Football is a sport that demands a high level of effort, talent and the ability to improve quickly. Unlike many other sports, football players are often required to learn complicated plays and then execute them at top speed. This requires maximum energy and effort. Players learn that they need to work hard to be successful and this can carry over to many outside activities.
Practice
Practice is essential in football. At nearly all levels of the game, teams will practice four or five days per week prior to the game. The practice sessions include working on proper form for blocking, tackling, running, passing and receiving. Practices also include working on specific plays that are the team's signature on the field and also working on plays that might be specific for a particular opponent.
Conditioning Work
Football players have to be in excellent condition at all times because of the hard hits they endure. The only way to withstand these collisions is to be in the best shape possible. Players will do conditioning drills at the start of every practice, but that is really just the beginning of getting in shape. Players are expected to run on their own, do strength-training on their own and to develop quickness and hand-eye coordination.
Strength-training
Once players reach the age of 15, they get involved in strength-training to further their football career. While linemen and linebackers are the ones who are most dependent on their strength because they are involved in one-on-one battles on nearly every play, all players have to get stronger. A stronger running back can withstand a hit and keep on running. A stronger quarterback will not go down easily when a defensive lineman gets a hold of him. Players have to do exercises such as bench presses, lunges, arm curls and leg presses to build strength in the offseason and maintain it during the regular season.
Film Study
It's not enough for coaches to study film of an upcoming opponent and to develop a game plan. Players have to look at film and study their opponent's tendencies. They might be in the film room for more than one hour every day looking for a weakness to exploit. "I was always looking at the pass rushers and the angle they took," said Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. "It was my job to pass the ball and I wanted to see where the openings would be and the only way to do that was to learn the tendencies by watching film."
References
- "Play Football the NFL Way"; Tom Bass; 1991
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
- Steve Young; Hall of Fame Quarterback; Chicago
