Increasing Collegiate Sports Defensive

Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting

Let's not forget weightlifting. It is one of the essential elements that will help you improve your game. Not only will it add muscle to your body and increase your strength, it will also help you to increase your maximum power. Maximum power should be the goal of your training, because it involves muscle strength and muscle excursion during play. Strong and powerful execution will enable fast plays, quick action, and recognition on the field. We highly recommend working with a personal trainer when weightlifting to insure that you are doing it properly, and to help you design a program that will fit your position.

Protecting the football as you run

One of the fundamental aspects of running with a football is ball security. Nothing is worse for your offensive team then turning it over carelessly to the other team in a fumble. There are four points to protecting the football. The first point is the claw, meaning that your fingers are wrapped over the tip of the football. The second point is making sure that your forearm is wrapped tightly on the outer rim of the football. Third, pull the football in close to your bicep to protect it from opponents jabs and attempts to make you fumble. The final point is keeping the football high and tight against the ribcage. Run a couple of drills were the ball carrier runs through a pack of defenders to practice. As your ball carrying continues to improve you will insure less turnovers and greater success on the field.

Learning the Plays from the Playbook

Learning a play is critical because when an individual learns a play and executes it properly, it benefits the whole team. Rule number one in starting out a new play is following your coach's instructions. As you start to practice the play make sure to slow it down, there is no sense in practicing errors. Remember that if you need help, you should ask for it. At times we have seen a player fail to advance or refine their techniques because they don't ask for added assistance. Don't let this happen to you!After practice is over visualize the play in your mind. Go over it again and again, and you will find that your mind will help you learn the plays even when you sleep.

Making and effective Angle Tackle

It is a great idea to practice angle tackles with your defense because not all tackles are made with the opponent right in front of you. Accomplish this drill in pairs, having one teammate act as the offense, or ball carrier, running in a straight line and the other as the defender coming in at any angle. It is great to take this in slow steps to show the defender in a fluid motion how to the quickest angle to take towards the ball carrier, plant his cleats squarely in the middle of the ball carrier, and to always remember safety and effectiveness by placing the head in front of the offensive player. A good tackle is now executed as the defender lunges at the opponent wrapping his arms around his opponent grabbing cloth and completing the tackle by pulling him down or pushing him off sides.