ExScoop
10-18-2011, 02:59 PM
From Bryan Eagle Newspaper
University Interscholastic League proposals to reduce practice time during high school football preseason camps are well-intentioned but potentially harmful, say some Brazos Valley coaches.
The UIL approved rules Tuesday that would prohibit school teams from holding two-a-day practices on the first four days of training camps and place new restrictions on two-a-days thereafter. The proposed changes approved by the UIL Legislative Council also would prevent teams from holding two-a-days on consecutive days and double the minimum amount of time between workouts to two hours.
"I understand why they're wanting to do these things, for the safety of the kids, but I don't know if making less practice is going to be [good for] the safety of the kids when you get into game situations," said Navasota head coach Lee Fedora, a former standout player at A&M Consolidated.
"I've gotta go by what the UIL tells us to do, but I don't think it's the right direction," Fedora said. "I truly believe kids need to get accustomed to the heat and practice where you can coordinate it as a coach and watch and protect them. You can't do much when all of a sudden Aug. 26th rolls around and you're in a game."
The changes, which come after the hottest summer on record, must still earn final approval by state Education Commissioner Robert Scott, but he is expected to accept the UIL's recommendations.
"I'm not too high on it either," Consol head coach David Raffield said. "The kids that struggle in August are the ones that don't participate in summer conditioning programs and 7-on-7, and I don't see where this is going to help them any."
Teams could still have a second "walk-through" practice that does not include contact or conditioning during those first four days.
"It could be in a classroom or on the field," UIL athletic director Mark Cousins said. "No conditioning."
The NFL recently banned two-a-day practices under its new collective bargaining agreement, and many colleges have scaled back multiple-practice days in recent years.
Mike Carroll, head athletic trainer and assistant athletic director at Stephenville and a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, said the changes will give Texas some of the strongest policies in the country regarding athlete safety and heat conditioning.
Research shows most heat-related injuries happen in the first week of practice, during the second workout of the day, Carroll said. Limiting two-a-day practices and forcing players to sit out at least two hours between workouts gives their bodies time to recover, Carroll said
"It provides a safe method for kids to get used to the heat," Carroll said.
Fedora offers a different view.
"I think it's going to put more pressure on coaches, trying to get these kids in physical shape in a shorter amount of time," Fedora said.
Raffield said he believes the changes would cause coaches to make practices longer when two-a-days are not allowed.
"You're still going to have to get the same amount of stuff in," Raffield said.
Allowing the second "walk-through" workouts, where players can wear helmets but not pads, was important for schools in the smaller classifications, said D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association.
Texas allows schools in Class 4A and 5A, the state's largest schools, to have spring workouts. Classes 3A, 2A and A do not and the coaches at those schools said they needed more time with their players.
"This still gives them a chance to do a lot of teaching without physical contact," Rutledge said.
Making the changes mandatory instead of just recommended guidelines was important, Carroll said. A high school coach, worried that his crosstown rival was putting in more practice than he was, would feel pressure to hold more workouts.
"Whenever it's not mandatory, there are people who don't do it," Carroll said.
Texas had the hottest summer on record in the United States this year, according to the National Weather Service, and averaged 86.8 degrees from June through August.
When football training camp began, much of the state was under an excessive heat warning, with temperatures hitting 110 degrees in some areas.
The UIL had been considering making practice changes for several years but the heat wave "was part of the equation" in making them now, Cousins said.
"This was the time to look at making the change," Cousins said.
University Interscholastic League proposals to reduce practice time during high school football preseason camps are well-intentioned but potentially harmful, say some Brazos Valley coaches.
The UIL approved rules Tuesday that would prohibit school teams from holding two-a-day practices on the first four days of training camps and place new restrictions on two-a-days thereafter. The proposed changes approved by the UIL Legislative Council also would prevent teams from holding two-a-days on consecutive days and double the minimum amount of time between workouts to two hours.
"I understand why they're wanting to do these things, for the safety of the kids, but I don't know if making less practice is going to be [good for] the safety of the kids when you get into game situations," said Navasota head coach Lee Fedora, a former standout player at A&M Consolidated.
"I've gotta go by what the UIL tells us to do, but I don't think it's the right direction," Fedora said. "I truly believe kids need to get accustomed to the heat and practice where you can coordinate it as a coach and watch and protect them. You can't do much when all of a sudden Aug. 26th rolls around and you're in a game."
The changes, which come after the hottest summer on record, must still earn final approval by state Education Commissioner Robert Scott, but he is expected to accept the UIL's recommendations.
"I'm not too high on it either," Consol head coach David Raffield said. "The kids that struggle in August are the ones that don't participate in summer conditioning programs and 7-on-7, and I don't see where this is going to help them any."
Teams could still have a second "walk-through" practice that does not include contact or conditioning during those first four days.
"It could be in a classroom or on the field," UIL athletic director Mark Cousins said. "No conditioning."
The NFL recently banned two-a-day practices under its new collective bargaining agreement, and many colleges have scaled back multiple-practice days in recent years.
Mike Carroll, head athletic trainer and assistant athletic director at Stephenville and a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association, said the changes will give Texas some of the strongest policies in the country regarding athlete safety and heat conditioning.
Research shows most heat-related injuries happen in the first week of practice, during the second workout of the day, Carroll said. Limiting two-a-day practices and forcing players to sit out at least two hours between workouts gives their bodies time to recover, Carroll said
"It provides a safe method for kids to get used to the heat," Carroll said.
Fedora offers a different view.
"I think it's going to put more pressure on coaches, trying to get these kids in physical shape in a shorter amount of time," Fedora said.
Raffield said he believes the changes would cause coaches to make practices longer when two-a-days are not allowed.
"You're still going to have to get the same amount of stuff in," Raffield said.
Allowing the second "walk-through" workouts, where players can wear helmets but not pads, was important for schools in the smaller classifications, said D.W. Rutledge, executive director of the Texas High School Coaches Association.
Texas allows schools in Class 4A and 5A, the state's largest schools, to have spring workouts. Classes 3A, 2A and A do not and the coaches at those schools said they needed more time with their players.
"This still gives them a chance to do a lot of teaching without physical contact," Rutledge said.
Making the changes mandatory instead of just recommended guidelines was important, Carroll said. A high school coach, worried that his crosstown rival was putting in more practice than he was, would feel pressure to hold more workouts.
"Whenever it's not mandatory, there are people who don't do it," Carroll said.
Texas had the hottest summer on record in the United States this year, according to the National Weather Service, and averaged 86.8 degrees from June through August.
When football training camp began, much of the state was under an excessive heat warning, with temperatures hitting 110 degrees in some areas.
The UIL had been considering making practice changes for several years but the heat wave "was part of the equation" in making them now, Cousins said.
"This was the time to look at making the change," Cousins said.