My Sprint Training Journal + WS4SB

Alright as far as training your DB drills, I would get your backpedal down first. Keep your hips low, keep your chest over your knees whilst still looking up at the play, and smoothly drive your arms back. You want your backpedal to be real smooth.

Next, I would work on opening up to run at a 45degree angle out of your backpedal which shouldn’t be hard. This is usually how you would cover the post or corner routes.

Work on your drive or acceleration out of the backpedal, this is the most important when it comes to breaking on the ball to make a pick. You have to have quick feet and really chop to get out of a backpedal. Make sure to always keep your feet under you so you don’t slip.

As far as drills go, here are some that I found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYqmgIUS1d0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UxUwKLGRRs&NR=1

It would be best to use cones, and somebody guiding you to a certain direction with a football. Let me know if you have any questions or if I didn’t explain anything well enough.

I’m unclear on why you are running 200s at all, let alone all out. For playing DB, you’re going to need speed and acceleration more than special endurance.

Also, you are only going to improve physically so much in the time alotted. Trying too hard to gain physical qualities can make you slower and less agile. I’m not saying don’t train hard, but you will gain more by focusing on the skills and strategies of playing the position than you will by going balls out to improve your times by an amount that won’t matter much on the field. Improve how you must move as a safety; Don’t only run in a straight line.

There are a bunch of videos and writeups online on improving your DB play. Watch/read the receiver ones too so you know what they are trying to pull on you.

I don’t know how your catching is for those picks :smiley: but I have some ideas from a juggler’s experience if you want.

I agree, you are going to have to spend more time studying the DB position. You won’t have a lot of time between now and August 18th, so you really have to make the most of what you got to studying film, etc. A receiver is always going to try to find a way to fake you out, so a common phrase that a lot of coaches use is “never get beat deep!” Its not as easy as it sounds, but it becomes pretty embarassing if a receiver beats you deep and scores an 80yd TD.

Notorioussquirrel, do you know if you will be playing SS or FS?

Juggler, I’m interested in knowing your ideas from experience on making a pick :cool: .

On making a pick – none! On having “soft” hands that allow me to juggle 4 balls with one hand – a lot :smiley: Some of it translates to other sports.

I want to play strong since I am 160 but my boy Gus is 180 so Im most likely playing free safety.

But from now and Aug 18th, that’s 1.5 weeks. I really want to make my senior year worth it and make football the highlight of my school year, but then my heart isnt in it as much as it is in track.

I want to knock down anyone or anybody that comes at me as well as out run them.

2 weeks is also a lot of time for me to get to know my position. I’ll see from now and August 18th and gauge how serious I am about football.

Either way, football or not, I am taking MVP for my indoor and outdoor track seasons.

I am not going to do extensive work tomorrow because I havent done Tuesday and Wednesday due to competition. I’m doing intensive work tomorrow.

As far as tackling, you need to always remember to hit “through” the ball-carrier not just to the ball-carrier. Once you make contact, do not allow your legs to go dead at contact, always keep moving those feet. And never forget to wrap up! Nothing is more embarassing when you hit a RB, and he bounces off of you because you didn’t wrap up. It makes the RB look like he owned you when that happens. Never tackle high either, you have to always get in good position to breakdown and make the tackle. I would work on your hip explosiveness starting now because that is where most of the power comes from when you deliver a blow.

BTW, how tall are you?

I should’ve said I got the same numbers as you lol. I’m 5’9" and 165.

I see where you’re coming from the hip explosiveness. As a sprinter, I need a lot of hip explosiveness since that’s what releases the lower body explosiveness. I love hitting but I have to perfect my tackling technique.

All your tips help bro. Thanks.

Anytime. All of this stuff just came from my experience as a player, nothing special lol. I actually play Rover/RB, I used to play WR. I’m probably a little bit bigger than you, I’m 176 w/ 6-7% BF right now. Now that you are out of track, you probably shouldn’t have any problem putting some weight on now. Even though it probably wouldn’t be necessary.

Damn and I am still trying to get MY abs =[.

I have like 15% bodyfat. Im gonna start laying off the super speed work as the week goes on. I’ll still make my final decision on if I am committed to football or not.

I mean it is high school football. It’s my senior year. I only have one last shot at doing this.

Nonetheless, my goals are still the same and realistic. My goal is to be 175 pounds and around 8-10% BF and if I can go lower in BF, GREAT!

Enough for that.

TODAY:

Intensive Tempo: 6x300 ON GRASS…actually 5…I was super tired for the 6th one, I managed to do a 200…I tried to gut it out but I couldnt…

Afterwards, 250 abs.

After the training, me and my friends ran some routes (I tried the In Drill too, it’s harder than it looked) and played some 3 on 3 football. Due to the darkness, we played 2 hand touch. I played RB on offense due to the fact because I was big and fast. My other 5 friends were 135 pounders. I had 2 TD’s and 4 INT’s :).

Probably shouldn’t worry about lowering your BF%. Keep working on more important things like training, learning about your position, skill work, etc. If you are eating enough with proper food choices your BF% will sort itself out naturally.

If I were you my LAST priority would be seeing your abs. Worry about your strength, speed, skill work, etc first.

^^ That’s how I think exactly WR. Abs aren’t my main focal point. I eat right and I sprint. If anything, my abs will come more or less naturally. I’m more focused on training and gaining mass and getting better. That’s really it.

BTW, it’s 7 AM here in NY now. I decided to participate on a 5K since my coach is going to pay for it. The race is at 9 AM. I had my oatmeal breakfast with a banana :slight_smile: .

I might as well run a 22-23 minute 5K in his face since I won’t be doing the XC season. High School Football babyyyy.

I’ll give y’all the results when I get back. Wish me luck.

I finished 25:07. Considering last time I actually did a 5K was last Cross Country season back in September-November 07, it’s not bad. I did 28 minutes back then.

I know I could’ve done better but I died out after 2.5 miles. Hills weren’t that steep but it was manageable.

Today:

3x400
3x200

The 3x200 were supposed to be another 3 400s, but I couldn’t just do it. Sprinting 400s are hard. Especially since it is intensive tempo.

Who has advice to sprint 400s? It is killer.

Good work dude

If I were you I wouldn’t push myself too hard on the cross country stuff. You don’t want it to interfere with your track/football training.

Tuesday today: 600-500-400-300-200-100 ladder…I walked the distance I ran as recovery.

300 abs

Today, Wednesday: 8x200 with 350 abs followed by 2 games of tackle football…lol my friends decide to start playing all of a sudden because we love basketball so much, it got boring.

Basketball is and will always be my first love.

Friday: It was pouring on the track. After I did my first 400, I realized it wouldn’t be possible to complete the 8 that I had to do.

And as you guys know, tomorrow is August 18th, the first day of football practice. You guys have any word of advice that can help me throughout my first practice?