Spring football benefits gridiron athletes

Andy Dygert
News Editor
April 22, 2004, Page 6

The Doane Tiger football team refuses to shirk—no matter what season it is.
After completing their games in the fall, the team went through six weeks of winter workouts, including early morning practices and scheduled weightlifting sessions.
Spring has brought on a new routine for the team: 15 days of mechanics practice.
“Anytime you work on skill, just like in anything else in life, the more repetition you do of something, the better you get,” Head Coach Fran Schwenk said.
The practices are tough, as well as useful, said sophomore Micah Madlock.
“They’re pretty intense,” Madlock said. “But I like the spring practices since I’m a new guy and they help me learn the system and therefore be a better part of the team.”
These practices consist of individual position training and situational scrimmaging. The team also plays eleven-on-eleven scrimmages in helmets and shoulder-pads.
“They [the scrimmages] are kind of useful,” sophomore Zach Hettenbaugh said. “Because we’re playing people who can really play on the other side.”
Young players really benefit from these days of off-season training said Schwenk.
“I’m glad that we allow 15 days for organized practice,” Schwenk said. “It helps the young guys to understand what we’re talking about better.”
Schwenk said that he also likes the fact that Doane allows athletes can play two different sports. Many of Schwenk’s players are involved in track and baseball during the spring season.
“I think it’s great.” Schwenk said. “Unlike a lot of other places they get the opportunity here to play more than one sport.”