I am now on the V-Squad. I am replacing a guy who is out for the season at WLB. My first Varsity game will be next friday as a district opener. I can now be on a team that will play as a team, and will be on a winning team. I will also be wearing #1.
First game I played on Vasity Last night. We won 61-7. I got to play for 3 full quarters since it was over at half time. I cant really remember my stats but I remember having one sack and one TFL. A lot of people thought that I was too small to play LB for the V-Squad, but I guess my speed and quickness make up for it.
I was wrong on my stats last week, I had 11 tackles and lead the team in tackles that game. this friday’s game I only went in for 5-6 plays and had no tackles. We lost 21-13. Im not getting a chance at wideout on varsity, the last game those receivers ran terrible routes, dropped balls, and caused our qb to throw picks off the bad routes. I know that for certain that I would not run a wrong route when I play, but I might not catch the pass.
How often you do catch balls during the week? I know the biggest thing in playing wide receiver is have the confidence in yourself and your hands to catch every ball thrown to you. It’s all about concentration and focus. If you are disciplined enough to watch the ball all the way into your hands, then you should see a big improvement in your catching skills.
We drill and drill and drill seeing the ball and “framing” it all the way into our hands and it has become second nature. Concentrate and stay focused you’ll be fine man. As soon as ball is released from the qb’s hand, find the point of the ball and just stare the sucker into your hands until it is securely tucked. Catch is first, then turn up field.
I know how you feel because I have been there. I had too many drops in HS which probably prevented me from breaking many school records, receiving all league/all region honors, etc etc etc… Even though I did manage 386 yards on 18 receptions, I most likley should’ve been in the 700-800 yard range with 30+ catches; but like you said my coaches didn’t have the full confidence in me and it was a toss up whether it would be complete or not.
Trust in yourself, then others will trust you!
Thanks for the encouragement.
I havent had the chance during a game ever. It is just during practice, and it is a lack of confidence, and a lack of relaxation. And the more balls I drop, the more tense I get, and the worse it gets. We ususally do catching drills once a week. We just run routes basically.
I separated my shoulder during practice this week so I was out. I might be back for this week though. My team just won a big game that I missed and It sucked.
KU2U, You seem like a very hard worker, and Im sure that your hard work will get you somewhere. My only word of caution is to be very sensitive to overtraining. You were doing an extremely large amount of volume with many exercises prior to your injury.
Remember, never do an exercise without a definite aim of it’s use. Otherwise, you may be spreading your abilities and energy reserves too thin. Just remember, more is not necessarily better. With time you’ll embrace this concept.
Your motto should always be HARD EFFICIENT WORK. You are young and driven, that’s a large part of the equation for success. The other part of the equation is genetics, mindset, and focused knowledge about your goal and how to get there.
Keep up your great work!
Thanks for the many complements Velocegatto. It humbles me greatly when I hear this type of advice.
I have read the CFTS, and have researched this site for a couple of years now. The coaches at my school seem to think that there is no such thing as overtraining.
But in the summer, I hire a coach to get me in shape for football, and to prepare me mentally, rather than more focus on speed, etc. Most of the training he gives me looks like it is overtraining, but to me it is whatever it takes to get in “SHAPE” for football, which would be going out 100percent everyplay. I do not plan on training like this when this off-season comes around shortly. I plan on using the CFTS, with the school’s workouts this off-season, and I will make sure that the number 1 concern will be to avoid overtraining.
For about 2-3 years my Motto has been just HARD WORK. All the result that I have gotten was more pain and less gain. Ever since Ive started understanding the CFTS and this site, it has been HARD EFFICIENT WORK. This next off-season that I am about to face will be the first off-season using the CFTS. I am looking forward to this next step, and am ready to start getting faster in the 40 yard dash!
Thanks again for the advice velocegatto.
I see. Well it all starts in practice. If your coaches trust you can get it done in practice with consistency, then you will get opportunities in the games. Once a week catching drills is not enough to improve your skills. If you can, you need to get together with a few other receivers and a QB and just play catch after practice. You can jog though some routes and catch so you can feel what it’s like to catch the ball at each position.
If you drop a ball, it’s not the end of the world. Shake it off and know you have another play to make up for it. Just relax and watch the ball in all the way. I am willing to bet you are worried more about who’s going to hit you or scoring then catching the ball first. If you make the catch, then you’ve done your job!
Sorry to hear about your shoulder. Take care of it.
My shoulder is fully healed now, and it really wasnt anything serious. I will be playing in this game and the playoff game. Thanks for the advice WRCortese, Id say that I am more worried about running the football after the catch, which is why I have a lack of concentration. But I have to keep remembering that a WR’s job is to catch the ball, and then worry and not making moves, etc.
was odell a good trainer
To get me in shape for football he was, but not really on getting me faster or stronger, which really wasnt the whole focus on going to him. Do you know Odell James?
UT, didnt you play at TAMU, you must have played Odell James, or new about him because he was all-american.
We won last night 27-14, and did not get much action. With the win of this game, we clinched the playoffs.
Lost 39-25. Football season is over for me. I didn’t even get a chance to play at all. What sucked is the day before the game, the LB coach said that I deserve to play from all the hard work I put in this season. I would have got to play against an All-American named Shawnbrey McNeal.
http://tamu.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=39228#colleges
He was damn good. He probably had to have 200+rushing against us, and he also scored 3 touchdowns and one was 90+.
Football season is over, so its time to start working out again. I didnt do that much volume of sprints because we are testing next monday.
Monday: On grass with cleats
4x40yds, all were 3-point.
2xflying 20’s w/ 10yd run in.
Squat: 135x10, 185x6, 210x6, 235x6. easy
Bench: 135x6, 155x6, 185x2
Bent Over BB Rows: 135x6, 135x6, 135x6
Core: 200
Stretch
On the sprints, my acceleration felt good, but I feel real slow in the last 10 yds, and felt slow also on the flying 20’s. I forgot to add plyos after my sprints. My bench went down about 10lbs, I could only do 185 twice. Ive never tested my max squat, but 235x6 was easy, and didnt want to go any further because I had no spotter. I dont know if I should do more volume or anything since we are testing next week on the 40, bench, squat, pro shuttle, VJ.
Tempo:1000yds
10x100yds, with 30sec rest, and pushups/bwsquats imbetween.
Today’s workout and Yesterday’s workout were at my house. My grass isnt really that level, and has a lot of dirt spots, and random rocks in it, so its not the best type of grass I can use. There is good grass on the practice football field that I can use. Also at my house my driveway is a good hill, but its made of crushed limestone so I would have to be careful.
Ive decided to take wed, thurs, and Friday off just because Im testing next week. But this has been the BEST THANKSGIVING EVER, AND THIS IS WHY!
- TAMU AT TU 12-7!!! FIRST TIME IN 6 YEARS.
- DALLAS COWBOYS 38-10, AND THE BOYS ARE ON FIRE!!!
I got a new PR in the 40 today, 4.78. Coaches didnt think I could do it, but they said I had a great start and stayed in a straight line, which was my biggest problem. I beat all the WR’s by .2 and tied with one of the LB’s. Tommorow we will test bench, squat, and power clean.
Didnt do any lifts today but will do sometime this week. Today we just weighed in and did the VJ. I jumped a 24, which I really need to work on that, and weighed in at 152 and need to get bigger.
Did all my lifts today.
Bench:195
Power clean: 155, and ran out of time. Real easy
Squat: 295
I guess this was a good starting point to start the off-season. I definitely need to gain some weight. I also need to get my weight room numbers up.