I found three notebooks in a corner bookshelf. Handwritten, in pencil no less! Like I planned to make huge corrections of the text sometime in the future. But pungent stuff. I would like to share a few of my prior comments with you, the present day reader. I was the only previous reader. A small but select audience. But worthy of sharing. I hope. Let us begin.

How much should be practiced at one time? (This has nothing to do with subject matter. Reading, spelling or soccer.)

A short meaningful amount. How long in time should a practice be?

A short time so that one extends intense effort and has an intent to learn. (Often a practice routine should be broken into segments practicing different things rather than practicing one thing for the total period.)

How often should they practice?

New learning is not very durable, so several practice periods scheduled close together will yield very rapid learning. Th is is called massed practice. Once the subject matter is understood, the practice periods need to be spaced farther apart. This is called distributed practice.

"Several practice periods scheduled close together will yield rapid learning." This has nothing to do with soccer. It has to do with learning. All learning. Any learning. Not just soccer.

All these notes were from some distant seminar on elementary school learning. Soccer was never a thought at the time. But the concepts are the same. The proc ess of learning is the same. And the results should be the same. Do it right and get the right results. In the classroom or on the soccer field. It is all the same. Or should be the same.

Actually, I hate throwing out old notes. Some give me pungent thoughts to ponder during the winter. Many things change, but some never change. Truth marches on. Well, sometimes.

There are two kinds of practice: massed and distributed. Each serve a function to help the learner learn. Be the learner in the classroom or on the soccer field. Massed and distributed.

What does this mean to the average coach? Nothing can be really learned in a day. New things need more practices close together to yield rapid learning. Then continue to practice things farther and farther apart. But never stop a routine. Keep doing it. Assume nothing. Make it better. Keep going. That is it: Keep going; do not stop. Go! Go! Go!

This is one page of old notes. Should I save it? Or has it been learned? The distributed concept tells me to save it. And bring it up in a year or two. Right?

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Fresno, Ca. 93720