The Total Concept

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7th Grade Football Team Stretching on the 1-2-3-4 BFS Flexibility Program.

Same Team doing Agilities with the BFS Dot Drill.

7th Graders Pr,lcticing the Technique Svstem.

The theme for this years special edition of the BFS Journal is "Catch the Vision," I urge everyone to read all the stories about the great athletes featured in this issue and think about the "Vision." You will find that Dalton Young and Kamy Keshmiri had devoted fathers who started them working out at age ten.

You will find that Heisman Candidates Gordon Lockbaum and Chris Spielman had special friends that gave them the opportunity to develop their potential at an early age, Must we wait for a unique father or friend to develop an athlete once in a great while or CAN WE TEACH UPPER LIMIT STATE-OF-THE-ART TRAINING TECHNIQUES IN A COORDINATED MANNER IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IN GRADES 4 through 12 7 If YOU think you can and are willing to listen and try, then my friend, YOU HAVE INDEED CAUGHT THE VISIONII The hardest part of catching the vision in grades four through six is first getting a coach to believe, second getting administrators to believe and third getting teachers to spend the necessary 45 minutes per week.

Yes, you heard right. Forty-five minutes per weeki You see, much of the work will be done by the students at home. Here's how it works: The complete grade school program consists of strength, speed, agility, flexibility and plyometrics. The strength program consists of doing 50 pUSh-Ups and 25 sit-ups at home daily. The teacher merely tests periodically. Rewards such as certificates can be given out for minimum standards, most done, most improvement, etc. Contests can be experienced between classrooms. The BFS dot drill can be done for agility, This, too, can be done at home. 1t takes only about 60 seconds daily and can be tested periodically.

Stretching should be done daily at home and kids can use the BFS 1-2-3-4 flexibility program (See Page 87). The grade school age kids should be taught how to jump high and far. They should practice by doing 10 vertical jumps and 10 standing long Jumps twice per week. These jumps should also be tested periodically. The lilst area to inlplement is speed development. The eight point BFS speed techni(lue system should be taught and experienced 15 minutes per week. One week, a class could concentrate on keeping the head still and eyes focused straight ahead. The next I",eek - toes straight and the next, elbows at a right 'Ingle.

Most elementary teachers should be able to hilildle this kind of program. If the district is fortunate in hewing a physical education specialist, then it becomes even l'<,sier. The important thing to understand and believe is thilt MCltt Shepord,uge 12, working on Power CleClns with light weight. a high pcrcentClge of kids will do this work i1t home. When you tell the porents that you are giving their child a chance to reCich his or her physical potentlcll ClIlLi thClt you have Cl program bClcked up by l'eseorch with videos and books, they will really get behind you and help. Each kid is supposed to do 50 push-ups and 25 sit-ups daily.

TClke one minute to do agilities and 9 112 minutes to stretch daily while jumping twice per week. it comes out to less than 30 minutes per dCly. They can do everything during commercials in the living room. Hey, it just ain't that tough. The next most important thing to understund is how rapidly improvement CCln be made. In just 30 dClys the results Ccln be dramatic. It's much eClsier to teCich Cl 6th grader how to run than an 11 th grader who has to unlearn many bad habits. When the students enter into the 7th grade und ore in junior high, a formal weight training program can be implemented. The BFS Readiness Program is tailor Inade for Cl junior high program.

It cCln be done 2 to 3 times per week. Lifting sessions last only 15 to 20 mJllutes and emphasis is placed on technique not the amount lifted. The pUSh-Up Clnd sit-up program can be dlscontll1ued or left in for extra credit. Everything else remains the S,lnle:

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Lift, Run, Jump, Stretch and PrClctice Your Sport to Reach Your Potenti,'l. But Don't wait until you're 16 or 18. They stretch and do the agility drill c1t home. The jumping ,.nd running can be dom.' ei1sily i1t school. A physical education tCi1cher can easily check up on kids once a week to see if they have been doing their progri1m at home. Instead of thro'vving out the ball Clnd wCltching kids play basketbClII, flag football or softball; organiLe the program and do some tei1ching on how to reach athletic potential. It only takes about an hour of class time per vveek. Any teacher should be able to take the ball and run with it after seeing our videos. The revvords are great.

By the 9th or 10th grade, athletes coming into the progral11 will be flexible with quick feet. They wiIJ know how to run and jump. Many will be able to power clean 175 or more, bench press 200 or more and parallel Squilt 300 or more. Those Clthletes will have pride and a strong self concept. They will hav estZlblished a strong work ethic to reach their potential. Those kids that don't go into organized sports have also gained. They've been tClught how to run, jump Clnd stretch. They arc prepared to do most any recre,ltional leisure time sport or activity. Just give kids an opportunity; an opportunity to reach their upper limit and actually become the best that they can be. CATCH THE V1SJON"

Fully Illustrated Booklet Only $4.95 by Bruno Pauletto Tennessee Strength Coach N.S.C.A. Coach of the Year

From BFS Magazine — November/December 1987. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).