Summer Training Doesn't Make Champions—Purposeful Summer Training Does
- Coach David Frederick
- Jun 22
- 4 min read
Summer Training Doesn't Make Champions—Purposeful Summer Training Does. You had a grueling season, then winter weight room, spring sports, just wrapped up spring ball and now...ahhh, vacation, dead period. For the elite players in American, there is no such thing. Every summer and dead period, thousands of football players head to the weight room, run a few sprints, attend a camp or two, and tell themselves they're getting ready for the season.
The problem?
Most players are busy. Very few are actually improving and training. When preseason camp begins, coaches quickly separate the athletes who trained with purpose from those who simply worked out. This becomes even more evident when summer ball starts going into pre-season and then show time.
Working out during the summer, the 3 week dead period, pre-summer ball, etc. is hard. I get it. You want to hang with your friends, relax and not have to think about football for a couple of weeks. Cool. I truly get it. But elite players, players who want to compete, play at the next level, compete at the D1 level, earn an offer? Those players? They are the ones on the field at 7:00PM training, workign on their 40, agilities, etc. while their friends are at a party. They are the ones at 7:00AM on the field working with a private coach to dial in mechanics, speed, football IQ, positional fundamentals, etc while their teammates and friends are sleepign in.
In the end, there really is only one choice if you want to truly be elite and play at the highest level personally and on your team. Elite players train constanly to be the best they can be. Afterall, they love the game, are competitors and have a goal to play at the highest level.
The Difference Between "Working Out" and Training
Working out is exercising.
Training is preparing for football.
Football players don't earn playing time because they can bench press a certain amount or run endless conditioning drills. Any knucklehead can do that. Players earn playing time because they can execute their position at a high level under pressure and have earned the coaches trust. If you are playing varsity football, the coach is only going to put the best 11 players on the field. Are you one of them? Are you sure?
Your offseason training should focus on:
Position-specific technique - advanced and fundamental
Explosive football speed and acceleration (there is a difference between track speed and football speed)
Change of direction
Football IQ and decision making - Positionally and situationally - know the game!
Confidence and competitive mindset
Proper movement mechanics
Conditioning - Do you want to be the guy puking during gassers or do you want to be the stud who is cranking these out. You know there coming, what are you gonna do about it?
If your summer training doesn't improve these areas, you're leaving significant opportunities on the field.
The Summer Advantage
Summer is the only time of year when athletes have the freedom to make significant improvements BEFORE the season begins.
This is when players can:
Increase speed
Improve footwork
Refine position-specific skills
Build confidence
Correct bad habits
Prepare mentally for the season
Condition - In season practice is to late to be conditioned.
The players who make the biggest jumps from one season to the next are often the ones who commit to structured offseason development. Especially players who train with PROformance.
Why Position-Specific Training Matters
A quarterback's training needs are different from a wide receiver's. A linebacker's development plan is different from a defensive back's. Yet many athletes spend their entire summer training either individually or with a bad coach doing generic workouts that do little to improve their actual football performance.
At PROformance Football Training, every session is designed around the specific demands of the athlete's position. Thats the only way YOU are going to derive measurable results.
Whether you're a quarterback learning to improve accuracy and decision-making, a receiver working on route running and separation, or a defensive back developing coverage skills and reaction time, your training should reflect the skills you'll actually use on Friday night.
Train With Purpose. Play With Confidence.
The athletes who earn starting positions, attract college attention, and help their teams win championships aren't necessarily the most talented.
They're often the most prepared and execute. They execute because they have put the work in before hand and are confident in what they are doing. There is a saying in the U.S. Navy SEAL community that states when in a gun fight you execute and fall to the level of your training. You don't rise to the occasion. That simply doesn't happen is not realistic. what does this mean in football? When its the 4th QTR with 10 seconds left and your in the red zone, you don't rise to the occasion, you execute to the level of your training. If you trained poorly, see you next season. If you trained hard, prepared, executed, you win the championship.
At PROformance Football Training, we brings decades of coaching and player development experience to help athletes maximize their potential through structured, position-specific instruction so in that situation, you ARE the player coaches will trust to win the game.
Our training programs focus on developing complete football players by improving technique, athletic performance, football IQ, mental toughness, and confidence. When the season arrives, preparation becomes performance.
The question is simple: Will you show up to camp and summer ball hoping you're ready? Or knowing you're ready? Elite players know.
Ready to Take Your Game to the Next Level?
Contact PROformance Football Training today to schedule your private or small-group training session and discover how purposeful offseason development can transform your performance this season. There is a reason some of our players are the best players in the USA and go on to play at the top D1 level.
Your competition is training. Make sure you're training smarter. Make sure your training with PROformance.
Coach David Frederick
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