Eastern Wayne mini-camp breeds competition

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on July 26, 2016 1:50 PM

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At the crack of dawn, Eastern Wayne head coach Leander Oates and his varsity football players file into the gym to begin their stretches, followed by ab workouts.

Thirty minutes later, the junior varsity players come to work.

This is the point where Oates wants his guys to get better. More specifically, it's the point where true competition begins.

"I'm making every day a competition day," Oates said. "Nobody's position is set in stone. I'm coming in with an attitude that nothing is given. It always has to be earned."

Oates said he's been averaging 50 to 55 players for the summer workouts. After completing dynamic stretches and ab workouts for 30 minutes, the team heads to the weight room for about an hour and 15 minutes.  Outside conditioning work is also mixed into the routine.

 "We'll all finish up in the weight room once different groups come out," Oates said. "We split them up at stations in the weight room, and we pretty much do our upper bodies one day, and then we'll switch it up with our lower body."

Although it's his first summer as head coach of the football team, Oates said the players already know his expectations because he has been their weightlifting teacher.

Oates -- who is also the track and field coach -- noted that a core group of rising junior and senior players came to workouts in good shape because of the previous outdoor track season.

However, the younger players are still adjusting to the intensity.

"For the younger guys and the freshman class coming in, it's a big transition knowing how much the pace goes for them," Oates said. "By them consistently coming to practice, they've pretty much adapted to it now, so that process -- as far as the conditioning -- is coming along."

To deal with the rising temperatures, Oates holds his workouts early in the morning to avoid the humidity later in the day. He also gives the players an adequate amount of breaks and constantly reminds the players to remain hydrated.

Oates said the team focused more on plays and formations earlier in the summer. They participated in seven vs. seven games, and some of them were against 4A competition on the campus of N.C. State.

For the month of July, however, the first-year head coach's main focus has been strength and conditioning.

And as the first day of practice approaches, Oates said there is still room for improvement.

But the desire to get better is right where it needs to be.

"(The players) just feel like it's a competing stage," Oates said. "They're competing as if they're going out and getting a contract. And that's what I want them to do because I want these guys to put themselves on the next level."