Football has been played for many generations. However, that is not to say that the sport has not continued to evolve. Keep reading if you’d like to become a better football player.

You must weight train if you want to be a successful football player. Work with weights year round to keep in tone for football. Basic lifts combined with heavy weights should be used to build speed and strength. You must master both skills if you wish to achieve a winning status.

TIP! When playing football, it’s important to be safe. Football is an especially physical sport, and injuries are common.

There are so many techniques, strategies and schemes involved in football that it is almost impossible to know them all. Being a smart player can make up for your lack of strength and speed. You may not always have what it physically takes so you need to be mentally prepared as well.

When you go out to play football, you better be in top physical shape in order to compete on the field. You should take part in both cardio and strength training exercises. Then move on to some strength conditioning followed by cooling down.

Ladder drills can help you increase your agility and improve coordination. These are critical to effective training for football. Use sidewalk chalk to draw a ladder on the ground and quickly step into and out of the squares. This technique has to be done correctly so it is advised you watch some videos to learn the proper technique and see how other football players are training with this method.

TIP! The greatest football players are extremely agile. Some excellent exercises that will boost your agility are cone jumping, jumping rope and running through tires.

Physical strength is important to football, but having stamina is really critical, too. Do an hour of cardio every day. Some examples of good cardio exercises are cycling, running and stair climbing. Exercises for stamina need to be easy so you can exercise for longer periods.

While most people are trying to decrease their body weight, a football player needs to bulk up to be successful. That means eating the right foods to ensure you don’t just get fat. Figure out some foods that will let you add calories without eating a lot of unhealthy foods. Blend olive oil and other healthy ingredients into health shakes, pasta dishes and vegetable blends.

If you want to improve hip flexibility, place five cones about five yards apart all in a line. Start the obstacle course, and run between all the cones, moving as quickly as possible. Lean toward the direction you intend to take, and keep your head high with eyes down field.

TIP! Ladder drills are a great way to improve your agility and coordination. These types of repetitive skills are important to anyone who is training to become a better football player.

If you do not give football your full effort, you will not achieve full success. If you play halfheartedly, you will be disappointed in your performance and your team may lose. Take all your positive energy and concentrate it in the right places; you will be rewarded with a spectacular win, time after time.

Being aware of the time clock is very important when trying to succeed in a football game. If the game is nearing its end, and you have the ball and you’re down, you don’t want to run down the clock.

When applying to colleges you want to play for, send a DVD highlight reel to each. Diversify the number and type of schools you apply to, in order to maximize your chances of getting in. If you happen to be offered a choice of colleges, select one with terrific educational opportunities, as well.

TIP! Kickers should always try and practice kicking the ball as far as they can. One of the best ways to kick long distances is to build your strength using a variety of weight lifting techniques.

Live and play the game with confidence. This confidence helps in any type of sport, but can be very powerful when playing football. If you approach your life and your game with confidence, you’ll inspire your teammates. Plus, you’ll have the benefit of seeding doubts in the minds of your opponents. In both ways, that’s giving you a real advantage come game time.

Your inner desire for any practice should be hustle. A game of football can wear you down. You will need to use bursts of speed, amazing tackles at the drop of a hat, and you cannot do these things unless you give it your best. Hustling can really help you become a better player. Perform your best for both your benefit and the benefit of your team.

Being large can help you football sometimes, but don’t put on a ton of fat. Fat can hurt you as you age, especially when you stop working out and exercising as much. Try to build muscle instead, and minimize your body fat.

Your skills are what puts you above your competition, so always work on them. Natural talent and a strong body should be combined with regular practice to improve skills.

Your mind tells you what to do in football. When your body and mind work in sync, without effort, you are more likely to be successful. If you are mentally strong, you will play well.

When performing a tackle you want to ensure that your head is up. Smashing into a player with the very top of the helmet should be avoided. This is referred to as spearing. It runs afoul of the rules, and it might lead to serious injury.

TIP! Your team can score points by kicking field goals. A field goal can save your team if they are in a fourth down.

Stay positive, even when you are losing. Look for silver linings in every game, and push your team to be better and to work harder. Who knows, you may even be awarded with an unimaginable victory by just remaining positive.

Stiff arming can be a valuable tool when you need to get those extra five yards. This technique is basically described as having a straight arm out front of you so that can power through a defender’s tackle attempt. When doing this move, you should avoid touch a player’s face mask with your hand.

Try to get on the coach’s good side. Don’t be that person that shows up late and causes unnecessary friction. Get to practices and workouts in a timely manner, volunteer for everything, and you can show your coach that you’re trying and want to be there. The coach will look at you as a role model for your team.

TIP! Try to score with the fair-catch kick. If one team gets one punt from the other, they can attempt a field goal with a free kick in the play after the fielded punt.

It is a proven fact that learning the details about any activity, from fixing your car to playing sports, is the key to excelling in it. When you look for new information and advice, you are showing your worth. The more you learn, the more your game will keep improving.