Ponoka Broncs' dryland training is underway, providing players - and those wanting to check football out - a chance to 'shape up' for the season ahead.
"Our coaches, staff, our players and myself - we are all itching to start off the 2025 season," said Todd Lewis, head coach.
"We have already had a handful of dryland training sessions. It's off-season training - there is no equipment, and there is no contact. It's basically a football practice where the focus is placed on fitness, building routines, as well as building basic skills in football," he said, adding the teams have been holding these sessions for the past six years or so.
"We have really enjoyed the benefits of it. Firstly, ther is the fitness aspect. Some of our players don't play hockey or basketball for example - they are just football players. The off-season is long, and if you don't do something that is athletic or if you aren't super physically active, it can be pretty tough.
"That being said, one session isn't a tonne. So what we do is we train the kids on how to have proper technique on specific calisthenics movements. We also challenge them to do the routines once, twice or three times - or how ever many times they'd like - during week one and week two," he explained.
"They come back, and most of them have put in the work. Really, what we are hoping to foster is a mindset where the kids are pushing themselves. We also want them pushing themselves independently - not only for football, but also for life.
"We want them to be physically active so they are healthy, so we are teaching them how to do the exercises, and also teaching them how to have a program plan so that they are recording their results, too. That way, from week to week, they can see their progress. Not only do they then have a clear goal, we are also hoping to foster a 'growth' mindset in the kids."
Dryland sessions run each Wednesday (except for one slated for Jan. 23) through to April 16 at the 4900 - 54 St. (the gym in the old pink school).
There is no cost to take part, and the sessions run from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m.
"We've had almost 40 kids in there - it's very busy, but we make it work," he added with a laugh. "They need to have a good pair of running shoes, and to bring along some athletic clothing."
Participants are encouraged to bring along an item for the food bank as well to each session. It typically amounts to between 200 to 400 lbs. of food when they deliver it in the spring.
"At the sessions, we warm up, we do the fitness portion, and then we work on our basic skills. The cool thing about it is that brand new players, who have never played football before, have a real opportunity to build some skills.
"And so if they choose to come and try-out for a team in the spring, they aren't starting at zero. They have already made a bunch of improvements not only in terms of their skills, but they have also learned a lot of the routines that our players need to have to be successful," he explained.
"They can hit the ground running."
For more details about the training, email Todd Lewis at todd.lewis@wolfcreek.ab.ca.
