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AFM Magazine


Motivation & Leadership During The Off-Season

by: Matt Walter
Strength and Conditioning Coach • Emporia State University
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The off-season in competitive college football has become almost non-existent. The so-called ‘off-season’ has become, in itself, a competitive season. At Emporia State University we have developed the POWER OF E off-season program. Just like any good college program, everyone takes pride in their player development. We believe we have a unique way of doing it with our program. Through this program we believe that we maximize our player’s potential with a focus on competitiveness, leadership, accountability, and ownership. This begins the day the season is over and concludes when pre-season camp begins.   

The meaning of the E is our motivational tool for our coaches to convey what team building and our off-season should entail. The E stands for Effort, Enthusiasm, Education, Energy, Explosiveness, and Execution. We make these words the cornerstone of our off-season program. Each one has a tangible, measurable, meaning and goal for each player.  

Effort - When the game starts, there is no change in speed.

Enthusiasm - Intense approach to the game and our culture.

Education - To develop the mind, knowledge of the game, and skill.

Energy - A large amount of force and vigor helps us reach our full potential.

Explosiveness - A burst of power to help push us past our mental and physical limits.

Execution - To perform quicker, faster, stronger and to gain a mental and physical edge over our opponent.

These words are posted in our staff rooms, our locker room and our weight room so that our athletes have a sense of urgency each and every time they go to work. One thing that I have always believed is that the best programs and philosophy are ones that the players believe in and not necessarily the most scientific.

The first thing that gets implemented as soon as the season ends is the Hornet Games. The entire team is divided into eight smaller teams of 10 players on each team. This is done through a team draft. Sixteen captains (2 on each team - 7 offensive, 7 defensive and 2 specialists) are chosen by the coaching staff. These captains then chose (by top to bottom, bottom to top) draft picks of each player on the roster until all players have been chosen. This makes leaders out of your captains. The teams earn or lose points based on certain criteria. 

The teams earn points during Friday competition day for winning events on the field and in the weight room. They can also earn points for good grades and for community service hours. They lose points for tardiness, poor grades, coming in last in events (individual or team) and for any public embarrassment. This creates accountability for each player. Points are totaled throughout the off-season and tallied at the end of the off-season. The winning team gets the satisfaction of coming in first in the Hornet Games and they have their team picture hung in the weight room. We have the team that finished last do manual labor around the facilities before the summer begins. This is just a great way of motivating our athletes.

Competitions during the games include an Obstacle Course Relay, Tire Flip Relay, Truck Push, Sand Bag Relay, 400-Meter Relay, and a Team Obstacle Course. The individual events include the Yoke Walk, 225 rep test, Bar Hangs, Move the Mountain competition, and a Med-Ball Throw. We also include our testing numbers that we take during test week on our core lifts and linear, lateral speed tests which are also a part of the competition. Each individual receives points for certain numbers achieved in each competition and personal bests that an individual reaches. Throughout this entire process coaches keep accurate records and post them at three separate locations in our weight facility so that everyone can see how each individual on the team is doing. This puts an emphasis on each person to do his absolute best.   

The last event we perform before the end of our off-season is a weight lifting competition that we call the ‘Night of Champions.’ We hold a powerlifting meet with the players who have qualified for this competition during their test week prior to spring football practices. The event is held on the field in our stadium, so that fans, friends, students and family can attend. 

The top three at the starter skill level, middle skill level, and big skill level all compete in the bench, squat, and power clean. The format calls for three attempts at the lift in which they qualify (1 rep max) and the player with the highest weight total wins that event in their position category. In addition to the powerlifting competition, we have other players compete in various strongman events to get more of the team involved. Again, this is another way we breed competition into our off-season.  

The Hornet Games is our way of making monotonous running and lifting a competitive, fun, rewarding environment to improve our team’s overall skill level. However, the bottom line is still winning and losing. This is an effective way to emphasize that. It is often the football coach’s job to motivate his players in order to get the best out of each one of them. However, with the Power of E and the Hornet Games, that onus is placed on the players themselves and makes them take ownership of the team.This way, we develop leaders, create a competitive, team environment, and teach accountability. It also shows us who is not willing to put the team before self. We believe that our off-season program has become the backbone of our football program and has put us in the best position to become successful in the fall.  u

About the Author:  Matt Walter begins his second season this fall as wide receivers coach, special teams coach, and director of strength and conditioning for Emporia State. He previously was the strength and conditioning coach for New Mexico State over the last four seasons. Walter also coached at both Southeastern Louisiana and Louisiana Tech. As a running back at Northwest Oklahoma State, he helped the Rangers win the NAIA national title in 1999.






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