“Football games are not won on weekends in the Fall.” That is the philosophy of our program here at St Johnsbury Academy. And it has led to a lot of wins on weekends in the Fall.
This week, we released our Summer Calendar detailing the schedule that will take our players from graduation through the start of the next academic year. OTAs (Organized Team Activities) start on Monday, June 13, and continue every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 6 weeks. The first two weeks of OTAs will be Strength and Speed training followed by 7v7 practices to prepare for the Vermont All-Star Camps 7v7 tournament at Burr & Burton Academy on Saturday, June 25.
The next four weeks of OTAs will continue with coach-led Strength and Speed training but the sessions will conclude with player-led practices. This allows our players an opportunity to not only work on their steps, routes, coverages, and passes, but also on their leadership skills. During the Fall of 2021, we implemented the Marine Corps’ 14 leadership traits. This provides an opportunity for our rising seniors to act on those learned traits and demonstrate by their personal example, their readiness to lead.
After the six weeks of OTA, we host our week-long Mini Camp. With 7v7 practices solely focused on pass offense and defense, the first three days of Mini Camp will have a heavy run emphasis. The last two days will go back to pass as we prepare for our annual 7v7 tournament. We host the Northeast Kingdom 7v7 Tournament, Strongman competition, and OLine challenge every year on the last Saturday in July.
After the event, we observe the Vermont Principal Association’s mandatory “Dead Period” to rest and recover before starting Training Camp. This is the time we encourage families to take their well-earned vacations. When players report to Training Camp on Monday, August 15, we trust that they are ready to hit the ground running with their minds and bodies well prepared for the 2022 season, and oriented on our goals for success.
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.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
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