THINGS I WISH I KNEW IN HIGH SCHOOL

Everyone has a different experience with high school sports. I had the experience to be trained by one of the better coaches in the state in Coach Hoyt. When I graduated 8th grade, the weight program was non-existent and I watched as Coach Hoyt took that program from nothing to something special in four years.

With all this great teaching, I still look back and would improve on what I did. This list is short because of great coaching but if it helps anyone, then it's worth writing.

1. I would lift harder.
First of all I didn't start lifting until I was a sophomore. Lifting weights wasn't a part of the athletic programs like it is now. I lifted hard and had some good max lifts for a high school athlete but now that I know more, I wonder how much better I could have been if I'd actually been in a "program" that pushed me.

I think one of the reasons I really like the program that I'm using now is that it is what I wish I had when I was in high school.

2. Running long distance doesn't have much benefit for trained athletes.
I ran about 5-9 miles a week depending on what we were doing at practice. I had been told that running would get me in shape; so I ran. I didn't work on agility much and sprinting was a necessary evil that I would do once a month.

The real problem was that I burned off most of my calories by running. I'd eat like a horse, (8 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch) and then work out and then run 2 miles home. Instead of letting the calories build muscle, I burned them off by running. Make no mistake, I got ripped but not very big and my strength suffered for it as well.

3. Getting a scholarship takes effort and you need to start your sophomore year.
I was the typical small town athlete. I assumed someone would walk in and hand me a "full ride" if I was good enough to deserve it. Since then I've realized that getting a scholarship is all about networking and getting your name out to the coaches. I was offered a full scholarship to NAU because I attended one of their camps and they noticed me. I had letters coming from all over because my coach put my name on a mailing list.

4. You don't have to choose between going on a mission and getting a scholarship.
Knowing what you will do when you graduate will allow you to make good decisions. I sat across from the table from the NAU coach and he offered me a full ride and I had to turn him down because I was going to go on a mission. My mistake was trying to pursue two things that I couldn't do at the same time, a mission, and play football in college.

There's a rumor out there of the phantom "school that will hold your scholarship" but most of the time that's just a promise to look at you again when you get back. BYU now has a "prefered walk on" program for athletes they are interested in that have recently returned from missions. But make no mistake, no school is going to keep a scholarship in their hands when they can give it to a good player immediately. If you come back and they want you bad enough, they will find a scholarship for you.

If I could do it over again I would pursue a college scholarship differently. I would make it very clear to all the coaches that I was interested in playing for them after I returned from my mission. Then instead of remembering me as the kid that lead them on and then dropped the "mission bomb", I could be the kid that was a good player that was worth talking to when I got back.

5. Having no regrets is awesome.
I can honestly say I did everything I knew how to do to improve and to play hard. The awards and certificates don't compare. When the final whistle blows, it's a great feeling to know that you left it all on the field, not only in how you played, but in how you prepared. If I could give my athletes one thing it would be the experience of walking off the field having spend their time wisely.

6. You don't need a girlfriend, parties, or video games to survive.
This is more of a truth than a regret. I never had a girlfriend and I still survived socially. My parents made the expectations very clear and I'll set those expectations with my kids. "DON"T GET A GIRLFRIEND." It just makes the world less complicated and safer. I was focussed and I was good and that helped more than any physical preparation I could have done.

As for parties, I'm talking about booze and drugs. Obviously you don't need those.

Video games are a scourge to our kids. They are an alternate reality that makes us feel like we've accomplished something. There's nothing wrong with taking time off every once in a while but don't sacrifice your time for worthless play.

It takes hard work to be great. It takes more now than it did 10 years ago. What I did in high school isn't enough to win now. As the sports world gets more competitive Snowflake is going to stay on top because we like hard work and we're willing to do it.