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Semi-OT: You want your kid or player you coach to get a scholarship?

PeliniTheCrutch

Defensive Coordinator
Jul 4, 2016
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Two words: Overhead Squat

I’m not talking about P5 and such, but lower level D1, FCS, DII.

They are going to make a kid do an overhead squat with just the bar. Great measure of if the kid is an athlete who can bend, and therefore an athlete that can get better with real body strength, flexibility, and functional movements.

Edit: I’m not talking about a lift to do everyday or trying to turn this into the best lift for athletes thread. I’m literally saying that these schools will make the kid do an overhead squat in from of them with just the bar, then will cross the kid off their list if he can’t do it.
 
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My kid already getting looks without it.

For basketball that is...lol


Not ready for him to lift too much yet.

Still box jumps and hills for now
 
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My kid already getting looks without it.

For basketball that is...lol


Not ready for him to lift too much yet.

Still box jumps and hills for now
You're on the right track. I guess I should have asked age. Work on shuttle drill as well
 
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Such an awesome lift! Really a great test of strength and flexibility.
 
Never force people into predetermined mechanics that may not be appropriate for ones' morphology. Plenty of alternative lifts/movements that may be more customizable and equally effective.

Overhead squat will need ones to have lifted heels and a much more quad dominant squat pattern.
Olympic lifts look cool but the risk/reward ratio is much too high IMO.
 
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I competed in powerlifting for a number of years and even though staring down the barrel of sixty, still enjoy training.
I would have loved competing in Olympic lifting too but just didn't have what it took. It's a demanding technique but when it's good it's amazing what these guys do to a bar, they make it look effortless.
The quickness and precision is light speed.
That being said I don't really recall a successful Olympic lifter who made it in another sport.
Heard once that Vasily Alekseev, first man to lift 500lb overhead, was extremely fast for a short sprint which I can believe. It belied his beach ball build (6'1, 353lb).
Modern Olympic guys tend to have 'weird' bodies because they eschew upper body development as it simply gets in the way of their signature lifts. Watch some videos of the current guys, they have otherworldly quickness and stability.

The football players I used to run into didn't do much of Olympic competition lifts but did Olympic type movements (Hang cleans mostly) and were pretty proficient.
 
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