The thread about Coleton Beck got me thinking so thought I'd post this. JMHO, every HS football player I've ever seen (especially at the skill positions) would benefit from the type of training they could get running track. Why? If they get any decent coaching whatsoever, they will get faster on the track and the field. Running track is all about fast twitch movements, understanding the phases of running a sprint (40, 55, 100, 200 doesn't matter). Also, college coaches look for multi-sport athletes, just search the Internet for articles about it. Most of all, for kids that are trying to earn scholarships by going to camps/combines, if they can't run a solid 40 time for their position, they'll never get a second look. Example: was at a camp at USCe for skill players only. One attempt to run under 4.6 40. If player didn't, they didn't even record their time. Sorry for the long post
Football Speed vs. Track Speed
- Thread starter cb2018
- Start date
I agree fully. For more reasons than you stated.
The swing in the last decade or two is to forgo other sports to concentrate year round on your chosen sport. Baseball led the trend, but basketball and football certainly have followed suite.
In the last few years the value of kids doing other sports has begun to re-emerge. The thinking is, as you pointed out cb2018, is that you develop other physical attributes that translate back to their primary sport. But, and maybe even more important is that you don't burn the kids out. It's helps if it is all "fun". We are talking about kids here, not professional athletes. It's supposed to be fun. They have the rest of their life to deal with the burden of adult responsibilities. Let em be kids.
The result? A better athelete, a happier kid, a better teammate, a better student, and memories to share as the future tracks them down all too quick.
The swing in the last decade or two is to forgo other sports to concentrate year round on your chosen sport. Baseball led the trend, but basketball and football certainly have followed suite.
In the last few years the value of kids doing other sports has begun to re-emerge. The thinking is, as you pointed out cb2018, is that you develop other physical attributes that translate back to their primary sport. But, and maybe even more important is that you don't burn the kids out. It's helps if it is all "fun". We are talking about kids here, not professional athletes. It's supposed to be fun. They have the rest of their life to deal with the burden of adult responsibilities. Let em be kids.
The result? A better athelete, a happier kid, a better teammate, a better student, and memories to share as the future tracks them down all too quick.
I once had a college DB coach tell me that there were only two reasons why a potential recruit didn't run track.
#1. He was slow
#2. He was lazy
I don't necessarily agree and that was 10 years ago before the practice rules changed. But there is some truth to it. College coaches want kids who thrive on competition whether it is basketball, baseball or track. Any person who ever tells a kid to concentrate on one sport is, at best, poorly informed. At worst he has ulterior motives or worse.
I will also state unequivocally that track speed doesn't necessarily mean a kid can play football. There are a lot of kids who are alligator fast(I.e. Straight line fast). Football is not a linear game and places just as much of a premium on a kids ability to stop and also change directions than it does on speed.
That said, I think that Beck is the real deal and is going to excel at the next level.
#1. He was slow
#2. He was lazy
I don't necessarily agree and that was 10 years ago before the practice rules changed. But there is some truth to it. College coaches want kids who thrive on competition whether it is basketball, baseball or track. Any person who ever tells a kid to concentrate on one sport is, at best, poorly informed. At worst he has ulterior motives or worse.
I will also state unequivocally that track speed doesn't necessarily mean a kid can play football. There are a lot of kids who are alligator fast(I.e. Straight line fast). Football is not a linear game and places just as much of a premium on a kids ability to stop and also change directions than it does on speed.
That said, I think that Beck is the real deal and is going to excel at the next level.
Agreed. But if the kid is a "real" football player already, track can enhance that speed and skills. Football kids can excel at track, very rare it happens the other way around.
I know Mags used to be fairly strict on kids playing anything but football. He's relaxed somewhat on that in recent years and you see some kids playing other sports but from what I've heard it's not so easy to be a 2 sport kid at Salem.
The problem with that argument is Mags is a top tier coach and Salem's results under him are absolutely unquestionable.
I'm not close to that situation so you are a much better source, but I'm pretty sure that the state champ basketball team a few years back had football players on it. I know that Alex Light was one of the better hoop players. I'm sure Mags wants those guys in the weight room but I'd be surprised if he ever told kids not to play basketball or baseball.
It did, it had Light and the starting QB (whose name escapes me, sorry) and they were both major contributors to winning state. Baseball, eh, you never hear about many kids doubling up with that (Salem baseball isn't much to write home about usually anyway) but there have been several lacrosse players in recent years under Mags but I think Mags allows that more because there's some rudimentary similarities between the two sports.
From talking with a few parents I don't think Mags out and out forbids it so much as he argues against it on a case-by-case basis but I think the message is made clear from him that football takes precedence and if things happen that put football in the background that's no bueno and creates a problem.
You bring up a great point about lacrosse. I think it is a great compliment to football. The speed, spacing and physicality are very applicable especially in regards to some of the spread offenses. And if any of you have not seen a lacrosse game in person, I highly recommend it.
Does Salem have a weight training class during the school year? It allows kids to play a variety of sports and still be in the weight room all year long.
Salem has a weight training class but it is not pushed by the administration. There is currently only one section of it per semester, and it is the first period of the day. Also, Coach Mag and staff encourage the students to play other sports. Always have. They do pressure the football players not playing a sport to be in the weight room though. One of the football coaches is the boys track coach, and has been since he came to Salem back in the mid 2000's. The boys lacrosse coach is a former Salem football player.
