For decades, football coaches have followed a familiar formula: grind players down, punish mistakes with sprints, and stretch practices to their limit. They believed that if practices were tough enough, their teams would become “tougher.” But Brad Dixon, head coach at Camp Point Central (IL), challenges that outdated mindset.
“Toughness is task-specific,” Dixon argues. “It’s not a bunch of random hard stuff. Toughness is precision and execution.”
Instead of relying on conditioning for conditioning’s sake, Dixon focuses on what actually matters—speed, recovery, and preparing players for the demands of the game.
Outdated Conditioning Drains Athletes
Football games are explosive. Each play lasts just 4 to 6 seconds, followed by a 30-second rest. Yet, many teams train with gassers, bear crawls, and endless laps. Dixon remembers those days:
“We buried the kids right off the bat. Day two was bad. Day three was even worse,” he says. Players didn’t improve—they simply tried to survive. Instead of getting better, they grew tired, slow, and beaten down.
Precision Over Punishment
Dixon eliminated pointless punishment drills and shifted to sprint-based practices. His athletes train with purpose: they sprint, recover, and build real game-day fitness. Dixon trusts the process because the results speak for themselves.
“When you destroy kids day after day, they hold back in practice. They’re just trying to survive, not improve,” Dixon explains. By focusing on recovery, his team peaks when it matters—on Friday night.
Toughness Comes From Preparation
Football players need precision, not punishment, to win games. Dixon’s athletes sprint at maximum speeds multiple times each week. They hit game-day intensity without grinding through endless conditioning.
“Toughness isn’t about who can suffer the longest,” Dixon says. “It’s about who can execute their task under pressure at full speed.”
Healthier, Happier, and Faster Athletes
Since adopting this approach, Dixon’s program has thrived. Injuries have dropped, team morale has climbed, and the roster has grown. His players leave practices fresh, confident, and ready to perform.
Dixon proves that precision and preparation win. Football toughness doesn’t come from beating kids down. It comes from building them up—and letting them perform at their best.
Sprint, recover, execute. That’s toughness.
Click here to Book a demo today!
