How many programs still do two-a-days?

[plantmanky]

We did two a days for first two weeks of August. Then the next week (which usually was the last full week before school started and led into our first scrimmage week) we did "Camp Week" which was 3 a days where we actually stayed at the school all week and slept in classrooms (bring your own mattress style.)

 

Practices if I remember right during camp were: (Monday - Thursday)

 

6am - 830am - Practice 1 - Defense

830am - 1030am - Breakfast/lifting

1030am - 1230pm - Practice 2 - Special Teams

1230pm - 230pm - Lunch Break/film

230pm -4pm - Conditioning

4pm - 730pm - Dinner/film/team building stuff

730pm - 10pm - Practice 3 - Offense

 

On the Friday after the scrimmage (we always hosted) there was a big cookout for both teams players and parents. Then Saturday morning we had check in, watched film and that was the end of camp.

[ChiefSmoke]

We have gone to one 3 hour practice each day, in the morning, to eliminate any rule/heat concerns.

 

In the old days, we did 3-a-days, and our guys were ready for those hot, mid August bowl games played at 5 pm.

 

Our schedule.....

 

8 am- 10 am Defense- full gear

10:50 am Gatorade

11:15- 12:15 Special Teams in helmets & shoulder pads

12:30-1:30 lunch

2:15-4:15 Offense- full gear unless it was too hot. Then it was helmets and shoulder pads.

 

We had our conditioning test on Tuesday. Wednesday & Thursday were 3-a-days. Friday was one practice. Monday & Tuesday were 3-a-days. I do think the extra recovery time built in was good for our kids and helped to prevent any heat injury/illness.

 

Tough days but good days. And, we were ready to play in the heat.

 

With all the restrictions, my preference would be a later start date. We are not as prepared as we use to be for the heat in early season games.

[Oldercoach]

Waaaaaaay back in my playing days, it was always two-a-days for two solid weeks. Three hours in the morning....two hour lunch breaks at school...three hours in afternoon. Usually full pads in morning, but very light hitting finished off with last 15 minutes of bull in the ring. Afternoons always heavy hitting with suicides to end practice. Forgot to mention...2 five minute water breaks each session (no such thing as gatorade) plus all the salt pills you wanted. Additionally, forgot to mention getting your bell-rung always came with extra water and ice on your neck to rejuvinate you for no more than one series off. Amazingly most of us survived with only marginal brain issues. Football today in all aspects is more intelligently approached. Kids, by in-large, are bigger, faster, better prepared, better equipped and candidly capable of doing untold damage to themselves and/or others. I applaud the efforts to enhance safety.

[Fear the Nation]

Wake up at 7 am, drive to the field. Practice from 8-10:30. Drive home, eat lunch, shower, nap till 3:00 or so. Get up, drive to the field, practice 4-6:30. Drive home, eat dinner, shower, sleep.

 

Repeat.

 

Drive? I always lived in walking districts. Maybe drove a ten speed to the school....lol

[Chet Manley]

As recently as when I played from 02-05 (you'll know the coach, JD) we did 3-a-days for a week. It was pretty miserable, 8am til 5pm every day with an hour break between practices. I was usually in bed by 7pm every day during 3-a-day week.

[mexitucky]

I don’t remember much about our schedule. I do remember seeing the cross country runners running our hill, running 27, running our hill, running 27 and feeling bad for them. I’d rather overheat in equipment than run 10 to 12 miles in the smog.

[4th&1]

That was back when you were allowed to tackle. Now you see more contact at soccer practice.

[plantmanky]

That was back when you were allowed to tackle. Now you see more contact at soccer practice.

 

I do believe the new practice schedules have led to the decrease in proper tackling in high school.

[godfather1]

I really don't think practice schedules have much to do with poor tackling habits. Over the years there have been so many theories about proper tackling, I truly believe that has led to poor tackling, in general. Simply look at rugby, and their tackling techniques. They wear basically nothing, and knock the crap out of each other, with limited injuries. One major reason is the use of Tackling Wheels. My understanding is that they've used these devices for years, with great success. Gone are the days of spending an hour(s) in practice performing man-in-the-middle, Oklahoma, etc. drills. Why kill the kids in practice, when you really need them tackling in a game. Common sense really. Cuts down on silly injuries, and keeps them fresh for games. Hey, just my opinion.

