Running with chutes on the grassy field, jogging through mini hurdles, ladder drills on the track, learning function and form and pumping iron is how some of the Bradwell Tigers football players spent one week of their summer vacation.
The Tigers started their conditioning program on Monday, meeting every Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon, working on fundamentals to establish proper technique and form as they look toward the official start of football practice in August.
"Obviously the most important thing is strength," Tiger head coach Jim Walsh said. "The main emphasis is getting stronger. One of the things that has hurt us the past few seasons is we have not been very physical on the football field."
The coach said his staff decided in the spring that they were going to do what they could to become more physical and the kids have really bought into the newer training program.
"We've had some really good physical practices," he said."
He said hitting the weights and pumping iron was going to help build the players confidence and that would translate to an increased level of physical play on the field.
"The stronger you are the more confident you are," the coach added.
After hitting the iron the players were sent out to the track for light conditioning and running tech-
niques.
"In this phase of the conditioning we are working more on form than
we are anything else," the coach said. "We are just trying to teach the kids how to run correctly, proper techniques, creating foot speed, everything that includes form and function. Later we will go indoors and learn a little about passing, formations and seven on seven."
Around 75 players have routinely arrived for the morning sessions
and the coaching staff thinks they
will peak at 135 when other players finish summer baseball, come back from vacation, or finish summer school.
The Tigers started their conditioning program on Monday, meeting every Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon, working on fundamentals to establish proper technique and form as they look toward the official start of football practice in August.
"Obviously the most important thing is strength," Tiger head coach Jim Walsh said. "The main emphasis is getting stronger. One of the things that has hurt us the past few seasons is we have not been very physical on the football field."
The coach said his staff decided in the spring that they were going to do what they could to become more physical and the kids have really bought into the newer training program.
"We've had some really good physical practices," he said."
He said hitting the weights and pumping iron was going to help build the players confidence and that would translate to an increased level of physical play on the field.
"The stronger you are the more confident you are," the coach added.
After hitting the iron the players were sent out to the track for light conditioning and running tech-
niques.
"In this phase of the conditioning we are working more on form than
we are anything else," the coach said. "We are just trying to teach the kids how to run correctly, proper techniques, creating foot speed, everything that includes form and function. Later we will go indoors and learn a little about passing, formations and seven on seven."
Around 75 players have routinely arrived for the morning sessions
and the coaching staff thinks they
will peak at 135 when other players finish summer baseball, come back from vacation, or finish summer school.