This article was provided by the Coaches Network

Dr. David Hoch, CMAA, CIC

Planning is an important aspect in most professions and this definitely includes coaching. The better that one prepares, the easier and smoother everything should go and the fewer problems that you should experience. Therefore, the first place to start is with a master plan, which would include the off-season, the pre-season, the in-season, and the time period immediately after the conclusion of the season.

For many sports, coaches have a year-round involvement. And the perfect time to get started planning for the next season is during the off-season. Here is a sample Master Plan for a coach:

Off-Season
Ensure that all assistant positions are filled
Prepare or revise the team selection matrix
Update and revise your team rules
Schedule conditioning sessions, including summer weight training
Submit bus requests to the athletic director
Prepare the tentative scouting schedule
Plan the pre-season parent meeting

Pre-Season
Review with the assistants their duties, including scouting assignments
Monitor conditioning sessions
Issue equipment to athletes
Conduct the pre-season parent meeting
Prepare and submit the team eligibility form

In-Season
Plan daily practice sessions
Review with assistant coaches what their game-day responsibilities are
Check the practice area daily to ensure that it is safe
Schedule coaches to supervise the locker room and lobby prior to and after practice sessions and games
Monitor the academic progress of your student-athletes
Communicate with the athletic trainer regarding injuries and rehabilitation
Return phone calls and e-mail messages from parents
Report all problems, during practice sessions, games and with parents, to your athletic director
Call in or e-mail game results and stats to the local media

Post-Season
Collect, inventory and store equipment and uniforms
Meet with each athlete and share an individual improvement plan for the off-season
Create and turn in your budget request
Submit to your athletic director a list of repairs needed for your facility
Evaluate and meet with your staff–assistants and junior varsity coaches
Meet with the athletic administrator to evaluate the program
Write college letters of recommendation for your senior or junior athletes
Submit a list of awards and help plan the awards program or banquet

This outline is intended to be an example and is not meant to be an absolute or all-inclusive list. But it should give you an idea how to start the planning process for your season. Your preparation may include creating or revising forms, writing guidelines, and preparing checklists for many of the responsibilities. Anything and everything that you can do to get ready should be considered.

David Hoch retired in 2010 after a 41-year career as a high school athletic director and coach. In 2009, Dr. Hoch was honored as the Eastern District Athletic Director of the Year by the Nastional Association for Sport and Physical Education. He was also presented with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award, and in 2000 he was named the Maryland State Athletic Director Association’s Athletic Director of the Year. Dr. Hoch has authored over 460 professional articles and made more than 70 presentations around the country.

This Article was provided by Training & Conditioning

At Washington State University, both mental and physical strength is taught during the team’s offseason training program.

By Rob Oviatt

Rob Oviatt, ME, SCCC, MSCC, is the Assistant Athletic Director of Physical Development at Washington State University and President of the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association.

Preparing athletes for the game of football is an exciting challenge for a strength and conditioning coach. In my mind, football is one of the toughest sports there is. It also involves the largest number of athletes we deal with, and the needs of players varies greatly among the different positions.

At Washington State University, we start with sound principles, develop efficient workout routines, and concentrate on mental toughness. We also insist that players work out in structured groups, just like they do during football practices.

In developing our program, we concentrate on what will best motivate our football athletes to work as hard as they can. To accomplish this, we appeal to their competitiveness and teamwork, and we work with them to develop and maintain focus during their lifting and conditioning routines.

Start With Principles

When designing a strength and conditioning program, it’s important to start with principles. Here are four important rules I keep in mind when developing our football strength training program.

Tap into correct energy systems: Be careful to develop the kind of energy football players use. The average time between plays on the field is approximately 35 seconds. In a “no huddle” offense, this can drop to 20 seconds. Your athletes must be trained to recover accordingly.

Except for players who need to lose body fat, there is little rationale for extended pure aerobic running. In excess, aerobic running can actually slow players down and compromise explosive power output.

Be sport specific: It’s best to practice the way you play, so during sprint drills, linemen should start in three- or four-point stances, receivers should be on their toes, and so on. In addition, your start cues should match those used in a game. For offensive players, a quarterback or coach should call out a snap count. For defensive players, a coach can station himself in front of the group and move his hand or a towel.

We also are sport-specific with regards to protective equipment. Because players will be carrying several pounds of equipment on their bodies with shoulder pads, hip pads, helmets, etc., we give them weighted vests to wear during conditioning drills. They begin with eight-pound vests and work up to 12-pound vests.

Be team specific: One of the factors we use in designing each year’s program is the depth of our team. When we have less depth, we put more emphasis on conditioning. This is especially important for defensive players, who are pursuing the ball on every play regardless of their position.

