7 Things Every Football Player Should Do Before Preseason Practice Begins

The first day of preseason practice is one of the most exciting times of the year and just about here! New teammates, new opportunities, and a chance to earn a starting position all begin the moment you step onto the field.

Unfortunately, many athletes make one critical mistake. They wait until preseason starts to get into football shape. By then, they're already behind. Way behind. The athletes who separate themselves during preseason aren't necessarily the biggest or fastest. They're the ones who prepared long before the first whistle. They are the ones who trained with PROformance.

If you want to make the team, earn more playing time, or become a difference-maker this season, here are seven things you should accomplish before preseason begins. Of course, it goes without saying you should be training with PROformance!

1. Get Into Football Shape—Not Just Good Shape

You should be in pretty good shape and should have been training all summer. Remember, running a few miles or lifting weights isn't enough. Especially if you want to be elite and compete.

Football demands explosive movement, short bursts of speed, quick recovery, change of direction, and repeated high-intensity effort. This takes intentional, focused and fundamental training.

Your conditioning should include:

• Sprint intervals

• Agility drills

• Position-specific movement

• Acceleration and deceleration training

• Reaction drills

Remember: Football shape is different than gym shape.

2. Master Your Position Fundamentals

Championship teams are built on fundamentals. Before preseason starts, every player should sharpen the basics. Practice these tasks slowly and progress to game speed. Doing some wrong fast only speeds up your mistakes, injuries and poor performace.

Quarterbacks:

• Footwork

• Throwing mechanics

• Pocket movement

• Decision making

Wide Receivers:

• Releases

• Route running

• Hands

• Separation

Running Backs:

• Vision

• Ball security

• Cuts

• Pass protection

Defensive Players:

• Stance

• First step

• Pursuit angles

• Tackling technique

The more automatic your fundamentals become, the faster and more effective you'll play and execute.

3. Increase Your Football IQ

Physical ability will only take you so far. The best players understand the game.

Spend time:

• Studying your teams

  • Studying offensive and defensive concepts

  • Learning coverages

  • Understanding formations

  • Watching film (Hint...Coaches can see how much time you spent watching film on Hudl! When a coach asks you to watch film, they will know if you did and for how long)

  • Learning situational football

Players who process information quickly often outperform athletes with superior physical talent.

4. Improve Your Speed and Agility

Speed is one of the biggest difference-makers on the football field. Football speed is much different than track speed. Instead of simply running sprints, train movements that occur during games.

Focus on:

• First-step explosion

• Lateral movement

• Change of direction

• Acceleration

• Deceleration

• Reaction speed

Every tenth of a second matters.

5. Train Your Mind

Confidence doesn't magically appear on game day. It is developed through preparation.

Elite athletes prepare mentally by:

• Setting goals

• Visualizing success

• Practicing under pressure

• Learning from mistakes

• Building resilient habits

When adversity comes—and it always does—mental toughness keeps athletes performing at their best.

6. Recover Like an Athlete

Improvement happens between workouts.

Give your body what it needs to perform:

• Quality sleep

• Proper nutrition

• Hydration

• Mobility work

• Recovery days

• Take care of any injuries before the season

The athletes who recover well improve faster and reduce their risk of injury.

7. Get Professional Coaching Before Camp Starts

One of the biggest advantages an athlete can have is entering preseason with individualized coaching with highly qualified and experienced coaches like PROformance.

Private training helps athletes:

• Correct bad habits before coaches see them

• Improve position-specific technique

• Increase football IQ

• Build confidence

• Train at game speed

• Prepare for position battles

Going into camp prepared allows athletes to focus on competing—not catching up.

Success Begins Before the Season Starts

Every year, coaches notice the athletes who put in the work before preseason.

• They move better.

• They think faster.

• They compete with confidence.

• Most importantly, they're prepared when opportunities arise.

• The work you put in today determines how you'll perform when the season begins.

• Don't wait for preseason to start your development.

• Start now.

Train With PROformance Football Training

At PROformance Football Training, we develop complete football players through individualized coaching, position-specific instruction, football IQ development, speed training, film analysis, and leadership development.

Whether you're preparing for youth football, middle school, high school varsity, or college recruiting, our customized training programs are designed to help you become faster, smarter, more confident, and ready to compete.

Train with purpose. Compete with confidence. Perform at your highest level. Elevate your game and train like a Pro with PROformance.

Visit PROformanceFootballTraining.com to schedule your player evaluation and begin preparing for your best season yet.