Looking for a way to finally crack the roster of your school’s football squad? Nathan Mumme made it happen with a ton of hard work, playing as a quarterback throughout his high school years.
If you want to follow in his footsteps, take note of the steps listed below, and prepare to work harder than you ever have in your life. Good luck, and have fun!
1) Play/practice constantly
This one may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how many also-rans that complain about not making the varsity team treat the sport like a hobby.
If you want to represent your school on the travel football team, you’ve got to get obsessed about the game.
Signing up for recreational leagues, practicing essential skills in the park with friends on weekday afternoons/evenings and as much as possible during the weekends, and constantly identifying areas for improvement are essential if you want to make the team.
2) Train hard in the off-season
In a physically demanding sport like football, extra upper and lower body strength can make the difference between making the starting lineup or being stuck on the practice squad.
The difference is even more pronounced in high school, as the onset of puberty happens differently for every guy that tries out for the team.
By focusing on the muscle groups that are vital for your position (e.g. a strong lower body and excellent cardio stats for running backs, and an emphasis on muscular power for linebackers), you’ll outclass those that undervalue the results that an intelligent consistent effort in the gym can yield a prospective player.
3) Go to skill camps
As strong as you might become by spending time pumping iron or running wind sprints, there are a specific set of skills that will give certain players at certain positions an unbeatable advantage.
Quarterbacks are an obvious example, as they need to combine intelligent decision making with excellent running and throwing skills.
Defensive backs need to be able read the opposing team’s offence to make tackles and sacks, while field goal kickers need to split the uprights on a regular basis while under duress.
Attending skill camps will help you immensely in this regard, as experts in the game will coach you on a one-to-one basis on the tips and tricks that made them great.
4) Learn how to eat right
If you want to grow the muscles that will help you kill it on the field and have the energy to last from opening kickoff to the final whistle, learning how to eat properly is imperative.
Read up on sports nutrition essentials for survival on the gridiron and you’ll look great towards the end of tryouts, while those subsisting on junk food will fade away in stunning fashion.
5) Adopt a positive, can-do attitude
Finally, those that take a professional, positive attitude to tryouts will be more likely to capture the attention of the coaching staff.
When you are weighing two players with a similar amount of skill, but you have only one opening, who would you choose? The player that gets dejected when things don’t go their way, or those that begin looking for a way to claw themselves back into contention after suffering a setback?
We already know the answer to that question, and we’re willing to bet that, deep down inside, you do too.