Motivation matters: The last principle is the most important, and that’s morale. I believe that it’s not really a matter of motivating people, as much as it is getting people to motivate themselves. This is the only way for individuals to sustain the desire to get better over the long haul.

Johnny Parker, Strength and Conditioning Coach of the San Francisco 49ers, whom I consider my mentor in this profession, taught me over 20 years ago at Ole Miss two things that will motivate young people to work hard. The first is caring: Your players must know you care about them as people, and that you are fair, consistent, and honest in dealing with them—no deals and no favorites! If players know you care about them, they will trust you. The second is results: Your players must see positive physical results from their training. When they do, they will believe in your program and philosophy.

The Workouts

In this section, I’ll describe our summer program, which provides workouts Monday through Friday and is voluntary. It is voluntary, as specified by NCAA rules.

Stretching: We start each day’s session with stretch and warm up, and the seniors in each group lead this activity. Stretches consist of reaches, slides, and hangs, and warm up includes strides, shuffles, high knees, and backpedaling. The whole routine takes about 15 minutes. Our number-one requirement for stretching is quiet. The day’s workout begins the minute we start stretching.

Strength: The strength program I design is basic and simple on paper. Our primary focus instead is on attitude, effort, and technique. (See “Summer Lifting”.)

Conditioning: The ability to sustain effort is critical both on the field and in the weightroom. Thus, we emphasize building work capacity in both areas. It doesn’t matter how strong or fast a player is if he can’t sustain that effort play after play.

Our summer conditioning program lasts eight weeks. We start Week One with five agility stations and add one station each week. In Weeks Four through Eight, we stay at eight stations, but add reps at each station. Players wear weighted vests after Week One.

Our program includes half-gassers, form runs, core work, plyometrics, quick-feet drills, balance drills, tempo 100s, and agility circuits. The core program, designed by WSU Associate Director of Physical Development David Lang, features many different drills, from crunches to supermans. Our agility circuit includes figure-eight sprints around hoops, pro agility shuttles, 45/90-degree plant and cuts, running ropes, four-square drills, triangle sprints, mirror drills, 60-yard shuttles, bag drills, and speed ladder.

After the main part of each conditioning workout, we have a daily overtime challenge. These challenges can include almost anything, but we typically use grass drills, gassers, or jingle-jangles. In order to simulate the unknowns facing players when a game goes into overtime, we never tell the athletes in advance what the activity will be or how long it will last. This also gives me the flexibility to make the overtime activity a little easier or harder should a session go particularly well or poorly.

On all agility and speed drills it is important to allow proper recovery time between stations. A common mistake I’ve seen and made is turning conditioning circuits into endurance workouts. Without full recovery, movements will slow down, compromising potential speed and quickness improvement. Remember, agility is simply controlled quickness.

Here is what our five-day summer schedule looks like:

Monday: On Mondays we start our first voluntary lifting group at 1:30 p.m., which is a time convenient to the greatest number of athletes. We are normally finished with our last group by 5 p.m.

The afternoon lifting session on Monday also allows some extra recovery time after the previous Friday’s early morning sessions. Having a three-plus day recovery window every week ensures the players’ bodies are rejuvenated and ready for the next week.

We then do our conditioning as an entire team at 5:30 p.m. Monday’s routine involves half-gassers, form runs, and an overtime challenge. Then, we also do core work on the field, followed by stretching and cooling down.

Tuesday: On this day (and also on Thursday and Friday), athletes work out in the early a.m. Our first group starts at 5:30 a.m., and our entire team is finished by 10 a.m. Our conditioning consists of plyos/quick feet drills, agility circuit, an overtime challenge, core work, and balance drills. All leg work from the strength workout is saved until after we have finished our conditioning so that athletes can perform the agility circuit at full speed. We do heavy cleans and plyometrics before our agility circuit.

Wednesday: This is a day off.

Thursday: Similar in structure to Tuesday, our conditioning consists of plyos/quick feet drills, agility circuit, an overtime challenge, and core work.

Friday: The top priority on Fridays is our heavy squat and leg work, which requires maximum effort and focus. Our conditioning includes tempo 100s, form runs, an overtime challenge, core work, and balance drills.

Another important element of our workouts is that we run them like a sport practice—every group starts and finishes together. I learned this concept many years ago from Jeff Connors, the current Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of North Carolina. We do not believe in buffet style lifting. The strength coaches control the workout pace and rotate players through each station in groups according to the schedule. This helps develop work capacity, as work and rest ratio intervals are controlled, and allows us to make the best use of our time in the weightroom. It also helps my peace of mind as it ensures that the entire workout has been completed by everyone at the intensity needed to improve.

