Inseason Metrics for Football

and the first Gameday Letter of the season! After more than nine months, football is finally back in Rhode Island! All the hard work— grinding through the winter, pushing limits in the spring, summer training, and the intensity of preseason—comes to a head tonight. This week, I want to share a few key metrics we track during the season that I believe coaches at all levels can benefit from, regardless of your resources. First up, we track bodyweights on both an individual and team basis. Historically, we’ve seen a dip in bodyweights as the season progresses, which can impact performance and recovery. By using data from previous years, we've been able to fine-tune our nutrition strategy heading into 2024. Our goal is to finish the season at the same weight we started it—excluding our redshirts who are aiming to put on size during the season. The second metric we monitor is power, measured through jump testing during our midweek training sessions. Our target is to have 90% or more of the team maintain at least 90% of their best vertical jump throughout the season (we hit 91% heading into today’s game). Keeping players healthy and fresh enough to sustain this number isn’t easy, but it’s crucial to track as the season progresses. Lastly, a metric I feel isn’t tracked enough by Strength Coaches is training status. We assess players weekly and categorize them as Healthy, Minor Modification, Heavy Modification, or Injured. We all know injuries and issues are part of the game, but identifying how many players need modifications each week is valuable information. This data can be crucial when communicating with sport coaches, as it allows for a collective approach to bring those numbers down and keep the team at peak performance. Did I miss a metric? Is there something else you track during the season? Shoot me a reply or a DM on Twitter—I’d love to connect and learn more! Best of luck to everyone this season! Keep pushing, keep growing, and keep the fire burning. Leech

P.S. – If you need a training program to stay on track this season, The Villain Arc is calling you! It’s a 12-week hypertrophy program with some brutal training sessions dialed up weekly—perfect for taking out your frustrations after a rough practice! x The Villain Arc Follow me on Twitter! I try to share training clips, thoughts, and ideas daily there. Twitter Profile