Mailbag question: What happens in the off-season

Posted at 4:00pm -- 12/13/2009

Mailbag question: What happens in the off-season

GBMW,

Now that the football team does not have a bowl game for which they will have fifteen additional practice days with their staff, please let me know if the players will still be practicing on their own. If so, then what would it look like?

Thanks,

Harold E.

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Thanks for the question.

Team may be having some informal preparation going on, but the major focus is in the classroom at this point. Getting prepared for and completing finals is a number one priority for all college programs. It is a serious time and indeed for most student athletes, energy is expended. Just like the typical college student, the student athlete comes out of finals a little worn out and glad to see finals in the rear-view mirror.

The informal preparation stuff is to just keep busy, keep communication going with teammates, etc. Sometimes it is better off to get away from the sport a little bit to enjoy it more in the future, especially after the type of seasons Michigan has had the last two years.

When the team arrives back from break this is when the off-season conditioning and film works kicks into high gear and the team starts getting ready for spring practices. We have been hearing that Coach Barwis might be changing things up this off-season with more weight lifting/strength training and less running.

With all the media attention and NCAA investigation still ongoing, you can bet that Michigan (administration) will have people closely watching what goes on during the off-season.

For football players, this time is always tough they would rather be playing in a bowl game, but this is a time that players can get caught up on school work, get an all too limited chance to be a regular student, and reflect on and confirm why they came to Michigan.

Written by GBMW Staff

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