Practice, assess, instruct, improve; back to practice, assess, instruct, improve some more.
That’s sort of the cycle of spring football for the Bryant Hornets. A hard practice in pads is videoed, coaches assess and the next day, they show it to their players pointing out the good things they do as well as the things they messed up on. It’s far easier to fully comprehend when they see it on video and hear it explained than when they’re just told about it alone.
The Hornets had their first day in pads on Monday and their second day in pads was set for today. Tuesday’s film session set the goals for Wednesday.
Asked about the emphasis for Wednesday, Hornets head coach Paul Calley related, “Offensively, when the speed changes, when you go against a defense in pads, we made some mistakes that we’ve got to clean up. Our angles on certain things weren’t good.
“Those are things that can all be corrected,” he emphasized.
“Defensively,” the coach continued. “I thought we were very aggressive but, at times, maybe a little too aggressive, over-running some things, being so fast that we’re out of position.
“Those are also correctible on film,” he added. “You’ve got to slow down. You’ve got to read your keys and do what you’re coached to do.”
Looking ahead, Calley said, “I think all of that will happen over the next six days. The thing I’m concerned about with (Wednesday) is getting that enthusiasm back. After the first day of pads, you’re sore; you’re a little bit tired. You go in the weight room (on Tuesday) and work that soreness out.
“We’ll probably be a little lethargic,” he related. “That’s kind of the pattern. It’s mid-week.
“So I’m going to see if I can’t get jacked up and keep them jacked up through the practice. There’s got to be a catalyst. Coaches have to set the tone.”
He also mentioned that his seniors play an important part in that.
“The leaders came on towards the end of practice Monday,” Calley noted. “I’ll be anxious to see if they show up at the beginning of practice today. That’s a key. If you don’t have to motivate your kids and you have players that motivate them and they’re self-motivated, that’s half the battle. It’s a huge step. We’ll see.”
