In other articles we've discussed how important it is to be a good tackler. In youth football, tackling is critical to teach as all kids aren't created equally. You have the kids who are bigger than others or the kids who are much smaller than others yet they still want to play the game and be good at it. They can do that if they learn the how to become a football player correct ways to play and specifically the correct way to tackle.

There is about a billion row variations, so pick 2 or three and put them in your training program. You can go heavy or for reps, or both. If you've been neglecting your back, you should start off by doing twice as much back work as chest/pressing work!

Most high school football players however, simply lift using a 3 sets of 8-10 repetition range and utilize a body part split training model. This is how body builders train, not football players. So what should football players be training right now?

Enter the Box Front Squat. Using boxes at different heights, and a soft box, allows the athlete to sit back, stay fairly upright and drive through the floor, rather than just squatting up and down. It does place some of the stress on the glutes and hams, but leaves plenty of work for the quads as well.

Some say they are hard to teach but I can get an athlete doing cleans in one session. Remember, the C&J (and just about any other exercise) does not have to be done with a barbell alone. Using sandbags, barrels, dumbbells, kettlebells, a Stone Trainer, a thick bar or a Log is an excellent way to build real-world athletic strength and get around the technique issue. This kind of lifting can be used to build brute strength and also excellent conditioning and mental toughness.

Ah, the High Rep Clean and Press (C&P). A football conditioning masterpiece. Actually, this is great conditioning for any sport. High rep C&P is a great exercise but can be difficult to do with a barbell. Plus, the barbell stays the same the entire time.

The stands for the most part are men; however, you can find women in the stands. Some of the fans will wear lingerie themselves. The men get a bit crazy and some even paint bras on themselves.

My good friend Tony Holland from Maryland solved this one. He went to Walmart and bought several camping air mattresses for $65 each. Each mattress is big enough to be a landing pad all by itself. These things roll up into a small box too, so you don't need a pickup to lug them around. Tony bought a small electric air compressor for $20 that not only inflates each mattress in less than 2 minutes, it also sucks the air out as well when you are finished. Tony has several of these mattresses so his kids can all do Splatter Drills at the same time and in much smaller groups. He didn't have to repair a single leak and he said all of his are good to go for next season.