Air Force Academy Football Practice

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending the Air Force Academy football practice and subsequent strength training session at the invitation of Matt McGettigan, head Football Strength & Conditioning coach. It was an amazing show. If you want to talk about getting a lot done in short period of time, in short efficiency that is what I saw. Not a minute wasted. This scheduled is dictated by the academy schedule, so it forces everyone to have a laser like focus on the absolute need to do. Some of the players lifted before practice, I was not able to observe that session, another group lifted after. After a brief specific warm-up the focus was on three lifts with active remedial exercises between lifts. There was not a minute wasted. At the conclusion of that session the players did a static stretch and used the foam rollers. The players who did the lift before practice came through and did the same cooldown. Matt has no full time help. Jack Braley, the retired Strength & Conditioning coach comes and helps Matt. It was great to see Jack again, still active and helping Matt coach at age 74. He is a real pioneer in this field. He started coaching at the AFA in 1965 as an assistant football coach and became the strength and conditioning coach in 1980. It was fun trading stories and reminiscing about the good old days. Anytime you get spend time around professionals like jack and Matt it reaffirms my faith that we are on the right track. I certainly picked up some pointers and ideas I will use in my programs.
Discuss entry

Bio
Twitter
Facebook
Latest Posts

Vern Gambetta

Director at Gambetta Sports Training Systems

Vern is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems. He has been the a conditioning coach for several MLS teams as well as the conditioning consultant to the US Men's World Cup Soccer team. Vern is the former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets. He has lectured and conducted clinics in Canada, Japan, Australia and Europe and has authored six books and over one hundred articles related to coaching and sport performance in a variety of sports. He has a BA in teaching with a coaching minor and an MA in Education with an emphasis in physical education from Stanford University.