I am curious what some everyones experience is for off season training. I have seen schools run the spectrum on this. Some do almost nothing, some do a generic workout on your own and I imagine some do alot more. A thousand years ago, i remember getting a pretty detailed weight lifting plan for each player where we tracked on sheets throughout the offseason. What is everyone else seeing?
Off season training
- Thread starter FballDaddy
- Start date
At Oswego, if you are not in a Winter/Spring sport, the weight room is your sport. Workouts are listed each day, they are monitored and attendance is taken (but not mandatory). They celebrate those that have attendance over a certain percentage of days as well.
In the dark ages (B.C.) we'd get off to the Monday after Thanksgiving. I'll bet here are a lot of teams that are in full blown workouts the Monday after their season ended. Most of the successful programs have a coach that is dedicated to strength training and conditioning. Kids now have a dedicated app on their phones that lays out their training program and tracks their progress. Parents that can afford it also are sending their kids to outside of the school programs. You see all summer QB's WR's and DB's are at 7 on 7 camps. Kids are working out year round now. Agility and speed camps are run year round for all sports.
I always get a kick out of the kids who spend tons of money on speed camps when they have good track programs.
To my knowledge these camps also work hard on agility training since on one on a football field runs in a straight. Years ago I took my son to a hitting coach during the winter. While he was in the cage with the hitting coach I was hitting Golf balls in a different area. It was a good deal. My son eventually gave up baseball later but it took my golf game from bad to mediocre. Off season workouts are good way to keep the kids busy if their not playing sports.
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Imo, year round training is a direct correlation to wins. Directly. I don’t care what offensive scheme you run, the team who wins is the usually the stronger faster team who dedicated themselves more than the other over 4 years. You build a program in the weightroom, not through Xs and Os.
Meh. The vast majority of teams lift year round. Eating properly and access to the correct food separate the most. Two kids can do the same workout but if one kid is eating chicken breast and broccoli for dinner and the other is eating some generic cereal from Aldi, you are not getting the same results.
Certainly don't disagree with this, however, athletes these days have so many nutritional options, I'm willing to bet most are supplementing some of their nutrition with shakes and protein bars, etc.
You’re spot on. I don’t care what sport or position you play, track and field can make everyone a better athlete. Even lineman can benefit from discus or shot.
I have seen a few kids really blossom from speed training/camps, but do you know what all of them had in common? They were also on the track team in the spring.
Coach Schott was old school and the AD - pushed us to play three seasons of whatever. There was not much access to our mediocre weight room during the summer.
He just expected you to be ready come August 15. On the first day, in helmets, everyone had to run the mile. Linemen in 6:30 minutes and backs in 6:00.
That's how he knew who was in shape. You ran that mile every day until you hit the time.
He just expected you to be ready come August 15. On the first day, in helmets, everyone had to run the mile. Linemen in 6:30 minutes and backs in 6:00.
That's how he knew who was in shape. You ran that mile every day until you hit the time.
I'd rather see my lineman running the sprints. That will make them better football players not shot or disc.
I know places that are working 3 days a week after MLK day thru April on skills and competition.
Weight room and speed training seems to be outsourced these days. Long gone are legit weight lifting programs at certain programs. I have seen some changing to more “cross-fit” type trainjng
one school who will ALWAYS ATTACK the IRON is JCA. Francis Ruettiger is a world by himself when it comes to training those kids!
Weight room and speed training seems to be outsourced these days. Long gone are legit weight lifting programs at certain programs. I have seen some changing to more “cross-fit” type trainjng
one school who will ALWAYS ATTACK the IRON is JCA. Francis Ruettiger is a world by himself when it comes to training those kids!
Bending the knees and getting power is way more important than straight line speed for OL
In my area, there's basically 3-4 gym options with professional coaching on lifts. I see HS coaches encouraging kids to lift at the school, as if to say they don't want kids elsewhere instead. I get it if they're at Lifetime or Xsport or Planet Fitness, but they are probably getting better training on technique at your crossfit, or athlete training facility vs the open gym concept. No doubt that kids in this area are active in 2-3 sports and lifting also. I just haven't seen it translate to Ws like I honestly believed it would. So while I agree that lifting is crucial, I can say positively it does not always equate to Ws. Scheme and coaching play a big role along with just flat out talent. Nowadays there are some coaches that are sound in lifting techniques. Schools with those coaches, hold in to those coaches........not easy to come by........ There is so much more than your basic lifts now that are so valuable.
I did track just to develop speed and cardio fitness. That sub 6 mile end of the Summer, not a problem at all. I like the track idea still for kids who don't have a spring sport. Great way to get away from heavy load on shoulder joints and back stress all week long in the gym.
Diversification in training is good not just for the body but also the mind, reducing burnout/mental fatigue.
I did track just to develop speed and cardio fitness. That sub 6 mile end of the Summer, not a problem at all. I like the track idea still for kids who don't have a spring sport. Great way to get away from heavy load on shoulder joints and back stress all week long in the gym.
Diversification in training is good not just for the body but also the mind, reducing burnout/mental fatigue.
I laugh at the programs that get back into weight rooms as soon as their season ends. How about giving kids a break? Start up at the new year. It’s sad to think that some coaches think lifting in November / December and over the holidays will win a game in August.
This is how you get freshmen that stop playing by senior year.
There’s a couple dozen guys who can move the needle in a program. They others just don’t have it. The ones who do, will put in the work. Culture shifts.
Althoff is now a perennial boys soccer title contender and we struggles with football - 325 kids or so, so it’s more productive to stack your athletes on the pitch than the gridiron, if you consider numbers.
Althoff is now a perennial boys soccer title contender and we struggles with football - 325 kids or so, so it’s more productive to stack your athletes on the pitch than the gridiron, if you consider numbers.
I have always thought a factor in steering a player into track/field (or other sports) was somewhat dependent upon the similarities between the 2 programs in terms of organization, culture, standards and the like. Having a coach (or 2) who crossed-over between the 2 sports was always helpful in this regard.
If you are a lineman you should consider taking part in your schools wrestling program even if you are a novice wrestler and not very good at it. Wrestling will teach leverage stance, power, foot speed, balance etc.
Off the top of my head I can name 4 all state, P5 college lineman that wrestled in HS.
Off the top of my head I can name 4 all state, P5 college lineman that wrestled in HS.
Coach Schott took over as manager for our 1991 A Baseball championship team after the longtime manager had a medical issue, He told the team. “We’re gonna do this just like football - out hit them.”
Are the JCA coaches involved at all? Fresh-Seniors all workout there and none at the school?
Rudy is the strength coach, so he runs it with some help. All levels go there. They dont lift at the school.
What’s sooooo good to see is the placement of the bar on low on their shoulders where it is supposed to be! Not up in their shoulder girdle.
yeah that’s REAL POWERLIFTING FOOTBALL TRAINING! I would be less than 1/2 the teams in the state squat, deadlift, and just overall train like that!
Kudos to Francis & the JCA staff. Coaches in the past were smart enough to stay out of those Francis’ way and let him do his thing.
That’s really really inspirational to see!
yeah that’s REAL POWERLIFTING FOOTBALL TRAINING! I would be less than 1/2 the teams in the state squat, deadlift, and just overall train like that!
Kudos to Francis & the JCA staff. Coaches in the past were smart enough to stay out of those Francis’ way and let him do his thing.
That’s really really inspirational to see!