High School spring practice

[Out State Gopher]

Will there ever be high school football practice in Minnesota as some southern states have? Helping accelerate skills, technique. Improving their play & lower the risk of injuries from improper tackling, head placement. Fall practices seem so short for everything that is needed. Two to four weeks of non-contact drills & coaching would help the overall level of play & safety (poor technique does lead to injuries) in Minnesota. Which everyone should be on board with.

 

[Some guy]

Will there ever be high school football practice in Minnesota as some southern states have? Helping accelerate skills, technique. Improving their play & lower the risk of injuries from improper tackling, head placement. Fall practices seem so short for everything that is needed. Two to four weeks of non-contact drills & coaching would help the overall level of play & safety (poor technique does lead to injuries) in Minnesota. Which everyone should be on board with.

There will not be
There is no push for it. There is no desire for it from players or coaches. If anything, summer will be dialed back even more due to contact:

Playing 7 on 7 with no contact wouldn’t make Minnesota any better at football IMO

 

[Gold Vision]

Strength training and weekly camps in the dome started this week for my son who will be going into 9th grade next year. They run into the spring. It definitely feels like the season is stretching out a bit.

 

[Some guy]

Strength training and weekly camps in the dome started this week for my son who will be going into 9th grade next year. They run into the spring. It definitely feels like the season is stretching out a bit.

Your son is not subject to MSHSL rules this summer. No 24-24 10-12th graders can be at those weekly camps or they’re in violation of rules

 

[Gold Vision]

Your son is not subject to MSHSL rules this summer. No 24-24 10-12th graders can be at those weekly camps or they’re in violation of rules

Rising 11th-12th are in the same dome right after them. They’re being trained by a third party group. They’re basically doing the same drills and practice without the HS staff contact.

 

[60's Guy]

Rising 11th-12th are in the same dome right after them. They’re being trained by a third party group. They’re basically doing the same drills and practice without the HS staff contact.

So none of these football players training play basketball or hockey? Am I right?

 

[Gold Vision]

So none of these football players training play basketball or hockey? Am I right?

That’s a good point, I haven’t seen who all is attending the older camp. There are multiple 8th and 9th graders that are attending that are in association hockey and basketball though, including my son.

 

[Some guy]

Rising 11th-12th are in the same dome right after them. They’re being trained by a third party group. They’re basically doing the same drills and practice without the HS staff contact.

They’ve got it going. Probably a good staff.
What they’re doing is frowned upon but not illegal

 

[60's Guy]

That’s a good point, I haven’t seen who all is attending the older camp. There are multiple 8th and 9th graders that are attending that are in association hockey and basketball though, including my son.

The reason for my question...if any of those coaches care how well the their basketball or hockey teams do regarding wins and losses...that's a huge overload on kids. 26 basketball games is pretty much two games a week. Practice is already so limited with playing 26 games that trying to preserve the legs of your players means you shorten practices or lighten the workload so they can have the physical capacity to compete in games. Meaning, just the way it is/was you can't get enough practice time to add anything new beyond a play or a wrinkle (certainly not a new system).

Seems surprising. I'm guessing football is the most successful sport?
In others words, I wouldn't let my players do both. Make a choice.

 

[Gold Vision]

The reason for my question...if any of those coaches care how well the their basketball or hockey teams do regarding wins and losses...that's a huge overload on kids. 26 basketball games is pretty much two games a week. Practice is already so limited with playing 26 games that trying to preserve the legs of your players means you shorten practices or lighten the workload so they can have the physical capacity to compete in games. Meaning, just the way it is/was you can't get enough practice time to add anything new beyond a play or a wrinkle (certainly not a new system).

Seems surprising. I'm guessing football is the most successful sport?

He’s at Minnetonka. Hockey and even basketball are pretty successful as well. I’m guessing kids playing JV or Varsity Basketball or Hockey are not attending these camps or strength training sessions. There are so many kids, and so many of them specialize, that the crossover is probably not that large though.

