AFM RSS Feed Follow Us on Twitter       
AMERICAN FOOTBALL MONTHLY THE #1 RESOURCE FOR FOOTBALL COACHES
ABOUT |  CONTACT |  ADVERTISE |  HELP  



   User Name    Password 
      Password Help





Article Categories


AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Do your Players Measure Up?

by: Rod Smith
© More from this issue

Click for Printer Friendly Version          

As a coach, you tell you players that to be successful, they must work hard. This is true whether they are on the field, in the classroom or in the weight room. But players want proof that they are indeed improving. How can you reassure and motivate them so they will remain diligent in their training?

The answer is simple: testing. With a basic testing program, you can measure, evaluate, set goals for and motivate your athletes. Testing will also let you design workouts to meet the specific needs of each athlete and your entire team. No longer will you have to wonder: Are my players actually getting bigger, stronger or faster? You will have concrete proof.

Testing fundamentals

While the way you test your athletes and the results will vary, one thing is inviolate - all tests should have a purpose. Never test your athletes solely for the sake of testing. Proper testing will reveal athletes' strengths and weaknesses. It will help them establish goals and give them motivation to attain them.

Irregular or infrequent testing will produce meaningless results and haphazard improvements. Most importantly, athletes will lose motivation.

A standard schedule is paramount to effective testing. Conducting a basic or even comprehensive battery of tests once a year is not enough. You should test your players at least three times a year - pre-season (August), post-season (November/December), and off-season (March or prior to spring football).

You may want to increase the number of tests you conduct during the off-season. Three times a year is the minimum number you need to properly evaluate your athletes, establish individual and team goals, and motivate players to improve.

Another component of proper testing is reliability. In other words, are your test results credible, or would there be different results if someone else conducted the test? For any test to be reliable, it must be conducted in the same manner and under near identical conditions each time it is given.

Four factors can effect the consistency of a testing program: the order of the tests; conditions, such as wind, surface, heat; the athlete's state of health and mind, and the measurement devices used. For example, timing half your athletes in the 40-yard dash with an electronic timer and the rest with a stopwatch diminishes the reliability of your measurements.

The tests

A basic testing regimen will measure agility, speed, muscular endurance, power, flexibility and anaerobic capacity. Here's some of the standard tests and advice on how each of the tests should be conducted:

Height - A player should be measured at least once a year. For accurate results, affix a tape measure or other measuring tool to a wall. Use this wall to measure every athlete every time. Athletes should always be barefoot. Have the player place his heels, buttocks and shoulders against the tape. Make sure his chin is level and his eyes are focused straight ahead. Find the crown of his head using a ruler or other straight-edge. Measure to the nearest one-half inch.

Weight - Players should be weighed each week. Athletes should wear T-shirts and athletic shorts; no shoes. Make sure that the scale is far enough away from the wall so players can not use the wall to increase or decrease the reading. The use of a digital scale is recommended.

40-yard dash - Have athletes start from a three-point stance and sprint as fast as they can to the finish line. If you are using a stopwatch, you should have three people timing each trial and average the times. You may want to add additional timers for 10-, 20-, or 30-yard splits.

Timing should begin when athletes lift their down hand off the ground. Each player should get three tries in as similar conditions and on as like surfaces as possible. Softer surfaces will result in slower times. Electronic timers add approximately two-tenths of a second to a 40-yard time.

Instruct players to run through the finish not just to it. The timer must anticipate the finish, so that time is stopped as the athlete's foot crosses the finish line.

Factors such as wind, the poor reaction of the timers, poor arm drive, bad leg lift, or letting up before the finish can all add tenths of a second to the athlete's time. However, none effects the time more than a poor start.

Gary Shepard, whose company Bigger Faster Stronger specializes in teaching coaches and athletes the proper way to train, recommends using what he calls a "modified track stance." He says players can use it to reduce their 40-yard times by a tenth of a second or more.

In the three-point stance, the athlete positions the foot he will drive off of about four inches behind the starting line. His opposite hand should be placed on the ground just behind the starting line, with the thumb and index finger flush with the line and extended as if he were doing a finger tip push up. The other arm should be cocked back above his hips. The back foot should be positioned about one foot behind the toe of the lead foot. The feet should be parallel, about shoulder-width apart.

Aside from getting in the proper stance, players should keep their heads down and hips up. They should focus their eyes three to five feet in front of them and be relaxed, not tight. Pressure on the down hand should be intense. "If somebody were to knock your lead hand out from underneath you, you'd fall on your face," Shepard says.

Perfecting the modified track start takes practice - at least three or five reps twice a week.

Testing, meanwhile, should be conducted at least once, ideally twice, a month during the off-season so athletes can monitor their progress.

For coaches who have to conduct the test indoors during the winter, he suggests timing shorter distances like 20 yards and putting padding on the walls near the finish line as a safety precaution.

Finally, Shepard warns against over-correcting athletes. "You can only get an athlete to focus on one thing at a time. You can't say keep your toes pointed straight, keep your arms at a right angle and go north and south with your arms instead of east and west. That's too much."

Vertical jump - A good test of explosive leg power, the vertical jump requires two measurements. First, affix a tape measure or meter stick to the wall and draw a square on the ground marking where the player should stand. Have the player stand with his side to the wall, and his feet and hips next to it. With his feet flat on the ground, he should reach as high as possible and make a mark on the wall. Then, have him bend his knees, jump as high as he can, and make a second mark on the wall. Do not allow shuffle steps or run-ups. Measure the distance between the two marks to the nearest half-inch. Take the best of three trials.

