Football University Top Gun Camps 1 and 2 took place last week in Paisley, Florida, and included up and coming 7th and 8th grade football players.  The intensity of both camps were impressive for athletes of such a young age. NFL legends like Andre Rison and Chris Slade led the groups through the Florida heat, working on mastering basic footwork and techniques that are the fundamentals of the game.  Seven-on-seven drills for the skill players and one-on-one battles for the lineman are also part of the experience.  “Coaching every rep” is part of the FBU philosophy and these athletes receive the best instruction possible.  What an experience! I wish I would have had something like this available to me as a young player.

Athletic Republic’s event manager, Jon Drenckhahn, has done a great job managing the delivery of our “Test, Teach, Train” philosophy for each Top Gun athlete.  Our regional football managers, Sione Taufoo, Dan O’Donnel, and Chad Gunnelson all flew in to lead the performance training efforts along with myself and Tad O’Had.  As always, Sione, Dan, Chad and Tad were at the top of their game. On Day 1, we were able to test all 80 athletes and provide immediate video feedback on their start technique and cutting mechanics.  Each player also competed in a “reaction drill” competition using the SmartSpeed Pro system.  These competitions are always fun, pitting position groups against each other to see which group wins the most battles.  The intensity and enthusiasm of each player was refreshing.

On Day 2, skill players were able to get a taste of the Super Treadmill as our trainers worked with them on improving their running mechanics, using mirrors and immediate Dartfish video feedback.  The training was combined with lessons on proper running mechanics and key aspects of improving speed.  The lineman and linebackers were able to work on first-step quickness with our patented Sprintcords.  The big men also spent time in the sand pit working on strength and stability.    Each position group spent time working on position-specific footwork and reaction drills to improve speed and power.  Our job as performance trainers is to help them move better, while helping to reinforce what their coaches are teaching them.

All in all, we were able to spend over three hours with each athlete to help them get better.  From the feedback of the parents and athletes so far, we are helping to exceed their expectations for Top Gun. Many of the athletes were already training at an Athletic Republic facility, and many more came away impressed with what our training facilities could do for them.  I look forward to hearing more success stories from parents and athletes—it’s what all of us who train athletes love about our job. These stories mean just as much or more to us as the stories about Brandon Meriweather and Eric Brock I shared in my last post.

Steve Swanson — Cheif Science & Technology Officer