[groundattack]

I really don't think practice schedules have much to do with poor tackling habits. Over the years there have been so many theories about proper tackling, I truly believe that has led to poor tackling, in general. Simply look at rugby, and their tackling techniques. They wear basically nothing, and knock the crap out of each other, with limited injuries. One major reason is the use of Tackling Wheels. My understanding is that they've used these devices for years, with great success. Gone are the days of spending an hour(s) in practice performing man-in-the-middle, Oklahoma, etc. drills. Why kill the kids in practice, when you really need them tackling in a game. Common sense really. Cuts down on silly injuries, and keeps them fresh for games. Hey, just my opinion.

 

I do believe you hit on something. I really think the "Hawk Tackling" has been a huge asset to the safety in the game. Yes there has been some changes to how practices are conducted and the type of contact allowed at each practice. The Hawk Tackling has allowed kids to work on it year around with no helmet/pads on and continually improve their technique. I think the changes made to football have helped now we just need to get the communication out and change the narrative that the media has picked up on about the negative aspects of our game.

[rjs4470]

I do believe you hit on something. I really think the "Hawk Tackling" has been a huge asset to the safety in the game. Yes there has been some changes to how practices are conducted and the type of contact allowed at each practice. The Hawk Tackling has allowed kids to work on it year around with no helmet/pads on and continually improve their technique. I think the changes made to football have helped now we just need to get the communication out and change the narrative that the media has picked up on about the negative aspects of our game.

 

Not only do we need to change the negative narrative, we need the many "old school" guys to come around and embrace these new methods, and get behind the advance of safety, rather than complain about how "soft" the game has gotten. Even with the changes, football is still a violent, physical game, played by tough players. The needless violence that so many still look for, is just not necessary, and only hurts the game.

[Tigerpride94]

St. X trying new format this year. Doing practice from 7:00 -10:00 for half of team and 9:30-12:30 for other half. Allows for more reps when you have 160 kids from Sophomore-Senior. Frosh will still practice in evenings. This format looks more like two a days for the coaches.

[sportsfan41]

Wake up at 7 am, drive to the field. Practice from 8-10:30. Drive home, eat lunch, shower, nap till 3:00 or so. Get up, drive to the field, practice 4-6:30. Drive home, eat dinner, shower, sleep.

 

Repeat.

 

That was a cake 2 a day. Showers and sleep, that's the dream.

[BFritz]

We weren't allowed to leave campus between practices. We'd all haul tail down to the school cafeteria to eat as quickly as possible, and then most of us would find a spot (ideally as dim-lit as possible) to nap as long as possible. Lucky guys got to nap in the garage area off of the weight room where the high jump/pole vault pit pads were stored for track and field. The locker rooms looked like Jonestown the morning after during break...guys balanced laying on locker benches...guys laying on tackling dummies, lay-down dummies, or arm-shields...some guys even brought inflatable pool floats to sleep on. Anything you could do to separate yourself from the concrete floor of the locker room while you napped.

 

Areas nearest to a fan were at a premium too. It was hot as all hell in that un-air conditioned locker room building.

 

One of the days during the first week there was time set aside during the break for seniors to shave players' heads - all sophomores had to shave it. Upperclassmen weren't required, but a lot of them did anyway.

 

There were always a handful of guys who would skip naps so they could sit around and play euchre. I was not among them.

 

We'd sit up in the baseball press box and just talk and rest after lunch between practices.

 

We never had the shaved heads thing, but wedgie man during pregame practices the day before games was always hilarious. Surprised that I never got it, but I was always waiting on it considering that I was the only freshman. That's obviously considered punishable by death now.

[ThrillVille Cardinal51]

Call me crazy, but some of my fondest memories from playing were from 2 a day practices.

 

Shenanigans in the locker room between practice were hysterical.