Michigan Football: Pre-Season Fall Camp Begins — Not the Easiest Time
Posted at 7:00am — 8/4/2013
Michigan Football: Pre-Season Fall Camp Begins — Not the Easiest Time
Millions of college football fans are waiting for college preseason camps to open. It is an alarm clock that signals good times are on the way. This camp is sometimes called fall camp, but August is part of summer.
For coaches and players, it is also an exciting time, somewhat like deer camp for hundreds of thousands of hunters. It is a tough time however.
Planning for preseason workouts is put into place, one puzzle part at a time after spring practice. The raw scheduling is not that difficult and every system has a clear plan for practice.
Jul 24, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Devin Gardner is interviewed during the Big Ten media day at the Chicago Hilton. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY SportsBut with every minute of practice valuable, coaches do not go through the motions. There is discipline to put into place, and it is not a good idea to be late to a major college practice. Coaches get to see who is listening and clearly have the get it factor. More importantly coaches must see who has improved since spring and who is a serious candidate for a starting position.
Not everything is total team group work. There are small group sessions, there is still strength and conditioning, and at night both coaches and players have plenty of work. It is not unusual for coaches to stay until after 10:00 at night, only to return somewhere between 6 and 7 AM.
Coaches evaluate daily and make decisions about what situations to place players in to judge if the player can play in certain situations and schemes. Frequently, there are rays of hope and eyebrows of doom, and as such the evaluation goes on and on.
Jul 24, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Brady Hoke speaks during the Big Ten media day at the Chicago Hilton. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY SportsRotations must be set at least a few days before practice and do not forget the large task of figuring out who will be a part of special teams. Coaches must find the athleticism to man special teams while strongly convincing players how important the assignment is.
There are the usual endless drills and corrections, but players love the few times where some extended scrimmage time is allowed. As the saying goes this is not a drill and players get hyped and sometimes out of control.
At any time an injury can happen: drills, running, strength time, and scrimmages. This is when coaches talk tough and preach being physical and hope no major injuries happen.
By the time the preseason weeks are over, players cannot wait to hit someone in another jersey. And millions of fans in the nation are happy to watch.
A tough time for sure, but much progress has been made in the medical and coaching literature base, progress that has helped the well-being of millions of young players.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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