Pre-Practice Checklists That Work
Pre-practice checklists help athletes arrive fueled, focused, and ready to work.
Too many athletes show up to practice unprepared: missing gear, low on fuel, mentally scattered. A simple pre-practice checklist turns showing up into a performance habit instead of a coin flip.
Checklists free up mental space so athletes can focus on effort and learning, not scrambling.
Simple pre-practice checklist:
- Hydrated and have a water bottle
- Ate a snack 60–90 minutes before
- All required gear packed
- 1 clear goal for today's practice
Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto (2009)
Show Up Ready\n• Checklists remove chaos\n• Arrive fueled, hydrated, and focused\n• One clear goal beats ten vague ones
Create a 4-item pre-practice checklist and use it all week.
