Adam Carter’s Bradwell Tiger football players got a small glimpse of the summer-pride weight workouts during his whirlwind spring.
When the players came in June 3 for the first day of summer pride workouts, they found the weight room redesigned and Carter and his coaching staff welcoming them to a new workout.
Three weeks later, the Tigers are faithfully at the Bradwell Institute weight room at 6 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and Carter is seeing improvements.
“The summer is going great,” he said. “We have a lot to accomplish in a short time. We hope to get our kids strong enough in Region 3-5A.”
Ware County won the region last year and played in the 5A state-championship game. The Gators have several Division I prospects back and are expected to play again for the 5A state title, which makes improvement paramount for the Tigers in order to be competitive.
“Our workouts are designed to increase our strength and athletic ability. Our workouts consist of the weight room, conditioning and film sessions with the players,” Carter said.
Carter and his staff constantly watch, correct and encourage the players. Occasionally, Carter gets on a weight bench with an iPad and films players to show the correct lifting techniques or praise someone who is working hard.
Every lift and exercise in the weight room is off Carter’s vocal command or whistle. Players work at a quick pace the whole time they are in the weight room.
Carter believes that speed will make the transition from the weight room to the field easier. “We work really fast in the weight room in an attempt to translate the quickness and speed, so we can keep practices and drills at game speed,” he said.
Carter praised the efforts of the upper classmen so far this summer. The Tigers are averaging about 60 players during workouts.
“Our numbers have been really good all summer long,” he said. “I would like to see more of the eighth-graders that are going to be freshman this season in the weight room, but our older guys have been really great about being in the weight room early in the morning this summer.”
All high schools have off the week of the Fourth of July.
Besides summer-pride workouts, the Tigers will participate in passing leagues and attend a defensive full-pad camp at the University of West Georgia in Carrolton later in July.