[thecoacher]

I mentioned one, as well as saying that it does not hurt to lift weights. If you look most successful schools, the kids who play one sport, play two or three. This keeps them agile, in shape, and also working for a common goal. You can be as strong and agile as physically possible and know all there is to know about the game, bottom line, if you can't do little things like block and tackle it does not matter how strong/fast you are. And this comes from coaching and practice. When Highlands won state with Lorenzan and Smith, they were not one sport players, Mason County had some successful years with Grutza who was not a one sport player and several other kids on that team which was pretty good. High school is not college, you must first learn the game, then worry about the rest. All college teams are strong and fast, the one's who have the best coaching and do the little things are the one's who are successful. You have to practice to win, nothing takes the place of practice and repetition. If you take two equal teams, the best coached and disciplined will win every time. If they are not equal the lesser has a chance if they have been taught the little things and the other hasn't. :thumpsup:

I agree with you that strength and speed do not guarantee you anything, but it sure does not hurt either! Nothing takes the place of fundamentals, but when you add strength and speed training to your fundamentals you have a great combination. I agree that many schools have multi-sport athletes, but that does not mean they can't lift. Mason County is living proof of this. They have in-school weightlifting classes that all their athletes participate in. Lofton, Grutza and the rest were lifting everyday through their championship run.
Everyone has a right to their opinion, but I think most coaches today stress weightlifting.