Regular Season Nov 8, 2009
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Traditionally, high school football teams used two-a-day practices in August but in recent years the trend has changed. We asked four football coaches what format they use for preseason practices?
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Bill Harrelson
Gravette Football |
 | We use the one longer practice with a little break in the middle. Nowadays, it works out better for us because we have junior high also four our coaches and this provides more time off for the kids so they get more time to recover. They get through with one practice and don't have to come back to town until the next day. So the recovery time is the main thing for us. |
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Todd Eskola
Pulaski Robinson Football |
 | We have used the 8:00 am until 12:30 pm approach for several years now. Our kids are spread out over a large area within our district and we prefer to only have them on the roads once. It also allows them to have the freedom to work in the afternoons, while still giving the coaches plenty of time to review that mornings films and set up practice for the next day and still get home to tuck the kids in bed. We use this schedule until teachers report, then we switch to a 4:00 pm till 6:30 pm schedule. |
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Kevin Kelley
Pulaski Academy Football |
 | We use one long practice with about a 20 minute break in the middle.
There are several reasons we use them. When you practice in pads and do some hitting, it breaks the body down. I have done some research to show that the chance for injuries are
reduced when players are allowed closer to 24 hours to recover. When two-a-days are the choice, players are getting alternating 6- and 16-hour recovery times instead of the 20 - 22 hour period you get when one long practice is in order.
Mentally, I think it is better for the kids as they can still actually
have a summer day after practice rather than breaking it up. For
instance, if you come in and practice 7 to 9 a.m. and then come back at 4
p.m., by the time the kids get home, it is 10 a.m. and they can't do a whole
lot because they know they have to be back at around 3:30 to get ready
for practice in the afternoon.
Also, many kids mow lawns and work and it is easier for them to continue
when there is one block of time taken out of the day for football rather
than two. |
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Jeff Williams
Fort Smith Southside Football |
 | We bring our kids in at 7 a.m. to lift weights and have position meeting watching (Watching film and going over installation for the day.) We have specialty (kickers, returners) for 25 minutes and work on special teams for an hour. Then, we practice offense and defense for 3 hours. We bring our kids back later in the day to watch film of practice. We have been installing our offense and defense and working on football fundamentals since January. We have two weeks of spring practice and three days of team camp with other schools in June. We work out three times a week for three hours a day lifting weights conditioning and football fundamentals in the summer. We also have 7-on-7 with other schools every Wednesday in July for three hours. So when we get to August practice all of our offense and defensive schemes are already in place. |
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