[thecoacher]

High school football games are won during practice. If you practice to win then you will win. One of the greatest high school coaches in Kentucky, Garnis Martin from Bardstown, did not lift a weight with his kids during season and also only lifted the ones who did not play basketball and baseball during the off season. Just because you are strong does not mean you can play football. There is a lot more to the game than pushing weights. I can assure you some of the strongest teams in the state did not make it out of their districts or into the playoffs. Strength helps, but it is not what causes you to win. You still have to play the game and it all starts Monday through Thursday with practice! :thumpsup:

I agree to some of what you said. A lot of strongs teams may not make the playoffs, but they may have been a lot worse if they had not of lifted. Also, the weight room does not just make you stronger. You should spend just as much time on footspeed, agilty and plyo's as you do lifting. Two of the biggest gains you make in the weightroom are work ethic and team spirit. It is a time to push kids to get them to see what hard work is and what it can bring. It also brings the kids closer together while they working towards a common goal.
I would venture to say that not many if any successful teams these days don't hit the weightroom all off-season. More and more high schools are hiring strength and conditioning coaches (often a member of the regular staff) to work with their kids to push them to their fullest potential. Bottom line, I don't know of any successful schools that don't place a high value on their off-season work.