Mental Toughness

A strong point of our program is that we don’t concentrate solely on exercise choice and sets and reps. We also focus on how to make our football athletes mentally tough. Our football coaches preach discipline and we follow suit in the weightroom.

We start by allowing no excuses. Everyone does their best every single day, no complaints. Our athletes don’t use the words, “I’ll try.” That gives themselves an out. They say, “I’ll do it.” This also applies to me as a coach.

Our players must overcome the urge to quit. As I tell them, “It’s natural to think about quitting, because we have all been in some adverse situation in our lives where we considered doing it.” But, if you quit once, there is a strong possibility you will do it again.

At WSU, we have a mandatory “stand tall” rule. That means athletes do not bend over, touch their knees, take a knee, sit down, or lean against anyone or anything for physical support when they are fatigued—ever. The only time they are allowed to sit down is when performing specific seated exercises. We believe that if you bend over physically, you are bending over mentally.

Just as in an actual game, if one athlete in the group makes a mistake, everyone faces the consequences. If any player in the group knocks over cones, jumps offside, misses a line, does not follow directions, fails to “stand tall,” or shows a lack of effort, everyone in the group will do five up-downs at the end of practice for each mistake. These up-downs are led by the athletes who made the mistakes.

We have found that this group accountability creates a daily sense of urgency, develops leadership, and builds camaraderie. We remind the athletes that this is their team and they have to take ownership of it at their level.

Another way we get athletes to help each other stay strong is through competition. In almost all drills, players compete against each other, a stopwatch, or a particular goal. For example, in our agility circuit, players are paired with those they are competing against for playing time. This brings out competition in a big way.

In some years, we have combined both the teamwork and competitive elements through a team “Superstars” competition at the end of winter training. Players compete against each other in a variety of events, such as three-point shooting, basketball dunks, and swimming relays. The seniors draft their own squads, and it really bonds our team. It is also a lot of fun for both players and coaches.

We have a dress code that requires athletes to wear workout gear issued by our equipment department—no T-shirts with beer logos or shorts with other schools’ names are allowed. This is a cougar pride issue. No music is played during workouts, either. It is very difficult to focus or communicate when music is blaring, and it leads to too many disagreements and distractions over selection and volume.

The last factor in keeping their mental focus is coaching. I continually remind myself that my athletes will only accomplish what our staff demands—nothing more. We teach our athletes to always finish strong, whether they’re lifting or running. Learning to finish drills is paramount to optimum physical conditioning.

This article is provided by Training & Conditioning

By Lisa Dorfman

Like a race car needs fuel to run, a football player needs the right foods to play his best each and every week. Are your athletes getting the best nutritional information from their pit crews?
Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from the book Performance Nutrition for Football by Lisa Dorfman, Director of Sports Nutrition and Performance at the University of Miami. This book, along with many other coaching books and videos, is available here.

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For the general population, it is easy to sum up the key to good nutrition. One simply needs to consume a balance of nutrients from a variety of healthy foods to meet but not exceed daily calorie needs.

If you’re a football player, however, that formula will only get you so far. Because of the need for immense strength, short bursts of power, and the ability to recover from hard hits, football players require a more specialized nutrition plan to excel on the field.

This plan must work in concert with a strength and conditioning program to produce lean muscle mass. It must focus on finding the right fuel to prepare for and recover from practice and games. And it must take into account individual needs–a quarterback, for example, needs a different nutritional strategy than the center he lines up behind.

But before we get into many of the specifics behind fueling for football, it’s important to first understand the basics. On the field, you need to know how to catch the ball before you can learn to run hitches, slants, curls, and post routes. In this chapter, we’ll explain overall nutritional game plans for athletes, which will prepare you for understanding how it becomes specialized for certain positions and times of the year.

Food as Energy

To be successful as an athlete, your body must be continuously supplied with food energy, called calories. If calorie intake exceeds needs, you’ll gain weight and body fat, which will make you feel heavy, play slower, and increase your risk for injury. If calorie intake does not meet demands, you won’t be able to maintain your muscle mass and speed, and your recovery will be slow and incomplete.

The number of calories needed to maintain a certain weight varies greatly among individuals. For example, a 220-pound high school fullback who is still growing would need between 4,000 and 5,000 calories a day in-season. His 45-year-old, 140-pound mom, whose only exercise is cheering loudly during football games, would need less than half her son’s amount of calories.

There are four basic reasons why nutrition is important for athletes:
• As an energy source
• For building lean muscle mass
• To achieve ideal body composition
• To aid in staying healthy and reducing injuries.

