By Dixie Jones, Football Coach, Trigg County High School, Kentucky
By Dixie Jones, Football Coach, Trigg County High School, Cadiz, Kentucky Dear Dr. Shepard, I study your magazine every month and this month I saw your article about your son's 7th grade team. I noticed in bold letters the Question "What are Your Seventh Graders Doing?" and felt compelled to write and give support for the BFS Readiness Program.
It Works! We began our 7th and 8th grade "MIDCATS" on the Readiness Program 3 years ago and it is unbelievable. Those kids are sophomores now and a 250 bench, 375 squat, and 475 deadlift is common, not rare. (All our records come from competition, so they are strict and true) We have some that lift even more.
Our Readiness Program is set up following the guidelines and principles you advised (sets, reps, progressive system, start with bar, and great emphasis on technique). Ours varies somewhat in the lifts we do to meet our needs. The following is an explanation of our Program, maybe it Hyper Extension2x10 —_ and build a proper attitude toward life in general.
Matt Shepard graduated from the Readiness Program on February 16, 1988. Bodyweight, 109 in 7th Grade. Parallel Squatted 145 pounds for 2 sets of 10 reps! WHAT ARE YOUR SEVENTH GRADERS DOING? areas with a monthly publication called "Paw Prints’. Just before Spring Break, we test one Rep Max and time our kids. Our records are — Our kids are allowed to increase weight exactly like you advised and everyone begins with the bar. The kids love it!
Our High School is a tremendous DEADLIFT TEAM, (one of our players has won the Best DEADLIFT at the State Meet for 5 straight years). So our kids beg to do the DEADLIFT in Middle School, but we do Not allow them to Not bad for a school with only 400 kids in the High until they can stiff leg 185 correctly for 2 sets of 10 reps. We really emphasize technique. After we have been School. We have about 25 who are faithful in attendance in our Midcat Readiness Program. working for about a month, we do a video tape of their We also include running technique, agility, stretching, workout and then sit down and talk technique and just and jumping drills.
We really believe in the dot drill and havea good time watching ourselves on T.V. This is a great box jumps. We begin every workout with a warmup anda way to improve technique.
10 minute stretching program, and we always finish with We award T-shirts based on attendance, we have set up a special MIDCAT IRONCAT club that is great. You must meet All requirements to get in and here thay are — The Program runs from Dec. 1 to Spring Break and around Feb. the names really begin to pop up on the Goal team pushups, situps and prayer. The dot drill and box jumps are done asa team to stress their importance. I stand in the middle and the stations form a triangle around me. We do 2 sets each time we workout.
The only thing we neglect somewhat is running, but we do try to work on technique during our warmup by running in place, but we do no have access to a gym todo what we need to do.
Board. Each time a goal is achieved, that person gets his Our Readiness Program, we feel, will give us an advanname announce on the school intercom during Homeroom. tage over our opponents on the field. It is also a great time They love it! We also keep our community informed about to educate, motivate, and shape attitudes and habits. And our players, their progress, and accomplishments in all the best thing about it is It Really Does Work!
From BFS Magazine — March/April 1988. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
