How much time is too much time?

Southern California has no limit on summer time, other than a 3 week dead period(which many easily loophole); Outside of that summer time is not regulated. I am at a program that spends too much time in the summer; our players go 24 hours a week (not including passing tournaments). I would say this is absurd, but I see more and more turning to similar type stuff. Part of it is helicopter coaching, part of it is keeping up with the joneses (gotta do it because if we don't and lose we'll look lazy) we've discussed this here many times before. Much of it is wasted time and filler.

It has a negative effect on the players as most of them are drained very early in the season. And yes I know this happens everywhere, but please remember much of what we do is busy work and they recognize that. Coaches, we're coaches we'll get by, even as we try to fight for our players to be allowed to put in a reasonable amount of work.

Now, as to how to determine how much time is too much, well thats tricky. Its like driving on the freeway: anyone going faster than you is a maniac, anyone going slower is causing traffic. You could argue that as long as players are developing skills meaningful to the season then the time is not too much; although I feel there needs to be a relative value of the usefulness in relation to time spent. Spending hours in July installing your 14th most used coverage won't have much of an impact on Ws & Ls come October, and may be indicative of coaches who place an over importance on their Xs & Os. Continually, we as coaches most likely have a skewed perspective on how important our craft is in the lives of these young men. For certain we do good work, but there is a diminishing marginal return in regards to time and work that we may not always see- there are more things to life and the development of these kids than football.

In general, I prefer to aim for kids to put forth about 75 minutes a day M-F of athletic improvement (weights, speed, agility stamina). With an additional 3-5 hours a week of on the field/classroom work (and maybe a passing tournament or two for the experience of it). This breaks down to approximately 10 hours a week. I think this will have kids prepared enough that we will NOT need to have long two-a-day practice fall camp practices (bump up to a total of 18 hours a week including athletic development) in camp, yet be fully prepared to play winning football come the start of the season.

I don't think I would coach football if I had to spend 24 hours a week in the summer on it.

Illinois has 25 contact days.

We go 3 weeks in June 8-11 M-Th then 3 weeks in July same thing. Mixture of lifting,agility and actual football stuff.

We are at most 12 during the summer but probably closer to 10 most weeks. Done by 10am on Thursday each week so they get almost 4 days full days off each weekend. We had a Saturday 7 on 7 tourney a few weeks ago and have a Friday tourney in a couple weeks but otherwise it's 10-12 hours a week.

I'll put this as diplomatically as I can:  I think you guys are out of your freakin' minds. 

Where I'm at now the weight room is open 5 days a week in the morning and evening. We ask our kids to make 12 all summer long.

The varsity kids will go out and throw Tuesday/Thursday at 8 am, plus 7 on 7s.

We started the JV kids doing the same thing this summer and it was going so well that we cut down to just Tuesdays. We want our kids to be kids and have a great summer.

I'll put it as plainly as I can, we are. Not my call, I just work there.

I agree with this 100%.  I have had 3 different HC's and I am now in a new program so I have seen a lot of different philosophies on how to approach the summer.  I've worked with coaches who want to go 4 days a week in June and July which is okay if you have the type of kids that like that, and luckily we did that season. 

I think it is important to get some work done in the summer along with work in the weightroom and agilities.  This year is the most relaxed summer I have worked for and it is also the most successful program in the area.  We are currently doing Camp for 2.5 hours 3 days a week and 1 7 on 7 a week.  All of this is completed after weights.  Our last day of camp is late next week and kids and coaches get 3 weeks before we start in August. 

It is important for both kids and coaches to get away from the game and each other.  Last season we had one week off before the season started and both the coaches and players were pretty much sick of each other when the season started.  


 

Crazy thing about Southern California is you go all summer with zero regulations and then you hit 2 a days and there's an 18 hour a week rule with only 90 minutes of contact per week. Seems like summer should be more regulated.  Southern California has gotten a little out of control with most teams doing some kind of 4-way 7 on 7 and linemen 1 on 1's twice a week. And of course there's the weekly weekend passing tournament. Yes, it's definitely overkill when there aren't any pads on. I find it hilarious when you see these wing-t or double wing teams throwing the football twice a week when they only throw the ball 5 times a game! 

I'm learning that this is so very true. What I notice is that we as coaches put in so much time, make so many sacrifices, and when the players (and even assistants) don't we become bitter and resentful toward them. It's important to make time for yourself too and for your kids. I hear so many coaches say things like: "I should be with my kids right now, but instead I'm here." Well, then don't schedule the darn thing and be with your kid. And you know what your players are thinking? "I should be swimming with my friends right now but instead I'm here." When everyone is thinking they should be somewhere else, then you should all be somewhere else!