As a serious athlete, you are asking your body to do a lot. Like a race car needs the correct type of fuel to maximize its effectiveness, so does an athlete. You need to understand and think about what you are putting in your body if you want it to reach optimal performance.

While for some athletes, talent can overcome less-than-ideal dietary composition for some time, it tends to catch up with everyone eventually. The risk for weight issues, injury, illness, and cramping are greater for those who do not meet and maintain adequate intake and stores. Energy from the right fuel also translates to staying strong throughout the entire season, which is what every coach wants to see, especially if the team has a playoff run.

Overall, there are three types of nutrients that give the body calories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These energy-giving nutrients can be found in varying amounts in foods. Essential nutrients that also help the body to use energy, but do not have calories, are called vitamins, minerals, and water. Let’s take a closer look at how they all work together. According to the 2009 Position Statement of The American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada and The American College of Sports Medicine on Nutrition and Athletic Performance, athletes do not need a diet substantially different than percentages recommended for non-athletes. The dietary percentage ranges recommended are:

45-65% from carbohydrates
10-35% from protein
20-35% from fat

Those are pretty large ranges, and they do get more specific for football players based on time of year, training goals, and position played on the field. In addition, using ranges only goes so far in being effective. Ideally, players should calculate their carbohydrates, protein, and fat needs in grams, based on bodyweight.

Carbohydrates Are King

For all athletes, including football players, fueling should primarily come from carbohydrates. There is a longstanding myth that football athletes should bulk up by consuming lots of protein, but nothing is further from the truth. While small amounts of protein are essential, carbohydrates are recommended for fueling most of the training during practices and games for all positions.

Why are carbohydrates so important? All carbohydrates we consume are turned into glucose in our bodies, which resides in our cells. When we need energy, our bodies utilize the glucose in our cells to function. Glucose not used immediately is then stored in the liver and muscles and is called glycogen. When we need energy, and the glucose in our cells is depleted, the liver makes glucose from its glycogen stores.

But if there is nothing in the store, there is no energy. Without a diet high in carbohydrates, you end up running on empty–meaning you aren’t running very well at all.

In addition, carbs are the main nutrient to help our bodies recover after a tough workout. Especially during tough preseason workouts, a football player needs carbs continually to realize complete recovery. Without recovery, the hard work you’re putting in does not translate to increased strength gains.

When athletes don’t have enough carb stores in their bodies, they have glycogen depletion. The consequences are feeling flat, an inability to build muscle, and even depression. Ongoing depletion can also lead to overtraining syndrome.

An ideal dietary intake of carbohydrates for football players is 50 to 60 percent of total daily caloric intake. Therefore at each meal, about half to two-thirds of your plate should be filled with carbohydrates.

What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are composed of three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. They are created through a process called photosynthesis in which water, absorbed by plant’s roots, donates hydrogen and oxygen. Carbon dioxide gas absorbed in leaves donates carbon and oxygen. Water and carbon dioxide combine to yield the major energy source for the body called glucose.

But not all carbs are created equal. One type is simple carbohydrates, which are broken down by the body quickly, and found in processed and refined sugars such as candy, table sugar, syrups, and soft drinks. No more than 10 percent of your calories should come from simple sugars because they are lower in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients (which help your body to use fuel, stay fit, recover faster, and reduce the risk for injury and illness) than complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbs are our heroes. They take longer to break down and have more nutrients, such as fiber and vitamins. Fiber is key because it slows down the passage of food through the digestive tract and the release of sugar into the bloodstream. That leads to better blood sugar control and more even energy levels, as well as regularity of stools. For those athletes who want to lose weight, fiber provides a feeling of fullness. It also has a cholesterol-lowering effect, for long-term health. Fiber is found in whole grain bread and cereals, fruits and vegetables, beans, oats, nuts (almonds, pistachios and others with the woody shell), popcorn, brown rice, potato skins, corn, and peas.

Protein for Power

While protein is not an athlete’s primary fuel for training, it is a crucial part of the support system. It’s equivalent to how essential it is to wear your pads and uniform–they offer protection, but don’t play the game for you. Athletes should look to get 10 to 35 percent of calories from protein.

Protein is important for football players because it helps to build and repair muscle, helps the muscles contract and relax, builds ligaments and tendons that hold muscles and support bone, and assists with recovery by preventing muscle breakdown. Protein is also needed for building hormones like insulin that regulate blood sugar and the thyroid for metabolism, for supporting the immune system, and for regulating the digestion of food. Without adequate dietary protein, you run the risk of injury, illness, or just feeling run down. Protein also provides energy in times of extreme need when carbohydrate stores are depleted. This occurs when your total calorie expenditure is greater than your consumption and/or when your body is healing after injury.

