*Please follow us on YouTube, subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple and Spotify.

—

In this episode, we talk about:

* Critique of outdated ‘toughness drills’ and the common disconnect in current football strength and conditioning practices.

* Emphasis on purposeful, game-specific training methods designed for optimal player performance and sustained effort.

* The importance of recovery and building a robust conditioning base lies in moving beyond purely sprint-focused or excessively hard workouts.

* Insights on simplifying training programs to amplify results, encouraging coaches to avoid social media trends and focus on effective, fundamental principles.

* The necessity of training methods directly translates to improved game-day performance, focusing on sustained effort, speed, and recovery throughout a football match.

—

Timestamps:

00:00 - The Nebraska Influence on Early Training

00:33 - Coach A’s Experience in Texas High School Football

01:45 - What Does Modern Football Conditioning Look Like?

04:20 - Replicating Game-Like Asymmetry in Conditioning

07:45 - The Problem with ‘Toughness’ Drills and Over-Distance Training

09:03 - The Importance of Purposeful and Engaging Training

12:05 - The Dangers of Overtraining Before Explosive Work

14:16 - Balancing Sprint-Based Movements with Overall Conditioning

20:41 - The Most Misunderstood Position Group: The ‘Bigs’

25:06 - How to Build a Quality Program Without a Certification

29:56 - Structuring a Year-Long High School Training Program

35:04 - Integrating Football Drills and Phasing Out Mechanical Work

36:10 - Key Data Points for High School Coaches to Track

39:20 - Structuring Practice for Optimal Learning and Recovery

45:33 - Outro/How to Connect with Terrence Kennel

—

Follow Coach Kennell on X

12-Week Training Template

8-Week Conditioning Protocols

—

» Join Felix and me each Wednesday as we dive deep into the game we love!

MatchQuarters is a reader-supported publication. So, make sure to subscribe, like, and share articles.

—

© 2025 MatchQuarters | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.