a sense of urgency

We use the off-season as a time to 'simmer'. We have agilities and weight training for 1 1/2 hours, 3 times a week, where we make a concerted effort to not be too overbearing. For the first couple of off-seasons I hated it. Thought it should be more intense - with more of a sense of urgency. But now I see why the head coach set it up this way. We consistently get about 80% of our team there (50+). Even the lacrosse, baseball and track kids try to make it. We have fun and do some unofficial 'instructing' without using balls, but in a much less intense way. The kids seem to really respond to this relaxed teaching approach. It's a great time to really get to know the players and build a team. When the spring sports end, we pick it up a notch - slowly building momentium until the season starts and we're at full boil.

Our situation is kind of like Mavs... We go 2 days a week for 8 weeks (plus 5 days in class). We usually have short, intense workouts (speed, power, agility). We have had 2 players miss 1 each... everyone else has been there.

In some ways though... we really press the urgency (in training... anyway). In order to get that urgency, I am usually pretty negative (from June on I start to get positive). I nag constantly about: grades, work ethic (being in the weight room is one thing- being there to get better is another), the need to improve all areas and the fact that our talent will not take us very far. That probably seems harsh... and I'll be honest, our guys do a lot of stuff out of fear... the last time our program did not qualify for the state playoffs none of our players were alive. There is pressure from community, alumni, etc.

I talk about our weight board a lot (name on board/shirt for 200 bench, 200 clean, 315 squat, plus higher levels on all)... There has been a direct correlation between wins and people on the board... for the last 5 years, we have won exactly 3 games less than players on the board (so 10 on the wt. board, we win 7, 14 on the board, we win 11.... we are a tiny school, by the way. Roster has been 15-24). This January we had 4 returning players on the board. I simply pointed that out and mentioned that it looked like 1-7 for us. We now have 9 on the board... with about 4 more who are close. If we get those next 4 on board... I do not think we will win 10 games (unless we play about 50), but our kids do... so for us, there are times pressing urgency is needed/helpful.

At first we tried the typical offseason push, with a mantra about making the commitment, paying the price, etc. When we got them there we would be constantly pushing them. Soon the numbers would drop and all you'd have is your core handful of players there.

Last year the head coach asked us to ease off and included more free time. They must have a focused 35-40 minute workout in the weight room, then the remaining time was used on agilities of their choice. The linemen love the tennis ball 'take off' drill, ladders and wall ball competitions. Once a week, they'll choose to play capture the flag or have 5 on 5 touch tournaments. They play these games and don't realize they're working out and building team chemistry.
I can honestly tell you I was pissed off when we went to this format -- where was the constant intensity and sense of urgency? Now that I've stepped back and seen the attendance numbers remain high, I'm sold on the approach.

Right now we have a sense of excitement but certainly ont urgency by the majority of our kids. Our HC is very laid back in the off season and we have zero football related meetings etc with our kids. I am not making a criticism but that is how it is, it seems to work here. I run the wt room and train kids at a health club as well, so I have a lot of contact with kids. They are excited about our chances, and some of them are working very hard to improve themselves.

We've had great success on the varsity level the past 3 seasons (34-3) but our seniors-to-be have struggled. As frosh, their two teams were a combined 1-17. As sophs they were 3-7. This past fall as juniors they were 9-0 without their top 3 players who were on varsity.

So this team feels like they've got something to prove. They were often humiliated as frosh. One game they were onside kicked when they were down 70-6. The next season they took revenge on that team and won 21-20.

So for them, yes, there is a sense of urgency. This is an angry, bitter class who was often abused by other teams. Now it's their turn to continue our strong varsity success and they're not ready to give in, they're ready to give it their all.

So that's a crew that has to be chased out of the weightroom.