Another important thing to know about protein is that you need it in small amounts throughout the day, especially if you are trying to increase muscle mass. A lot of busy athletes make the mistake of consuming all their protein at dinner, snacking on easy-to-grab and low-protein foods at other times of the day. It’s important to make sure protein is a part of breakfast, lunch, and snack foods, too, because it helps to prevent muscle breakdown and promote muscle building. It also helps keep you feeling fuller than if you just had carbohydrate-based meals and snacks alone.

Protein can be found in chicken, fish, turkey, red meat, eggs, cheese, milk, and soy products. These foods contain all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. The best protein sources are low-fat, but that can be tricky to find. Meat and dairy often contain fat in large amounts. Therefore, look for lean cuts of meat and low-fat dairy products.

Fewer Fats

Most people know that fat is not a good thing in a diet. But it is not quite that simple. Football players do need some fat in their diets. In fact, as much as 35 percent is okay if the athlete is not overweight, although as little as 20 percent of one’s diet is also fine.

Fat can be used as a long-term energy source–a stored form of calories when you run out of carbohydrates and protein. This is especially true for leaner athletes who burn a lot more calories or in preseason when training can more than double your calorie needs. But fat is a very inefficient source of fuel because it is used at a much slower rate by the muscles and cannot keep up the quick energy demands of high intensity training.

Fats are needed as a transporter of the fat soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K, which are essential for building muscles and the immune system, and building red blood cells and healthy bones. Fats are also a provider of the essential fatty acids, the omega-3s and omega-6s required for brain function, healthy skin, normal blood pressure, blood clotting, and as an anti-inflammatory against aches and pains.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that research suggests football players often consume more than the recommended percent of total calories. In fact, one study of college and pro football players found some players averaged 43 percent of calories from fat. When more fat is consumed than needed, it can lead to unnecessary weight gains and negative changes in body composition.

It also means the athlete is probably not eating enough carbohydrates and protein. For example, if an athlete eats a 1,000-calorie meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes swarming with butter, high-fat biscuits, and gravy, it will contain about 49 percent fat, 22 percent protein, and 29 percent carbs. If, instead, he eats a 1,000-calorie meal of grilled chicken breast with a low-fat BBQ sauce, oven-roasted potatoes, whole-wheat rolls, tossed green salad, and stir-fry vegetables, he’ll be consuming 26 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and 54 percent carbs. So, with the same amount of calories, the athlete increases the ever-important carbohydrates in his diet.

The two major dietary fat groups are called unsaturated and saturated fats. The saturated fats are hard at room temperature. These fats have been shown to increase the unhealthy low-density lipoprotein blood cholesterol levels and compromise performance. Trans-fats, those you find in processed foods like some types of crackers, cookies, and margarines, are also saturated and can compromise performance and health.

It’s much better to consume monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. This includes vegetable oils and fats found in fish, nuts, and avocados.

Vitamins & Minerals

If players follow the above guidelines of consuming primarily complex carbohydrates along with healthy forms of protein, vitamin and mineral needs are usually met. This is important because a lack of vitamins and minerals impact energy levels, recovery, inflammation, bone strength, and muscle contraction. Deficiencies in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium can cause cramping and muscle spasms.

While there are about 40 vitamins and minerals that we need daily to perform all healthy body functions, the ones most commonly seen in deficiency are Vitamins A, C, and D, and the minerals potassium, magnesium, and calcium. In addition, during puberty, young men need extra folic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, and Vitamins A, B, C, and E.

The best way to meet vitamin and mineral needs is from whole foods. But the reality is that no one eats perfectly. Sometimes life gets in the way of eating your best. In this case, a daily vitamin supplement, fortified shake or bar can help you to meet your daily needs.

Lisa Dorfman is the Director of Sports Nutrition & Performance in the Department of Sports Medicine at the University of Miami, as well as a personal nutritionist to several NFL players.

This article was provided by Coaches Network

By Bruce Brown, Proactive Coaching

At the end of successful seasons we often hear coaches attribute the success to “we had great team leadership and chemistry”. We also hear many coaches on unsuccessful teams mutter to themselves, “We just didn’t have any team leaders.” The best team cultures don’t leave leadership to chance–they teach it.

Here are a few indicators that someone has some natural leadership ability.

Look for people with strong character

Character is the foundation for everything else. It allows you to be consistent in words and actions. It allows you to be depended upon, trusted, and followed. When you find people with strong character, they need to be encouraged to lead at every opportunity.
Look for people who have the courage to stand up for what they believe

These people are naturally strong enough to be more concerned with what is right than what is popular. Peer pressure isn’t their guiding force. They do not sit quietly when something is wrong.

