| 4 – Agility Training & Footwork |
Agility training has tremendous merit in that it has an immediate and direct impact on athletic endeavors. Moreover, it lays the foundation for specialized physical preparation more than any other area of training.
Footwork is incredibly important for football agility. Being able to move your feet quickly can have a big impact on your performance. Having fast feet can help you sprint, change direction, block, tackle, throw and even catch the ball.
This session will focus on the following areas of training:
Rope Skipping
Rope skipping—the perfect exercise for everyone?…the nine skill areas addressed by rope skipping…the proper mechanics of rope work…selecting the best rope…the importance of correct hand position…rope speed. Rope work is a centuries-old tradition and will certainly remain a steady component of all training in the future. It’s relatively easy to learn, fully transportable, and inexpensive, and it offers extraordinary benefits to any level of player. It would be rare to find someone who wouldn’t benefit from the use of rope work. Rope skipping might be the perfect exercise for everyone, from the youngest ball player to the advanced professional.
Rope skipping at this demanding level will provide synergistic balance of numerous skill are as:
• Foot Speed
• Hand Speed
• Work Capacity
• Cardiovascular System
• Concentration
• Motor Skills/Body Harmony/timing
• Reduction of BodyFat
• Strengthening of Soft Tissue
• Balance
Agility Ladder Drills
The second element in training is the agility ladder. Athletes run through the ladder with their heads up, as if on a swivel, so they can see everything around them. Ladder drills teach a tremendous variety of skills, included foot positioning, quickness of feet, and efficiency of movement. Ladder work should be performed in the most sport-specific manner possible. The athlete will run through ten agility ladder drills.
Bag Drills
Another basic element in Renegade agility training is bag drills. Bag drills closely mimic actual playing conditions and are typically done only during the final 6-week phase of training that focuses on specialized physical preparation .
Bag drills should be performed with tackling dummies. Use five bags and arrange them approximately 3 feet apart. Set up each bag using a 3-yard box above and below the bag to simulate sport-specific game conditions.
Cone Drills
Cone drills are the final element in agility training—are performed at different levels of intensity, depending on the training cycle. For the first three cycles of the off season, athletes should perform at 75% of their maximal output with 30 to 45 seconds of rest between sets. In the final cycle, athletes should perform at 100%.
This type of drill uses regular traffic-type cones set up in specific patterns . They are set 5 to 10 yards apart so as to mimic the true aspect in football of “playing in a box.” The focus in these drills is acceleration. For each of the following series, each pattern should be run twice using the movement described. Start each from a two-point positional stance, similar to that of game condition. And come in and out of the cuts as low as possible.
Speed Chute Drills
The Goal: Develop explosive acceleration and speed endurance – Provide resistance to improve maximum speed – Activate muscles to improve sprint velocity.
This session will focus on:
– Rope Skipping
– Agility Ladder
– Bag Drills
– Cone Drills
– Speed Chute Drills