Football players or distance runners???

As football camps are getting ready to get rolling all over the country, it makes me crazy when I hear about players who we work with have their coaches making them go on distance runs to get in shape.
 

When I speak at football conferences I always ask the coaches in attendance, “when was the last time you said your team would be so much stronger if you could j…ust pull some of the kids from the cross-country team???”
 

Football is a power and strength sport played with short, intense bursts with moderate recovery times. Train that way. 

The only time one of your players is ever going to run a mile+ is if the team bus breaks down and it is over a mile to nearest service station. Think about it…