PRE SNAP READS

YOUR PRE SNAP READS ON DEFENSE IS A VITAL COMPONENT IN HAVING A SUCCESSFUL PLAY. THIS ALL STARTS IN THE FILM ROOM AND ON THE PRACTICE FIELD THE WEEK BEFORE THE GAME.

A GOOD PLACE TO START IS IN THE BOX. HOW ARE THE OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN THEIR STANCE. ARE ANY OF THEM LIGHT ON THEIR HANDS? THIS COULD MEAN THEY’RE PULLING TO A SIDE.

WHEN I SAY LIGHT ON THEIR HANDS, IS HIS WEIGHT BACK ON HIS HEELS? DO ANY OF THE OTHER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN LOOK DIFFERENT IN THEIR STANCE.

THESE ARE SOME TENDENCIES YOU CAN ALSO PICK UP THROUGHOUT THE GAME. ESPECIALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SOME PLAYERS HAVEN’T CORRECTED THEIR GIVEAWAYS YET.

YOU CAN ALSO LOOK AT WHERE THE RUNNING BACK IS LINED UP. HOW FAR AWAY IS HE FROM THE QB. IS HE ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE OF THE TACKLE? THIS COULD MEAN HES GOTTA GET TO THE FLATS OR MAYBE A SWEEP COMING TO THAT OUTSIDE. HE PROBABLY WOULDN’T LINE UP THAT FAR AWAY IF THEY NEED TO HIT INSIDE ZONE QUICK.

WHAT ARE THE SPLITS OF THE WIDE RECEIVERS? IS THE OUTSIDE RECEIVER LINING UP FURTHER INSIDE? THIS COULD MEAN HE HAS TO BOOK IT ACROSS THE FIELD OR HE HAS AN OUT BREAKING ROUTE. IF HE LINED UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE NUMBERS, HE PROBABLY IS RUNNING AN IN BREAKING ROUTE.

UNDERSTANDING THESE KEYS WILL HELP YOU ANTICIPATE MORE WHATS COMING AND PLAY AT ANOTHER LEVEL THAN EVERYONE ELSE. WATCH THE FILM PRIOR AND SEE WHAT THE OFFENSE TENDENCIES ARE. THEN CATCH ONTO THOSE TENDENCIES IN GAMES AND USE THEM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. A SKILL THAT MANY PLAYERS DON’T LEARN UNTIL COLLEGE WHICH COULD PUT YOU AT IN ADVANTAGE.

SLEEP

TO THINK FAST AND MAKE GOOD PRE SNAP READS, YOU NEED ADEQUATE SLEEP THROUGHOUT THE WEEK BEFORE THE GAME. NOT JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME.

IN FACT, WITHOUT DIVING TOO DEEP INTO THE NERDY SCIENCE, SLEEP DEBT (AMOUNT OF SLEEP YOUR MISSING THAT YOU NEED) HAS AN EFFECT ON YOUR BODIES ABILITY TO USE THE NUTRIENTS YOU EAT (CARBOHYDRATES) AND COVERT THAT TO ENERGY. IF YOU GET POOR SLEEP THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, YOUR SLEEP DEBT WILL BE HIGH AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET OUT OF THAT DEBT IN ONE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME. THEREFORE, THE TWO NIGHT SLEEP RULE HAS BEEN TOSSED AROUND. WHICH STATES THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE GAME AND THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT BOTH NEED TO BE ADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF SLEEP FOR YOUR BEST POSSIBLE PERFORMANCE.

WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF GROWTH, THEY THINK WORKING OUT IN THE GYM AND HITTING THE FIELD FOR SPRINTS. BUT THIS IS REALLY THE STRESSOR AND BREAKS DOWN THE MUSCLES SO THEN THE MUSCLE CAN REBUILD. THE REBUILD HAPPENS IN YOUR SLEEP AND RECOVERY. SO IF YOUR WORKING OUT HARD THROUGHOUT THE WEEK TO PREPARE FOR THE GAME, IT DOES NOT HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON YOUR PERFORMANCE IF YOU DON’T GET THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF SLEEP AND RECOVERY. ADEQUATE SLEEP HAS ACTUALLY SHOWN TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE IN SPEED, ACCURACY, AND REACTION TIME. 

ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A STUDY THAT SHOWED ATHLETES WHO HAD MORE ADEQUATE SLEEP DEMONSTRATED HIGHER LEVELS OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS.

 BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS, INADEQUATE SLEEP HAS BEEN A PREDICTOR FOR INJURIES. MOST DOCTORS SAY GET 8-9 HOURS OF SLEEP TO FULLY REPLENISH YOUR BODY. DON’T WORRY, I KNOW THIS ISN’T ALWAYS POSSIBLE FOR ATHLETES WITH SCHOOL, WORK, AND HANGING OUT WITH THE BOYS. AND IF YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND… EVEN LESS TIME TO RECOVER. 

TO IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP QUALITY AND REDUCE YOUR SLEEP DEBT, GO TO BED AND GET UP AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY. THIS HELPS IMPROVE YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM AND OVERALL IMPROVES SLEEP QUALITY. THIS WILL BE A LITTLE EASIER IN HIGH SCHOOL THAN COLLEGE BECAUSE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, YOU HAVE THE SAME START TIME FOR SCHOOL 5 DAYS A WEEK. TRY TO STAY OFF YOUR PHONE AND AWAY FROM THE TV 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO BED (THIS IS A HARD ONE). THE BEST WAY I’VE FOUND IS TO PLUG YOUR PHONE IN AWAY FROM YOUR BED AND REMOVE THE TV FROM YOUR ROOM. SACRIFICES ARE WHAT SEPARATE THE GREAT FROM THE AVERAGE. LASTLY, ADDING IN A ROUTINE NAP PRIOR TO A GAME OR PRACTICE IF POSSIBLE. SOME OF THE GREATEST ATHLETES HAVE A PREGAME NAP AS PART OF THEIR ROUTINE AND IF SKIPPED THEY DON’T PLAY AS WELL.