“In matters of taste, swim with the current, in matters of principle stand like a rock.” — Thomas Jefferson
Look for people who have a teachable sprit

They understand the importance of listening and learning. They are not afraid to be challenged with new ideas or concepts. They ask questions when they don’t understand. They are able to take correction as a compliment. Regardless of past successes or failures, they have a growth mindset and are trying to get better every day.
Look for people who are clear communicators

They speak in a way that others understand. They don’t have to be the only voice or even the first to speak. Look for people who listen intently, are willing and able to see things from different perspectives, and then speak so clearly it cannot be misunderstood.
Look for people who have a passion

Passion is the great motivator. It spreads throughout the team and can be seen in intensity, determination, and enthusiasm. Look for kids who are excited to be there and energized by the game and team. Their eyes will tell you all you need to know. They will be there early. They love practice. They will arrive in the right frame of mind, mentally and physically prepared prior to competition.
Look for fearlessness in competition

They are healthy risk-takers who have the confidence to play through mistakes. They never quit, never pout, never slow down. They are persistent and relentless. They compete to win, not to avoid losing or making mistakes.
Look for problem-solvers

When there is a problem, natural leaders don’t look the other way or ignore it. They don’t avoid them or “hope” they go away. They take problems head on. They look for solutions, not excuses or who to blame. They spot small problems and face them before they become big problems and more difficult to solve. They are capable of working cooperatively within a team structure to find resolutions. When there are problems, they bring people together.
Look for people who are in control of their emotions

They have strong emotions, but they have learned how to control those emotions and channel them in a way that improves their personal performance and doesn’t give their opponents an edge. They have ice in their veins. They are at their best when their best is needed. They are the face their team members need to see in good times and tough times.
Look for people who place truth over popularity

Not all decisions that are popular are good for the team. There are times when worrying about being liked can actually inhibit team success. Do not confuse popularity with leadership. Decisions people make based on truth are always right and almost always take the team to a higher level.
Look for people who have a sense of humor

Humor adds a lot to any team. When leaders can laugh and make others laugh, they are easier to follow. Humor breaks tension, keeps teams loose and optimistic. If you love what you are doing, let it show, have fun, lead the league in smiles.
Look for people who won’t give up

One of the most important characteristics in leadership is perseverance. When teams are facing tough situations, they look to leadership to decide which path they will take. When leaders quit, teams quit. When leaders are relentlessly determined, the team will mirror their attitude.
Look for people with athletic assuredness

Teams need individuals they can count on when the game is on the line. The best leaders are confident. Athletic assuredness is not arrogance, but simply being comfortable in the most competitive situations. They are at their best when their best is needed. Even when they don’t “make the play,” they look forward to the next opportunity. They never get too far up or too far down, but the look in their eyes says they are at ease and love these moments. The best leaders are both confident and humble.
Look for people who can follow as well as lead

Natural leaders understand there are times when they need to be the ones who listen and follow. Until someone has learned and demonstrated that they can be obedient, they are not qualified to give directions or expect to be followed.

“He who cannot obey, cannot command.” — Ben Franklin
Look for people who are doers, not complainers

Complaining is focusing on the problem without acknowledging or taking responsibility for the solution. Complainers focus on what is wrong or difficult instead of what needs to get done. They bring others down and nothing changes. Real leaders do not waste the time or energy complaining —there are too many things to get accomplished and people are counting on them.
Look for people who understand and appreciate all roles that help the team

In 1982 the University of North Carolina basketball team won its first national championship under legendary Coach Dean Smith. The NCAA awarded them 22 national championship watches. Counting all the players, coaches, and managers, they had 23 people. Manager Dave Hart said, “I was the youngest manager, so it was natural for me not to get a watch.” Several days after the team arrived home, Coach Smith called Hart into his office. They talked about the championship for a few minutes and then Smith said, “I appreciate everything you did this season. You were as much a part of this team as anyone and I want you to have this.” Coach Smith handed him a box. Inside was Coach Smith’s own personal national championship watch.

This article was provided by Training & Conditioning

Great flexibility is an important tool in a football player’s repertoire. The key to improving it is a more dynamic approach to stretching.

By Allen Hedrick

Allen Hedrick, MA, CSCS*D, is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Colorado State University-Pueblo. He formerly held the same position at the NSCA’s national headquarters and the U.S. Air Force Academy. He can be reached at: [email protected]

Flexibility plays a larger role in achieving optimum performance than a lot of football players realize. After all, a slightly longer reach could help a receiver snag a high pass. More flexible hips and hamstrings could mean evading an opponent’s tackle.

