Indoor Practice Facility vs. Conditioning

[TURVS71]

It's August. We know we had a player that apparently had a "heat" issue. Notwithstanding that, does practicing outdoors help us gain an advantage, re: conditioning, vs. our opponents?

[msdos]

only if we played outdoors

[golfnut69]

I agree with "msdos" to a point...but all of our road games are outdoors, so in that respect, outdoor practices should actually help...I also think we need an IPF...too much heat and humidity actually hurts concentration...so there is a fine line that has to be walked

[RWR]

You can have both. If it's good enough for the Saints it's good enough for Tulane.

[NOLABigSteve]

only if we played outdoors

Not true at all. It's always more beneficial to practice/train in conditions more intense than actual game day conditions.

It's like the batter on deck using a donut right before he steps up to the plate.

[golfnut69]

Steve.. I play lot's of Golf.. I loosen up with "Crown Royal and Bayer Back and Body"...that way I do not have to practice my bad swing habits !!!

[NOLABigSteve]

Over-training ( and not doing it properly, staying hydrated, etc.) in the heat is another issue.

You don't practice in an IPF because of the heat, you do so because of other weather and field conditions, and to not miss a practice.

[NOLABigSteve]

Steve.. I play lot's of Golf.. I loosen up with "Crown Royal and Bayer Back and Body"...that way I do not have to practice my bad swing habits !!!

+1

[sader24]

I think practicing outdoors in this heat can be very advantageous down the road conditioning wise. I also think the sport is heading to a place where it becomes less and less acceptable to run kids into the ground in August heat and humidity in the South and other places for football practice. I'm not saying at all thats what happened yesterday at practice, I'm just stating in general. In the last decade, hell the last 6 years much has changed about the intensity of NFL Training Camps. It's just the direction the sport is heading. With the increasing concern of head injuries and brain diseases down the road football is heading towards becoming a much safer sport in all areas. At some point society and athletic administrations/governing bodies are going to come to the conclusion that the risk of high intensity practices in August is absurd for student athletes and are going to increasingly pass restrictions on practice time and I would guess restrictions on practicing past a certain Heat Index level. I believe that Tulane is probably high up on that list for being located in extremely high risk locations. I was watching a segment on a team that weighs their players after every drill or period in practice. If they've lost too much water weight they have to sit out and gain it back before they can return. At what point do people look at that and believe if that level of precaution is needed that its too dangerous for student athletes. Its eventually going to happen.

[NOLABigSteve]

I was watching a segment on a team that weighs their players after every drill or period in practice. If they've lost too much water weight they have to sit out and gain it back before they can return.

Back when I played (99-02), Coach Scelfo, Coach Iosia, Coach Tsurada all did this. It was mandatory to weigh in before and after every practice (at least 4x a day). If too much weight was loss, we were monitored and extra fluids administered. And if need be, we weren't allowed to practice.

Coach Iosia forced all of us to carry around water bottles and constantly drink water. He even plastered light, light, yellow sheets of construction paper all over the locker, meeting, and dorm rooms of St. Paul's school in Covington where we had our fall camp. On the paper, in large, bold font were the words:

"IF YOUR PEE IS THE COLOR OF THIS PAPER, DRINK MORE WATER!"

[golfnut69]

clear Pee means a Hydrated body...or you drank too much beer !!!!!!

[sader24]

Seems you can place me in the latter.

[msdos]

only if we played outdoors

Should have put a smiley

I was being facetious, obviously we have away games.

[Green Wave]

"IF YOUR PEE IS THE COLOR OF THIS PAPER, DRINK MORE WATER!"

Oh great! Now I am going to be checking out the color of my pee for the next couple of months.

I hope it is not too yellow.

[Bigschtick]

yeah and if its red, get the hell to the doc asap! And thats a fact, Jack!

[CoachBrockhoff]

I tell my players the same thing.

We call it the GOLDEN Rule!