Advancing High School Sports

Conditioning: Five dot jump

Strength and reaction time is what makes a great football athlete. The intent of this drill is to increase accuracy, timing, and speed. The drill set up is a mat or place on the field with 5 dots about a foot away from each other forming an X shape, exactly in the same shape as you would see diamonds arranged on a number five card in a poker deck.

The athlete starts at the edge of the mat placing their feet on two of the outer dots and proceeds to jump with feet together on the center spot and then out again quickly to the outer dots similar to a simple hop scotch motion. The second phase is having the player touch each of the dots with only one foot, and then switch to the other foot. After this, the player will touch all of the dots with both feet together. The end step is similar to the first jumping jack step except that this time the player will turn 180 degrees after jumping on the two dots. Because this drill is intended for accuracy and speed, it is recommended that players start out slow and deliberate and then speed up to their maximum time.

Drive Block

Simple drives are important for linemen to practice and perfect. The most traditional or basic block is a drive block. It is a simple yet effective way to move your opponent. It starts with the lineup, when you are facing your opponent notice which way they are aligned, if they are off to the right then you will drive them to the right if the play is occurring on the left side of the field. When driving start with your play side foot. Bring the other foot up quickly and make a solid contact for your drive.

Football tackling 101

Learning how to perform a proper tackle is fundamental to the game of football. Tackling can be fun and exhilarating, but done improperly and it can be dangerous. When you tackle your opponent remember three important steps:

First, you need to stop the opponent quickly so make sure to place yourself directly in front of the opponents path. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. At the same time you want to bring your arms back in anticipation for the next phase.

Second you want to bring your other foot into the mix, and at the same time throw your arms up and around your opponent. Now is the time that injuries can happen. To protect yourself never, ever try to tackle with the crown of your head, but instead keep your head back, and your head square. You need to literally imagine that the football is a big hamburger and you want to bite it and not slam your forehead against it.

Third, at this point you have successfully grabbed your opponent and all thats left is to lunge your hips forward and bear all of your momentum against your opponent. The more momentum that you bring to the table on steps two and three the more effective your speed will be in this last step.

Water on and off the field

Dehydration should never appear on the football field if both the players and coaches have good habits. Every player should have a water bottle close so that they can take quick water breaks or at least a swallow here and there. Times have changed and coaches these days should be aware of hydration needs and not use water as a reward, or withhold it as a punishment. Keeping everyone happy and hydrated will go a long way to a successful practice.