There is also another important reason flexibility deserves a lot of attention in football strength and conditioning programs: decreased injury risk. The same flexibility that provides a performance edge over a not-so-flexible opponent also allows a player to walk away uninjured from a play that would result in a strain or pull for a less-flexible player.

Here at Colorado State University-Pueblo, flexibility is a vital part of our football team’s strength and conditioning program. In this article, I will explain how we train flexibility, modify our program based on individual players’ needs, and keep our athletes motivated while taking part in flexibility training.

FLEXIBILITY PRIMER
Defined as the range of motion of a joint or series of joints, flexibility can be improved through various types of stretching that target muscles, ligaments, and tendons. There are a variety of methods that can be used to increase flexibility:

Ballistic stretching involves rapid movements that use momentum to carry the targeted body part(s) through their range of motion until the muscles are stretched to their limits. Because ballistic stretching is performed at high speeds, the rate and degree of stretch, as well as the force applied to induce the stretch, are difficult to control. Once widely used, ballistic stretching is no longer considered a safe method for increasing range of motion because of the potential for injury.

Static stretching is the method most commonly used by individual athletes and teams to increase flexibility. It involves passively moving the joint into a near maximal position and holding the stretch for an extended period of time–usually 15 to 30 seconds. Static stretching appears to work well, though depending on the sport and the athlete, it can take a lot of time to complete a sufficient routine.

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) involves a couple of steps and a partner. First, the athlete’s partner slowly moves the targeted muscle into a static stretch, while the athlete keeps the muscle relaxed. While still stretched, the muscle is briefly contracted isometrically against an external force (their partner) sufficient enough to prevent movement in the joint. Then the muscle or joint is taken out of the stretched position for a brief amount of time before the stretch is performed a second time, potentially resulting in greater range of motion. While published studies suggest PNF stretching increases flexibility better than static stretching, some of the techniques are impractical because a partner is often needed.

Dynamic stretching involves sport-specific functional-based exercises that ready the body for activity. In many cases, the actual stretching movements are identical to static stretching movements, but dynamic stretches are preceded and followed by full-body movements. Developing a dynamic flexibility program requires analyzing the movements associated with a sport and developing stretches to enhance flexibility based on those movements.

Dynamic flexibility is more applicable to athletic performance because it more closely duplicates a given sport’s movement requirements. This also means that dynamic stretching can be used to teach or reinforce sport-specific movements.

Another benefit is that the exercises can be made more effective by progressing from a standing position to a walk and then a skip or run. For these reasons, dynamic stretching is the method we employ most with the football team here at CSU-Pueblo.

INSIDE THE PROGRAM
Because dynamic flexibility training is based on the movements that occur in a given sport, the only limiting factor is the creativity of the coach designing a flexibility training program. I have a core group of exercises I like to use with our football players because I have found they best mimic the movements they perform on the field.

All the exercises we use are performed as players walk over a distance of 15 to 20 yards. A routine of five to six movements is performed every day–either in the weightroom prior to strength and power training on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, or on the football field before we perform speed/agility/conditioning activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also perform static stretching routines to finish our sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

To avoid monotony and make this a fun activity (while still emphasizing good technique) I use different movements each day and mix up the order. This way, the athletes will not dread this portion of their training.

Although all of our football players generally perform the same flexibility stretching routine, we do individualize the program for those who have specific flexibility problems. The large number of athletes on the team keeps us from performing a formal movement screen on each athlete, but athletes with flexibility issues are easily identifiable when participating in our strength and power training program.

For example, an athlete may display limitations when trying to properly rack the bar with a high elbow position when cleaning, or not be able to achieve a full squat position when squatting or catching a full clean. These athletes are prescribed additional flexibility work to perform on their own. The system seems to work well because we put an emphasis on correct technique in the weightroom and our athletes do not like to be singled out in front of teammates as having deficient exercise technique.

We also make it a point to constantly stress to our athletes that it is possible to increase strength and improve flexibility at the same time. For example, deep squats, full range of motion side lunges, and well executed cleans allow for the development of flexibility and strength/power simultaneously. Many football players only think about getting bigger and stronger, so this is a way to get them to take the flexibility work seriously.

OUR EXERCISES
Following is a partial list of dynamic flexibility exercises we use with the football team here at CSU-Pueblo. This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but is a good starting point for a football program.

Lunge walk: While clasping his hands behind his head, the athlete steps forward and drops into a lunge position with his torso leaning back slightly. The back knee hovers just off the ground, where he pauses for a count, then switches to move the opposite leg forward. This exercise can also be completed as a reverse lunge walk, where the athlete moves backwards.

Lunge walk/palms to floor: With his hands at his sides, the athlete steps forward and drops into a lunge position. Here, he places both palms on the floor outside of his front foot with fingers pointing forward. After pausing for a count, he rises and repeats on the opposite leg, progressing forward with each step.

