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AFM Magazine


The Last Rep

Two-a-days & Pre-season Preperation
by: Aaron S. Lee
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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






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