FOOTBALL PLAYERS HEAD INTO NEXT SEASON--SUMMER

Spring sports seasons have wrapped up on the high school and college level.  The number of states that do allow high school programs some type of spring football practice, as well as the older guys playing college football, are now gearing up for their next season.  Most fans are not as in-tune with the football players’ next season, but it is very critical to their team’s success.  The next season is summer.

No sooner than the high school year ends, most competitive programs will have their players trying to get an edge on their opponents by getting right into their summer training program, which always consists of strength-training/conditioning, and often position skill development.

Unless restricted by their state’s rules, most high schools usually run their own camp at some point in the summer, and/or go away to a college campus for some type of camp.  “Skill position players” (everyone who is not a lineman) also compete in 7 on 7 passing leagues and camps.  Even the big guys, the offensive and defensive linemen, have position drill work and camps that are geared to them improving their fundamentals and techniques.  Where at one time in history guys who played other sports didn’t start worrying about football until August rolled around, today’s high school athlete is asked to commit much more time to just one sport.  If lucky, he may find time to play two sports.

College football players get about a two week hiatus between the end of their spring semester classes and post-spring ball training workouts before the start of “voluntary” summer workouts.  These workouts are called voluntary because, according to NCAA rules, they cannot be mandatory. But, when the athletic department is footing the bill for the cost of summer school tuition, and room/board, there is a real strong understanding that players will "voluntarily"partake in these workouts.

Just as the winter off-season training program fits into the college player’s yearly cycle between the regular fall season and spring practice season, summer training fits between spring practice and fall. 

This training is usually built around four hard days of strength-training (M-T-TH-F), with Wednesday used as a recovery day.  Combined with strength work, athletes also get a mix of speed, quickness, agility and position-specific training under the hot summer sun.  To that, mix in 3-4 nights of competitive 7 on 7 passing drill competition (for skilled players) and pass protection/pass rush drills (for linemen) with competition between the team’s own offensive and defensive players.  Team leaders on each side of the ball step-up to organize these workouts which are done without the benefit of  their coaches being present.   Not done yet, players also usually spend a couple of hours or more on opponent film study at the football office.

Throw in a couple of summer school courses, and tutoring or study hall for those classes, and your average Division I football player has put in quite a week’s worth of work--not as relaxing as people would like to think.

Summer workouts are all coordinated and supervised by the strength coach and his staff.  The regular football coaching staff is not allowed to work with players on the field in the summer.  Therefore, the strength & conditioning coaches take the responsibility for, and are held accountable for, each player’s development of physical traits, as well as their mental discipline and toughness. Has each player gotten stronger, more powerful, attained ideal body weight, improved his agility/quickness?  After toiling in the heat all summer, is he mentally tougher, more disciplined?

These questions all need to be answered in the affirmative for the summer training to be deemed successful.  The ultimate test is in seeing how the rigorous training translates to actual performance on the field in September.