Summer school — Off-season programs help prep football players stay sharp, fit

Cottonwood senior Isi Sofele wasn't sure the unusual stretches he was being asked to do were going to translate into breaking tackles next fall.

But when a former Marine sergeant tells you to put your hands on your waist and swivel your hips, you do it.

"I thought they were little girly stretches," said the running back. "I wasn't sure how that was going to help me with martial arts or football."

And while some of his teammates also expressed doubt about some of those moves, they all did them anyway. Luckily, the players found out eventually how the nontraditional tasks were relevant, not just to the karate class they were taking as a team, but to their physical and mental abilities on the football field.

The Cottonwood football players were offered the opportunity to participate in a once-a-week martial arts class taught by Marshall Parnell, who owns and operates Lotus Blossom in Murray. The 10-week training program was a little different than the other classes offered at Lotus Blossom because Parnell tailor-made the program to fit the needs of football players.

Football is the only major high school sport that doesn't offer student-athletes a club or accelerated program in the off-season. So working out is left up to individual players, and many local coaches now offer some structure for their teams.

While many players are still involved in other sports, a growing number are choosing to focus on football alone, and that makes off-season activities even more important.

The goal of most coaches is simple — keep the kids in shape.

Others, however, are also looking for opportunities to provide mental training and maybe even a little team bonding.

That's why Colts head coach Cecil Thomas talked to Parnell about conducting an off-season program for his players. Thomas also has them participating in a ropes course, training in skill-specific workouts and even competing in weight-lifting events.

"Any time you get a chance to compete, I want them competing," he said. "We don't have spring football in Utah, so this gives us a chance to be in a competitive environment, in competitive situations and see where we stack up."

Thomas isn't alone, as many of the coaches who attended this year's high school power-lifting competition at Bingham High said they hoped their athletes gained more than just better fitness in the variety of off-season activities offered.

"Any time you can have your kids competing, it's a good thing," said Bingham head coach Dave Peck, who hosted the event that drew hundreds of high school athletes. "And the great thing about power lifting is that they're not competing against someone else. They're competing against what they did in the weight room."