My son is a B-level Bantam hockey player. Practices aren’t everyday for him either. I’m guessing if he was on a AA team, it would probably be frowned upon.

 

[LeftofThaDial]

Will there ever be high school football practice in Minnesota as some southern states have? Helping accelerate skills, technique. Improving their play & lower the risk of injuries from improper tackling, head placement. Fall practices seem so short for everything that is needed. Two to four weeks of non-contact drills & coaching would help the overall level of play & safety (poor technique does lead to injuries) in Minnesota. Which everyone should be on board with.

Lift. Run Track.

 

[Out State Gopher]

Minnesota Vikings rookie CB Akayleb Evans is putting his off season focus into learning how to tackle in a way that reduces the risk of getting another concussion. He had three reported concussions his rookie season. At the end of last season he talked with defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and Patrick Peterson about becoming a more technical tackler(not using his head to tackle)rather than treating himself as a missile. “My mindset when I tackle is always to be aggressive but not every tackle has to be a kill shot so keep my head out of it,” Evans said. If a player from Missouri a SEC school not getting proper coaching needs to relearn how to tackle because of injuries, high school players need more guidance. Technique wins games ignorance does not. Denial is not a river in Egypt. This season no concussions.

 

[MplsGopher]

With how every other sport has shifted to year-round training, I’d be shocked if football parents aren’t saying “why aren’t we doing that for football?”

Some high schools have full-field domes right on their campus.

 

[GopherRock]

Spring practice already exists in this state. It's called track and field.

 

[MplsGopher]

OR more realistically, not the least of which being to bypass the MSHSL’s authority: parents and coaches will start organizing club teams in football.

Won’t be any different than bball, vball, hockey, etc.

Train year round, 7on7 year round for skill players, lineman drills on bags/dummies etc., and have a full-contact practice , scrimmage, and even games period in the spring.


Parents would pay.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

At smaller schools, most of the football players are involved in other sports. In the Spring, that means Baseball, Track, Golf or Tennis. The coaches of those programs would throw a fit if there was a move for Spring Football.

That doesn't mean that kids can't be in the weight room, but anything more formal is not going to happen.

 

[MplsGopher]

At smaller schools, most of the football players are involved in other sports. In the Spring, that means Baseball, Track, Golf or Tennis. The coaches of those programs would throw a fit if there was a move for Spring Football.

That doesn't mean that kids can't be in the weight room, but anything more formal is not going to happen.

How do the coaches feel about year round club sports? Maybe that's not a thing in the sticks, but it's common in the metro and the coaches can't do a thing about it.

 

[Gopherwatcher]

How do the coaches feel about year round club sports? Maybe that's not a thing in the sticks, but it's common in the metro and the coaches can't do a thing about it.

The spring coaches at our school and EVERY other small school around us that I know ABSOLUTELY despise things like JO and AAU. They are destroying sports like track and baseball and softball at small, rural schools. I lose football a couple football players every fall to play in basketball "league" that runs at a local college. Even our girls' BB program has nosedived because JO VB starts in the middle of the season and some of the better girls choose not to play BB because they don't want to be tired for their full weekends of VB...

Not coincidentally, I've never seen more overuse/repetitive use injuries in our girls doing that than ever before....

 

[MaxyJR1]

Football players not playing other sports should be dedicated to strength and agility during the winter/spring. The teams that will have large numbers dedicated to doing this.

Some districts and programs have winning cultures of strength and agility programs.

 

[disco]

Rising 11th-12th are in the same dome right after them. They’re being trained by a third party group. They’re basically doing the same drills and practice without the HS staff contact.

A friend of mine has a son going into his senior year at a big metro school. I can tell you for a fact they are working out and training every day if they aren't in another sport.

 

[disco]

How do the coaches feel about year round club sports? Maybe that's not a thing in the sticks, but it's common in the metro and the coaches can't do a thing about it.

