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It doesn't take much practice to successfully rip a board. The table saw does most of the work. You just push the board, hopefully with a push stick. If there's a Rule #1 for table saw use it's to never let your fingers get close to the spinning blade. There's also the chance the wood could kick and the momentum of your hand could take it right into the blade.

The best accessory for a table saw is a quality carbide tipped blade. Dull table saw blades are actually dangerous.

Set your blade height so the cutting edge of the blade peaks over the top of the board by no more than a 1/2". This will reduce burning, increase cutting speed and reduce the chance of the board kicking back on you.

One area I'd practice is (if you can) how to turn off the saw with your knee. This way you can use both hands to secure the board.