Short practices part of modern football landscape at Northwestern, elsewhere

Northwestern’s longest football practice this season was an hour and a half. Most don’t last much more than 75 minutes.

The Trojans’ longest practice session this week was on Tuesday, a full hour, with most of the others going no longer than 45 minutes.

“When you get to this point, you’ve got to have your guys. You’ve got to have your guys healthy and you’ve got to have your best players ready to put on the field,” said Northwestern coach Kyle Richardson. “Physical will take you far, but the mental will take you farther.”

Besides, he added, “If you ain’t tough, you’re not gonna get tough over night.”

As Northwestern dials back its physical output during the week, the Trojans increase position group meetings. They’re held at least twice a day, in the morning and after practice, and can’t last longer than 30 minutes.

All Northwestern practices are filmed and the meetings are when coaches slow things down, pausing or rewinding to point out mistakes or tendencies. That used to be done on the practice field with 50 kids standing around listening to a coach, but wastes time that has become too precious.

Richardson’s whittling of the Trojans’ practice time is part of a wider trend, one dictated in part by health and safety concerns, and also by shifting views of the best ways to train.

NFL coach Chip Kelly hasn’t set the professional ranks alight with his general managing, but his coaching ability is unquestioned across the league. When he was interviewed earlier this year by a national sports magazine Kelly had no qualms dissecting his spread offense plays with the reporter. He would not, however, divulge any of his sports science practices.

Kelly came from Oregon, the home of Nike. Richardson was out at Nike over the summer at an elite coaching clinic with Trojans strength and conditioning coach James West. Though Kelly probably didn’t spill any of his secrets, Richardson did return to Rock Hill with some different ideas of how to practice.

“We want a fast practice, the same way want to play on Friday night,” said Richardson.

It makes sense, especially with teenagers. Instead of forcing the kids to adapt to the traditional 2 or 3-hour practices, many coaches are trying to meet the kids halfway, holding shorter practices but expecting complete and unwavering focus. There isn’t a lot of standing around or water breaks. Student volunteers scurry around squirting water whenever players need it. Quick drills, quick shuttling between them, get it done, go home.

“The players love it,” said Richardson. “They don’t have a long attention span, the PlayStation generation. We’re playing to their strengths.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Short practices part of modern football landscape at Northwestern, elsewhere."