Perfect Amount of Practice time in Summer?

1:30 Monday and Thursday and usually a team camp sprinkled in there for around a 2 hour day.

I intended it to mean all: football related, STC, SAQ, film, yoga, 7 on 7, whatever you have players do

I have been thinking about this a lot lately.

Since 2018, our high school program probably averages around 6-8 hours per week in the summer. Give or take, that breaks down to about 4 hours of weight training (4x a week, sessions are about an hour), 1 or 2 practices that are about 2 hours each, and a couple 7 on 7s. I think they also attend a 3-day camp at a D3 school in July.

In 2018, we had a terrific, senior-heavy team. The team went 12-1 and made it to the state semifinals. However, the last three seasons, our record is 7-17. And 4 of those wins came in 2019 when we still had a handful of players from that good 2018 team. So, things have been trending down since that 2018 season.

I would argue that our team would have essentially the same record these past three years if they hadn't done ANYTHING during the summer. I have to wonder that at some point, when do you take a look at what you are doing and realize that the juice just isn't worth the squeeze? I think about all that time and energy that has been spent over the past three years. All those 6am sessions in the weight room. All those nights spent standing around the practice field in humid, 90 degree height in June and July. At this point in my life, I just can't comprehend that much energy and effort for so little return. And all for a $2500 stipend.

I haven't coached high school football since 2009. But I think that if I was ever to get back into it, we would do a maximum of 2 days a week and it would just be SAQ. We wouldn't touch a football until August.

My first year with my current program we lifted/ran for about an hour or so and then spent maybe 45 minutes on the field afterwards plus some 7s on Sunday evenings. Couldnt do much more than that because we had low numbers and most guys weren't real committed to football. After a good first year we had a lot of kids excited about football and a lot of returning players. The kids wanted to really get after it and we went whole hog 5 days a week with lifting, running, 7s, practice, etc. Probably about 2.5 hours every day. We had a great season and got much better on offense by sharpening things up over the summer. 3rd year same scenario, lots of energy and excitement. Same schedule thru the summer but by the last few weeks of the season I could tell the kids and even some coaches were checked out. We had just pushed too hard for too long, we had basically been 24/7 football for 2 years.

I think it depends a lot on where you're at as a program and the mix of kids you've got. What worked year 1 wouldnt have been good for year 2, but probably would've been perfect for year 3. I dont think theres any hard and fast rule but I'd err on the side of less.

This summer we’re going 5:30-9:30AM M-R. First 1:30 is weights and meetings, then 2 hours of practice and 30 minutes of conditioning. None of it is mandatory but our kids are pretty bought in so we have good numbers.

If you ask me, it’s way too much and we would be fine with half that time. I can’t pretend it’s not helping, because our kids are already grasping the schemes better and getting stronger than they were even in the spring, but at a certain point I think it’s overkill. The team has not had a lot of success historically and our HC believes we have the talent and culture to have a breakout year this year, and while I agree with him, I’m afraid that we’re gonna burn the kids out.

It’s not my place to tell him what to do, especially since I just joined the staff in the spring, but it’s definitely something that I’m thinking about how I will handle differently when I’m in charge of a program one day.

I don’t think there’s a one size fits all answer. I think if you have a simple scheme and the kids have been in it their whole lives, you can get away with just lifting in the summer. I think if you have a more complex scheme, you’ll need a little bit more time to meet/walkthrough on the field. I don’t think anybody needs more than 2 hours a day, 4 days a week and I think most programs could cut out some of what they do in the summer for the sake of their coaches/kids.

my highlighted part is what I think is missed in your query by most.

I agree 100%. I’m hopeful that by next summer I’ll have enough pull with the HC to convince him to change it a little bit, but even if not, it’s a reason ( among others) that I know this won’t be a long term stop for me.

Its a real concern for some of us, I realize that a lot of people dont have to deal with it- but I just wanted to clear all the variables

Good point. Situations vary.

My philosophy was to do what I felt was necessary for us to have a chance to compete without burning out players or coaches.

Plus I didn't want to be mad at kids when practice started for missing stuff in June-July.

One of my former assistants who was a successful HC for several years told me the biggest reason he got out was he was tired of begging kids to come to Off-Season weights.

BITD, when I played (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) and early in my coaching career the first day of Football in August was a day of great excitement, enthusiasm, and anticipation.

Now at most places it's just another day at school when you've already been there all summer.

I think you should go the absolute "bare minimum" that will allow you to keep your job and win games. Whatever that means for your school/state and situation. We have become our own worst enemy with summer workouts, 7 on 7, etc. Kids and coaches need time off and time away from each other.

If you are well organized and have great systems during the school year that 6-8 weeks during the summer isn't making much of a difference. In fact it has the opposite effect for football. If you "grind" all summer the kids are already wore out by fall camp. You have 3-4 weeks of practice and preseason and then you start your games? That summer/pre season might last longer than the actual season.

Kind of interesting how what you said in that next to last paragraph has an economics angle to it, it's a buyer's market vs seller's market dynamic, or monopolistic market vs open market...

I would do what we currently do or LESS.

Tue 9am-noon weights/plyos/agilities/acceleration work/specialty/offense
Wed 9am-11:30 on the track - speed work specialty/offense/defense
Thu 9am-noon weights/plyos/agilities/top end speed work/specialty/defense

That is the outline anyways.

No 7 on 7's and no OTA's.

I could live with no Wednesdays. In fact, I have not done Weds for all but the last three years. Took over a program during Covid and didn't get to meet the kids until June 10, so Wednesday was necessary that year. Have just kept it.


We will add in conditioning starting next week. That adds in 10-20 minutes extra. I always start that after July 4 week.

What on God's green Earth is the rationale for starting ANY HS activity at 5:30 am?!

We are probably right on the line as far as doing too much. But. It’s pretty much in line with what other programs around us that are successful are doing. And I have seen us get us get better at football during the month of June.

We got Mon-Thur 9-about 12.
Kids are fed light breakfast and school lunch from cafeteria.
Warmup and lift takes about an hour. Then I give them about 10 minutes to rest and get their cleats and get up to practice field. Then we do speed/agility/conditioning for about 30 min. Give them 10 min to get in shade and rest. Then practice 1 side of the ball for an hour. We do either 1 or 2 7 on 7s per week during that same time.

I would not object to doing the same work but only going 3 days a week. Tues-Thur. But. Keeping up with the Jones….