What is football to you? Is it simply a hobby? Do you love watching it with your friends and family on Sundays? Do you play in school and dream of making it to the pros? Whatever your goals, learn more about football by reading this article.
Always play safely. Always practice the habit of safety, whether you are in the weight room, on the field for practice, during game time and even celebrating after a win (or coping with a loss). Wear the right gear and use your helmet.
Weight training is critical if you play football. Year round weight training helps you optimize your skills. Use basic lifts as well as heavy ones to increase your strength and speed. The attributes are necessary to reach your full potential as a football player.
Quick Thinking
Agility makes for great football players. Some good exercises which increase agility are jumping rope, running across tires and jumping above cones. In football, quick thinking and quick reflexes are needed. These exercises combine speed, coordination, and quick thinking. Daily training with these activities will give you a big boost in agility.
If you learn a new technique that works well on the football field, don’t overuse it. By trying new moves, you will keep your opponents guessing at your next move.
While it is true that football takes brute strength, it is stamina that keeps you playing. To better stamina, choose a cardio routine to do for about an hour a day. You could climb stairs, cycle, run or do all three. This exercise should be easy, that way you can do more reps and build up stamina.
You can help score points by kicking the ball through the goal. If you are at 4th down, kick instead of running. This should not be done unless you know for sure the kicker is able to get the ball through the goal posts in the end zone of the opposing team. A field goal counts adds three points on the scoreboard.
Develop solid passing routes. It’s rarely the case that a receiver has a straight shot up the field. Instead, they utilize many different routes, including crosses and slanted routes too. If a receiver runs straight ahead and then crosses the field, it is known as a crossing route. Slant routes are about using a diagonal line to run the ball. Either route can help you get the ball up the field quickly.
If you want to be a superior player, you need to care for your body. You need to watch your diet and pay attention to the way your body is after games and practices. Any sign that you are in pain must be reported quickly to your team doctor.
When you apply to colleges, provide some highlights of your play via DVD. Apply to several that are at the level you wish to play at. Having a choice will enable you to also consider the educational side of each school.
As with almost any sport, you need to have the proper mental training as well as physical conditioning. You have to know the entire game. Watch and learn from the professionals using videos of past football games. Powerful, strategic moves are at the core of every football play.
Although being big can be helpful in football, make sure you don’t have a higer body fat percentage. Fat is detrimental to your overall health and should be avoided. Focus on building up your muscle mass and you should be fine.
Practice leaping into the air. You may consider this a skill used in basketball; however, in football vertical leaping can be very important too. There are times that the ball will be thrown outside of your reach and leaping is required to reach it. It is also useful in leaping over opponents blocking your way to a touchdown. Either way, you better be able to jump high!
Work out often to build strength. Weight lifting is crucial to football players. Your overall strength conditioning will help you survive and thrive during your time on the field. It is beneficial to train all major muscle groups. Don’t just focus on the upper body. Legs need strength to be able to push off effectively at the scrimmage line.
The stiff arm technique can help you to end a play with a yardage advantage. The technique requires you to extend an arm outward upon the defender’s approach so you can burst through their tackle. Do not put your hands in or on the face mask of the defender.
If you have a passion for football, keep playing. By reading about football and learning more, your game play is sure to improve. Use these tips the next time that you practice in order to get your skills to the level that you want.