I've talked about this multiple times. People say that football is declining because of mom's being afraid of head injuries. I'm convinced at least in this state, that it's specialization - especially in hockey. Kids are told they're expected to make hockey their priority if they want to hope to play in high school and we even see it in middle school.

 

[State of Football]

There will not be
There is no push for it. There is no desire for it from players or coaches. If anything, summer will be dialed back even more due to contact:

Playing 7 on 7 with no contact wouldn’t make Minnesota any better at football IMO

100% accurate

 

[State of Football]

I've talked about this multiple times. People say that football is declining because of mom's being afraid of head injuries. I'm convinced at least in this state, that it's specialization - especially in hockey. Kids are told they're expected to make hockey their priority if they want to hope to play in high school and we even see it in middle school.

There are 160 HS hockey teams and 425 basketball teams in the State of Hockey . Basketball specialization is a bigger detriment than hockey.

 

[disco]

There are 160 HS hockey teams and 425 basketball teams in the State of Hockey . Basketball specialization is a bigger detriment than hockey.

To be fair, my experience is in the metro area. I see it more with hockey at least at the youth level.
Kids miss football for hockey all the time. Never the other way around, and I've rarely if ever seen it for hoops.

 

[MplsGopher]

A friend of mine has a son going into his senior year at a big metro school. I can tell you for a fact they are working out and training every day if they aren't in another sport.

Which is what all college programs do ... in the winter and summer.

In the spring, they practice. Lo and behold, the name of the thread ...

 

[disco]

Which is what all college programs do ... in the winter and summer.

In the spring, they practice. Lo and behold, the name of the thread ...

We're talking about high school, where kids can, and some still do, play multiple sports.
Extremely rare in college. Jeez.

 

[MplsGopher]

We're talking about high school, where kids can, and some still do, play multiple sports.
Extremely rare in college. Jeez.

As you acknowledge, many are choosing to do year round in a single sport by the time they’re high school (if not before), and the school team/season is really nothing more than out of tradition than anything else.

Football could become like that, at least for some.

 

[disco]

As you acknowledge, many are choosing to do year round in a single sport by the time they’re high school (if not before), and the school team/season is really nothing more than out of tradition than anything else.

Football could become like that, at least for some.

I think a short spring full-pads thing could be cool, but I don't see it happening.
Football's short season is one reason kids leave the game. With all the overlap with club sports (baseball, basketball, hockey) football gets the shaft.

 

[Lou Brown]

How do the coaches feel about year round club sports? Maybe that's not a thing in the sticks, but it's common in the metro and the coaches can't do a thing about it.

And I dont think the coaches should be able to do anything about it. Kids get one shot to be kids - let them do what they want to do. This isn't Russia, is this Russia?

I've coached Varsity baseball for 10 years, Club for another 5, Youth baseball etc - Thing I see the most of is HS Coaches trying to rule their kingdom and tell theses kids what's best for them.

I know I'm ranting but - your Varsity coach that is really a Science teacher and has limited playing experience can be a great role model and deserves recognition for contributing to the community, but making it up as I go - more than 50% aren't qualified to coach and 95% of the 50% think they are Tom Lasorda. The great coaches at the HS level are out there, but are the exception.

Rant concluded. Go Gophers.

 

[Hates Monikers]

The spring coaches at our school and EVERY other small school around us that I know ABSOLUTELY despise things like JO and AAU. They are destroying sports like track and baseball and softball at small, rural schools. I lose football a couple football players every fall to play in basketball "league" that runs at a local college. Even our girls' BB program has nosedived because JO VB starts in the middle of the season and some of the better girls choose not to play BB because they don't want to be tired for their full weekends of VB...

Not coincidentally, I've never seen more overuse/repetitive use injuries in our girls doing that than ever before....

My daughter played soccer and basketball, and both were year round, of course. Even with most girls choosing one or the other, I think I counted eight torn ACLs among the girls she played with during those four years.