University of North Texas Athletics
Green Gang: Any Volunteers?
6/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
By Steven Bartolotta, June 7, 2010, 3:12 p.m.
How many times have you heard teams that win the Super Bowl, BCS, or any other major championship say "It all started back in the summer, all the hard work we put in has finally paid off." I'm gonna go with every time a big shiny crystal trophy gets handed out in football.
Well today is the first day of "voluntary" summer workouts for the North Texas football team. In what might be the most anticipated attendance figure of the season rough estimates put it around 70-75 guys are here working out.
I've always viewed these off-season workouts as an intriguing gauge to how much a team cares, or doesn't care about the upcoming year.
Lower totals, lower interest in improving. Higher totals, higher interest in improving.
70-75 on a roster that will be around 100 come fall, is very good turnout. Very comparable to years past, if not better.
Talking with the strength guys today the routine for the summer will be waves of three. 6 a.m., 8 a.m., and 1 p.m. The guys are split into one of those three times, (pity the 6 a.m. group), a lot depends on class schedules. Workouts last around an hour and 45 minutes.
The first 30-40 minutes on the field working on speed and agility, the next 30-40 minutes lifting in the weight room, the final 30-40 minutes back on the field for conditioning.
Early word was nearly everyone came back near their target weight, but some guys were definitely a little outta shape, which isn't a surprise since most of the players have been on their own since mid-April.
But for this team to turn around the losing ways of the past, the summer is the place to start.
