, if that’s all you’re doing, we’d like to suggest you might be doing it wrong!
If you’re missing key members or space is limited, spending some time building up your team culture is still time well-spent. This can’t be every practice but sometimes, it’s better to spend your time playing a drill-related game, getting to know one another better, etc. in an effort to build up your team culture even stronger in the downtime!
Conclusion
At the time of publication, many teams are struggling with low numbers or inconsistent attendance. We understand that it’s tough. But with the right combination of structured “fall back” practice options, you CAN continue to improve even with the odds against you!
Use these strategies to help you improve even when it’s hard to improve!