College Football: Championships are won in the summer

Division 1 college football programs are in the early stages of summer workouts in preparation for fall camp and the upcoming season.

The period of summer workouts is the most undervalued time of the college football offseason. The media is limited with information regarding the team, as there is not an “inside look” provided by scheduled practices or coaches’ interviews at team facilities, outside of conference media days in July. As a result, the summertime becomes a waiting game for fans who yearn to see their alma mater take the field for their season-opening contest.

The “winter workouts” or “spring ball” cycle of the offseason is well-documented. This cycle in the developmental process is designed to set the foundation of the program for the upcoming season.

Why summer is important from a former college football player

All hands are on deck to identify schematic deficiencies from the previous season, coaches will be on the recruiting trail for the early signing period and the upcoming recruiting class, the strength, and conditioning program will be a priority for every student-athlete on the team, academic counselors will continue to assist the student-athlete with progress towards graduation, incoming transfers or early enrollees will be welcomed into the program, new coaches will begin the transition of implementing a new culture, and redshirts/young athletes will receive valuable repetitions during spring practices.

One might think that the “winter workouts” and/or “spring ball” cycle is the top priority for offseason development, but that does not paint the full picture.

As a former Division 1 college football player, I can attest to summer workouts being the most crucial period of the offseason for collegiate athletes. It’s simple: Championships are won in the summer. Here is the reason why…the leadership of the program is being held responsible by the players. Yes, the coaching staff is there for portions of the summer assisting in teaching the X’s and O’s. Yes, the strength and conditioning staff is there on the daily basis helping the players gain lean muscle mass and increasing their overall conditioning. Interestingly, however, they do not play as large of a role as you might think.

Most importantly, the summer is crucial for the camaraderie and bonding of the team. Aside from summer classes and organized team workouts, these student-athletes spend more time outside of the football facility than at any other time of the year. Players form relationships by hanging out with their teammates and establishing a union that spans outside of the game of football.

Players NEED to go out to eat together. Position groups NEED to have poolside barbeques and play video games until the wee hours of the morning… only on the weekends of course. Road trips to a teammate’s house for a 4th of July gathering are important. Let’s not kid ourselves, there will be summer parties with other student-athletes on campus. The star quarterback should get to know the 4th string kicker because everyone plays a role on the team.

The establishment of player-led leadership is the best resource for a college football program looking to hang a banner in the fall. When the 1st string running back has the trust of his teammates to organize a 7on7 session in June or constructively criticize a freshman for not sprinting hard during a conditioning workout, the sky is the limit for the program.

The summertime in college football is shrouded in secrecy, but hopefully, your beloved team is focused on hanging another championship banner and hanging out by the pool.