The Last Rep
Two-a-days & Pre-season Preperation
by: Aaron S. Lee©
More from this issue
Practice
scheduling is becoming more important with every season that passes,
so
American Football Monthly recently sat down with six of
the top coaches from around the country to get their thoughts on
some of the major issues concerning two-a-days and pre-season preparation.
How do you get yourself and your players prepared for two-a-days?
“More than anything, I want my players and my staff to be fresh
and rested ... I don’t want to go into camp feeling as though
our batteries aren’t recharged. Football coaches work as hard
as anyone in the country as we try to build teams that are competitive
and able to win games.” – David Wiemers, Head Coach,
Emporia State
“For the players, they have to be ready to handle the physical
workload ... conditioning should not take away teaching time. Off-season
strength and conditioning is crucial. Another thing is to get your
players mentally ready, by sending them letters over the summer
that motivate and educate.” – Bob Elliot, Defensive
Coordinator, Kansas State
“Your athletes must do a tremendous amount of strength and
conditioning during the summer for them to have any chance to be
comfortable during two-a-days. There is very little we can do to
approximate four or five hours in pads. Five hours in pads is still
a heck of a lot different than spending two hours in the weight
room. So you have to be very organized and make your approach to
training camp a priority.” – Tim Murphy, Head Coach,
Harvard
“Be as simple as possible and do a great job of presenting
your information so that is it easy to understand and communicate
it between each other. Players can learn a lot from other players.
Obviously, you have to be as efficient as possible. Remember, football
is a simple game made difficult by coaches, so we have to be careful
on the presentation of information.” – Bob Ligashesky,
Special Teams Coordinator, Pittsburgh
What is your purpose for two-a-day training?
“In the past, a football program could have 10 straight days
of two-a-day practices, but under new NCAA legislation a team can’t
have back-to-back two-a-day practices. This is not necessarily a
bad thing due to safety factors. But this has also opened the door
for strength and conditioning coaches. Before this new rule, off-season
summer workouts were voluntary and now we are allowed eight weeks
to get our players in the best possible shape before training camp
opens.” – William Hicks, Jr., Strength & Conditioning,
Syracuse
“When we are preparing for two-a-day camp, we stress the importance
of a solid, successful off-season strength and conditioning program,
so that when we come into camp, we are not focusing on condition,
we want to work on developing fundamentals and teamwork.” –
David Wiemers, Head Coach, Emporia State
“What you do in training camp is the foundation for the entire
season, so for me it is not just about preparing for the first game,
it is about general football and basic technique. Towards the end
of training camp, we start preparing for our first two opponents.”
– Bob Elliot, Defensive Coordinator, Kansas State
What do you look for in pre-season workouts?
“We have to be careful because it is hot ... the athletes have
to get to the water jugs and they have to be in condition when they
get to camp. As coaches, we have to be prepared to look for the
signs and symptoms of a kid that is struggling in the heat ... this
game is fun and competitive, and you have to have kids at their
best, so there is no need to drive an athlete into the dirt.”
– David Wiemers, Head Coach, Emporia State
What are some tips to help create a successful pre-season training
camp?
“We try to have all of our scripts, scouting reports and game
plans completed prior to starting training camps. Therefore, we
know what we want to accomplish during the first 25-30 practices.
Of course you can amend those schedules, but by being scripted,
you eliminate a lot of confusion and wasted time.” – Tim
Murphy, Head Coach, Harvard
“The new NCAA rule regarding two-a-day practice limitations
really hurts the incoming freshmen, so coaching staffs have to be
creative in finding new, efficient ways to teach. We are allowed
three practice hours per day, however, we only use about two and
a half hours of that time. So, we will make it a point to give the
freshmen the remaining 30 minutes of practice. That will help them
learn the system better with individual instruction.” –
Gary Nord, Head Coach, UTEP
“We are allowed eight hours of strength and conditioning per
week during the summer in preparation for training camp. Everybody
is going to start early in the summer at a moderate to low level
and as the summer progresses, they will peak to a very intense,
high level. You do your conditioning very similar to how you do
your weight training, it is a periodization program, which starts
at a moderate level and then increases the workload as the level
of the athlete increases.” – William Hicks, Jr., Strength
& Conditioning, Syracuse
When do you begin implementing your schemes?
“We try to get the majority of our defense and offense in during
the first three or four days ... the guys that struggle with this
are obviously the newcomers. We try to do a lot of walk-throughs.
Some kids can’t transfer what they see on the blackboard onto
the field, so walk-throughs are critical.” – Bob Elliot,
Defensive Coordinator, Kansas State
“We begin implementing offensive and defensive schemes on day
one. By the sixth or seventh practice we should have it fully installed.
Our goal is to not break down our players too much – only a
healthy, rested kid will produce positive results.” –
Tim Murphy, Head Coach, Harvard
What advice can you give another coach?
“I would say that you need to have your entire staff on the
same page in every way, shape or form. You have to be as thorough
as you can be and not assume anything.” – Bob Elliot,
Defensive Coordinator, Kansas State
“You know, I have a lot in common with small college and high
school coaches ... I take care of the field, I make sure the water
system is turned on and the fertilizer is spread ... I also oversee
the study hall. So, I would recommend for coaches to take the time
to enjoy the fact that you are making a difference in someone’s
life.” – Gary Nord, Head Coach, UTEP
“Look at the overall picture, which is the end result. Our
biggest objective is preparing our athletes to play the game on
Friday nights or Saturday afternoons for X number of snaps a game.
Strength and conditioning coaches are a piece of the puzzle in having
young athletes ready to play in all types of conditions against
all types of competition.” – William Hicks, Jr., Strength
& Conditioning, Syracuse