Inaccurate measurements happen when athletes intentionally or unintentionally cheat. Make sure the athlete is reaching as high as he can when he makes his first mark.

Some athletes also have difficulty making the second mark on the wall at the peak of their jump. Practicing the drill will help him avoid such problems.

Bench press - A football testing staple for many years, the bench press can be used to test either muscular strength or muscular endurance. The one-rep max test - where the lifter increases the weight until he can no longer achieve a single successful attempt - measures muscular strength. To test endurance, pre-select a weight and have your athletes do as many repetitions as possible.

At the professional level the standard weight is 225 pounds. For high school and even some college athletes this is too heavy. At the high school level, a 185-pound weight will probably yield more meaningful results.

Another method that can be used to test bench strength or endurance is the estimated maximum test. Have athletes choose a weight they can press five to eight times. If they successfully attempt 200 pounds eight times, then increase the weight to 210 or 215 and have them repeat the test. Using an estimated maximum chart, you will then be able to determine their one rep max.

In each of the tests, the athletes should lie flat on the bench with the bar directly over their eyes. They should use a comfortable, moderately close grip with thumb to index finger lock grip. Their feet should be under their knees and flat on the floor, their hips should maintain contact with the bench at all times, while their upper back and shoulders put pressure on the bench. A spotter should be used at all times.

20-yard shuttle - Also called the 20-yard short shuttle or pro agility drill, this drill tests an athlete's lateral agility. Position three cones in a straight line five yards apart. (On a field, the yard-markers work well.) Athletes start at the middle cone and can choose to go either to the right or to the left. They should sprint five yards to the first cone, turn and sprint ten yards to the far cone, and then turn again and sprint back to the middle cone.

Unless you are using an electronic timer, two timers should be used for each trial and then the times should be averaged. Timing starts when the athlete lifts his hand off the ground and stops when he gets back to the middle cone. Each player should get three tries with full recovery in between.

Players should be told to stay low, keep their hips and shoulders down, maintain a low center of gravity, and use smooth, fluid movements around the cones.

While athletes must start in a three-point stance, they should not attempt to use the same type of sprinter's stance as the 40-yard dash because the first movement is lateral, not forward. They shouldn't have any of their weight forward because they should be ready to move sideways. If they're going to move left, they should put their left hand down and vice versa.

Standing long jump - A good test for leg power, the standing long jump is an easy test to run. Put a strip of tape or draw a line on the floor, have the player jump forward and measure from the tape to the athlete's back heel.

Athletes should stand on the line with their feet parallel at about shoulder width and their weight should be distributed evenly over their feet. After crouching low to gain momentum, they should jump straight ahead.

It is important for players to coordinate the arm swing and properly flex their ankles, knees and hips. Tell them to keep their legs bent. Also, tell them to focus on jumping horizontally instead of vertically. After all, they're going for distance, not height.

Flexibility - The stand and reach test is a good way to measure hamstring flexibility. Have players stand on a box or elevated platform and reach for their toes. They should extend as far past their feet as possible. Do not allow them to bounce.

If they can touch their feet, they get a zero. Any point below their feet is a negative measurement, such as -4 inches, and any point above their feet is a positive number, such as +3 inches. After they have warmed up, test athletes twice and record their best score at one-half inch intervals.

The sit and reach test is a variation of the same test. Have athletes sit on the floor against a wall and measure how far beyond their feet they can reach. Put a heavy object against their feet so they can reach as far as possible without moving.

Medicine ball throw - A good way to test upper body power is to have players sit on the ground and throw a 10-pound medicine ball. Athletes should sit against a wall with their rear ends four to six inches from the wall. With their legs straight out, they should hold the ball against their chest and heave it forward, similar to doing a chest pass in basketball. Check to make sure their shoulders do not leave the wall and don't let them rock to increase their momentum. Measure how far they throw the ball from the wall. Record the best of three trials.

Pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and dips - Have players perform these four exercises and judge their form and number of repetitions. For pull-ups, push-ups and dips execute as many as possible. For sit-ups, complete as many as possible in one minute.

The correct pull-up form includes an overhand grip, chin over the bar, and no body swaying. For push-ups, the athlete must keep his back straight and touch the chest on the floor. On dips, make sure his elbows bend to 90 degrees. For sit-ups, make sure he keeps his knees bent and doesn't use his head to pull his body off the floor.

300-yard shuttle run - The longest of the shuttle runs, this test measures anaerobic endurance. It can be conducted inside or outside. If outside, athletes begin at the goal line, sprint 25 yards, pivot, and sprint back to the goal line continuously until they complete a total of six round trips, which will equal 300 yards. Athletes must step on both start and turn around lines with their nearest foot when changing directions. After completing of the first trial, give athletes a five-minute rest before having them perform the test again. Average their two trials and record the time.

Cardiovascular endurance - While not the most important test of your athletes' overall football ability, the aerobic endurance test will give you a general measurement of their overall stamina and cardiovascular conditioning. Choose a distance - 1, 1.5 or 2 miles - or a time - 12 minutes - and record the appropriate time or distance covered.

These are just a few of the tests that you can use to measure and determine whether or not your players continue to improve. It's up to you to decide when to test and which tests are right for your athletes and program. Good luck.






NEW BOOK!

AFM Videos Streaming Memberships Now Available Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach



















HOME
MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE COLUMNISTS COACHING VIDEOS


Copyright 2024, AmericanFootballMonthly.com
All Rights Reserved