Simplifying Practice Plans: A Coach’s Experience Moving to CoachThem

When it comes to coaching, preparation is everything. For many, that once meant handwritten drills, bulky binders, and a lot of time spent redrawing the same practice plans. Today, more and more coaches are making the shift to digital tools that simplify the process - including Scott Gordon, currently coaching in the USHL with the Waterloo Blackhawks.

 

 

Before CoachThem: The Pen and Paper Challenge 

 

Like countless coaches, Scott began with traditional pen and paper. Hockey drills were handwritten in a binder, which quickly became heavy and time-consuming to manage. Scott recalls his biggest challenges:

• No ability to search for a specific drill by name
• Constantly carrying and storing a large binder
• Redrawing the same drills over and over for every practice 

It worked, but it lacked the efficiency and flexibility needed for today’s fast-paced coaching environment.

Sound familiar? Many coaches face these same challenges until discovering modern practice planing solutions. 

 

Getting Started with Digital Practice Planning 

 

What drew Scott to CoachThem's practice planning software? The simplicity and organization of the platform. Right away, he noticed how much easier it was to:

 

 

As an Apple user, he was impressed by how seamless it was to draw on his iPad with the Apple Pencil - no more messy diagrams or wasted paper. The iOS app functionality made practice planning truly mobile. 

 

A Longtime User: Results That Matter 

 

Scott has been using CoachThem since the very first year the platform launched. In that time, the benefits have been clear:

• Time saved by pulling up drills instantly from anywhere
• Running practices from his iPad instead of flipping through binders
• Digital storage that eliminates the need for stacks of paper
• Easy collaboration with coaching staff on practice planning 

His favorite feature? The ability to draw drills with the Apple Pencil and keep everything safely stored without worrying about hard copies.

This approach mirrors what professional coaches like our teammate Mitch Giguere use to streamline their practice planning.

 

The Digital Transformation 

The move to a digital coaching platform has streamlined Scott’s entire coaching workflow. Instead of redrawing drills repeatedly, his digital library keeps everything organized and accessible. It’s also made collaboration easier, similar to how association-level tools help entire organizations share best practices. As Scott puts it: “Every coach that I have told about the site has purchased it and commented how easy it is to use.”

Whether you are building 1v1 battle drills, forechecking systems, or small area games, having a searchable digital library transforms practice preparation. 

 

Making the Switch: Easier Thank You Think 

 

For coaches still hesitant to make the leap from pen and paper, Scott’s advice is simple: “Buy CoachThem… it’s easy to learn and simplifies everything about drill drawing and storage.”

Getting started is straightforward: 

1. Start your 10 Day Free Trial
2. Import or create your go-to-drills
3. Build your first digital practice plan
4. Access everything from desktop or take the iOS app on the go to view your saved practice plans

Join coaches like Scott Gordon, Mitch Giguere, Mike Bonelli, our CEO Mike Weaver and more who trust CoachThem for their practice planning needs. 

Ready to simplify your coaching like Scott did? Start your free 10-day trial with CoachThem today.

 

 

 

Written by the CoachThem Team in collaboration with Scott Gordon

 

Ditch the pen and paper! Sign up or log in to create professional digital drills in minutes.

Join CoachThem Rewards to earn money by referring other coaches and growing our coaching community!