Time flies during the summer. We have already completed our 6-weeks of OTAs and are now in our 1-week Mini Camp. At the end of Mini Camp, we will host the Northeast Kingdom 7v7 Tournament, Strongman Competition, and OLine Challenge. We then give our players and staff two weeks off before they report to Training Camp. Players will have a Monday-Saturday workout program during those two weeks but they are free to do it on their own.
With only five days of Mini Camp and the 1-day tournament, prioritizing our efforts is essential. Our number one priority is to continue to focus on the development of an “us” mentality within our team. As we progress through the Forming Stage of Tuckman’s Model of Group Development, building cohesion and interdependence is key. We have included games (not football games) into our practice schedule to allow our kids to just play and have fun together. Our (not football) games are usually fast-moving team games intentionally incorporating speed, agility, and conditioning so we are killing two birds with one stone.
Second to team building is the teaching of safe and sound technique. Xs & Os take a backseat to technique during Mini Camp. Regardless of how many innovations have come to football it is still a game of fundamental blocking and tackling and both can be dangerous if not taught properly. 
All our coaches have successfully completed their online USA Football Certification courses prior to Mini Camp to ensure we are up to date and teaching the safest techniques in our sport.
Lastly, we want every one of our players to feel that they are a part of something fun and special. Everyone who participates in our Saturday Tournament will be invited out to a local lake to play spikeball and cornhole, go wakeskating, tubing or kneeboarding, canoeing, kayaking, or stand up paddling, or just swim out to the swim platform and relax. The team will look back on all they’ve accomplished in 2019, and ahead to the season in front of us.
Players and staff then enjoy a well-earned break before Training Camp.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.comwith your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
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