Twisting lunge walk: With his hands clasped behind his head, the athlete steps forward with his right foot and drops into a lunge position. As he drops, he twists his upper body so that his left elbow touches the outside of the right leg. After pausing in this position for a count, he stays down but twists the opposite way so that the right elbow touches the inside of the right leg. He then repeats with his left leg forward, touching the outside of the left leg with the right elbow, then the inside of his left leg with his left elbow, progressing forward with each step. This exercise can also be completed as a reverse twisting lunge walk, where the athlete moves backwards.

Hockey lunge walk: While clasping his hands behind his head, the athlete steps forward, placing his front foot about eight to 10 inches outside of his shoulder, and then drops into a side lunge position. Both feet should be pointing directly forward with the back knee hovering just off the floor, head up, and back slightly arched, just like in a forward-stepping lunge. After pausing for a count in the bottom position, he repeats with the opposite leg, progressing forward with each step.

Walking side lunge: The athlete takes a long lateral step with the right foot, keeping his toes pointed forward. Keeping the left leg straight, he sinks his hips back and to the right in a groin stretch. With his back arched, he pauses for a count at the bottom, then stands back up before pivoting and repeating the movement with the left leg leading.

Lunge out on all fours/walk hands between: The athlete lunges out on all fours, with the body extended long and supported by the hands and feet. Keeping his hands stationary and legs as straight as possible, the athlete walks his feet up between his hands. At the top of the movement, he lunges out on all fours again and repeats the movement, attempting to get his feet further through the hands with each repetition.

Walking knee tuck: Stepping forward with his left leg, the athlete pulls his right knee up to his chest, using his hands to assist. After pausing for a count, he steps with the right leg and pulls the left knee, trying to pull the knee higher with each repetition.

Walking knee tuck/lift the foot: The athlete steps forward with the left leg and pulls his right knee to his chest as if performing the walking knee tuck, but at the top of the movement, he moves his right hand to his right foot, then pulls the foot toward his shoulder while standing tall. After pausing for a count, he steps with the right leg and repeats the pulling action with the left leg.

Walking over/under: Turning sideways, the athlete imagines a series of high and low hurdles progressing down the track. He first swings his right leg and then his left up and over the first high hurdle, keeping his toes pointed forward. After clearing the first high hurdle, the athlete drops into a squat position and moves laterally under the first low hurdle. After moving under the low hurdle, he pivots to the opposite direction and repeats the two movements.

Walking leg swing to opposite hand: The athlete steps forward with his left leg and left hand outstretched. After returning his left leg to the ground, he swings his right leg up to touch his left hand while keeping his right leg straight throughout the swinging motion. He repeats the movements with the opposite leg and hand, attempting to swing the leg slightly higher with each repetition.

Walking knee over hurdle: The athlete imagines a line of intermediate hurdles running down the track, alternating to the right and left sides. Leading with the right knee, he lifts his right leg up and over the first hurdle, placing the right foot down in front of him. He repeats the movement, leading with his left leg and attempting to bring the leg slightly higher over the hurdle with each repetition.

As the athlete becomes proficient at performing each dynamic flexibility movement, the exercises can be “complexed” into combinations. For example, the athlete can perform a knee tuck to a lunge walk, alternating legs after each movement has been performed.

There are two primary advantages of combining movements. First, it becomes a more sport-specific way to train because in football, the athletes do not repeat the same movement often. Second, it becomes a more efficient way to train because a larger number of muscle groups are stretched when performing a combination of stretches rather than duplicating the same stretch repeatedly.

This also shows the wide array of options available with dynamic stretching. Simply use the movements athletes make on the field and you’ll find increased performance during training, and more importantly, during games.

Sidebar: WARMUP VS. STRETCH
It is important to note that a static stretching routine is not a sufficient way to warm up. Because a team stretching routine is a deep-rooted tradition in a lot of sports, some coaches still use it as a warmup. But the truth is, athletes should stretch only after they have warmed up.

Warming up is an activity meant to raise body temperature, which readies the body for vigorous exercise. Static stretching is a passive activity, so there is minimal friction of the sliding filaments. There is also little, if any, increase in the rate of fuels being metabolized. Therefore, it’s easy to see that static stretching results in minimal increases in core body temperature.

A proper warmup before stretching is necessary because the decreased muscle, tendon, and ligament viscosity that results from an elevated core temperature allows range of motion to increase, which means the athlete will get more benefit from stretching and be at less risk for injury. If their bodies are not properly warmed up, the athletes will feel stiff and be at higher risk for injury.