Pre-Competition Practice Plan

Overview

The weeks leading up to a major competition are absolutely critical for the success of any program.  Teams who misinterpret the goal of these final weeks often end up frazzled, chaotic, etc. and compromise their team’s performance on the drill area.

The most important thing to understand is this:

With 2-3 weeks left before your competition, the goal is NOT wholesale improvement.  In fact, what you have is likely what you have.

Instead, the focus shifts to fixing whatever small individual issues can be fixed while preparing to perform with consistency!

This is an EXACT version of the plan we utilize with groups preparing to compete at a high level.  It can easily be modified to fit your practice schematic but the core idea should remain consistent:

No longer are we practicing to improve.  We are rehearsing to perform.

The Plan

NEED FOR EVERY PRACTICE

• Rolling Wheel to Measure Floors
• Bluetooth Speaker
• Covers (If Applicable)
• Drill Shoes
• Rifles (If Applicable)
• CLIPBOARD WITH SCRATCH PAPER AND PENCIL

START OF PRACTICE

• Lay Out Floors (ROTATE ORIENTATION EACH PRACTICE!)
• Stretch to Drill Team Playlist
• SINGLE Lap Around Parking Lot 

DURING PRACTICE

• Choose events to focus on based on time allowed and follow the sequence below as closely as possible for that event!

AFTER PRACTICE

• MARCH back to JROTC area to simulate moving about at a competition!

INSPECTION

• Warm-Up
  • Run Entry/Open Ranks/Report In
  • Inspection Arms Together
  • Answer Several Questions All Together at the Same Time
  • Report Out/Close Ranks/Run Exit
• Performance Run
  • Stand By Silently at Perfect POA
  • Judge Interaction
    • “Howdy, [RANK]! Cadet [NAME], [YOUR SCHOOL] High School!”
    • Take Clipboard, Initial In Corner, Return EXACTLY as Presented
    • “How many cadets are being inspected today?” (Or Similar)
      • [RANK], there are twelve cadets plus cadet commander being inspected today!”
    • “Do you have any questions?”
      • “[RANK], should this cadet’s platoon expect to have their weapons taken and inspected today?”
    • Conduct Entry & Report In
  • DEFINE RANKS FOR EACH SQUAD, CHOOSE 1 BELOW, AND ALTERNATE EACH PRACTICE:
    • Instructors/Coaches Inspect Entire Platoon
    • Instructors/Coaches Inspect Each Cadet Individually (Can Sit Until Ready)
    • Recruiters/Outside Personnel Inspect Entire Platoon
  • Conduct Report Out & Exit
• Practice ON YOUR OWN OR WITH A PARTNER/SMALL GROUP:
  • Answering Questions (Restate Question AND Use Slower Pacing)
  • Body/Facial Bearing
  • Toe-to-Toe Alignment on Order Arms

REGULATION

• Warm-Up
  • 15-Count Manual Together in Circle Formation (To Music) 10x Times
• Practice
  • CHOOSE 1 TO HYPER-FOCUS ON EACH PRACTICE AND ALTERNATE EACH PRACTICE:
    • Entry Through Standing Portion (i.e. Commands 1-18)
    • Marching Portion of Card (i.e. Commands 19-47a)
• Performance Run
  • Single Lap Around INSIDE of 100×100 Drill Area
  • Double Line Marching to Floor
  • Fall-In Procedures
  • Judge Interaction
    • “Howdy, [RANK]! Cadet [NAME], [YOUR SCHOOL] High School!”
    • Take Clipboard, Initial In Corner, Return EXACTLY as Presented
    • “Do you have any questions?”
      • “[Sir/Ma’am], how would you prefer to be addressed during Report In and Report Out?”
    • “REPORT”
  • Run Entire Card Through Marching Away from Floor

EXHIBITION

• Warm-Up
  • CHOOSE 1 AND ALTERNATE EACH PRACTICE:
    • Individual Warm-Up
    • Partner Warm-Up
    • Squad (Small Group) Warm-Up
• Practice
  • CHOOSE 1-3 PARTS OF ROUTINE TO HYPER-FOCUS ON EACH PRACTICE AND ALTERNATE EACH PRACTICE:
• Performance Run
  • Warm-Up Sequence in Circle

• • • Single Line Marching to Floor
    • Fall-In Procedures
    • Judge Interaction
      • “Howdy, [RANK]! Cadet [NAME], [YOUR SCHOOL] High School!”
      • Take Clipboard, Initial In Corner, Return EXACTLY as Presented
      • “Do you have any questions?”
        • “[Sir/Ma’am], how would you prefer to be addressed during Report In and Report Out?”
      • AS THIS IS HAPPENING, have someone HAND-WEIGH a random cadet’s rifle from ANYWHERE in the platoon! Conduct proper procedures for giving & receiving the rifle!
      • “REPORT”
    • Run Entire Card Through Marching Away from Floor

COLOR GUARD

• Warm-Up
  • Flags & Rifles Warm Up Together
• Practice
  • CHOOSE 1 TO HYPER-FOCUS ON EACH PRACTICE AND ALTERNATE EACH PRACTICE:
    • Intro Through Uncasing
    • Report In Through Report Out
• Daytona Run
  • Fall-In Procedures
  • Judge Interaction
    • “Howdy, [RANK]! Cadet [NAME], [YOUR SCHOOL] High School!”
    • Take Clipboard, Sign, Return EXACTLY as Presented
    • “Do you have any questions?”
      • “[Sir/Ma’am], this cadet has one statement and one question…We will be conducting the Uncasing sequence in accordance with Army Training Circular Three Dash Twenty One Point Five…How would you prefer to be addressed during Report In and Report Out?”
  • Run Entire Card Through Marching Away from Floor