The heat of camp (1 Viewer)

[Guitarzan]

I hope that all the players that have signed (even Gay) are getting physically prepared for the heat that's coming. This has been a constant since Millshaps has been the locale. If they want to make something productive out of the first 4 games they better be ready for the heat. Come to think of it, even the returning players need to do some heat training. For all I know, the entire team spent the first 10 days of camp simply adjusting to the heat-- so much so that not much else was accomplished. In that light, it puts that 0-4 start in perspective.

 

[Guitarzan]

I'm trying to remember who it was last season that talked about [paraphrasing] "even though I was raised in this heat and have only been up north a few years, it's something that I wasn't expecting to have to deal with, it's much harder than I thought it would be."

Former LSU? player--- I believe he was released after a couple of weeks.

 

[Superfan]

I never will understand why they have to practice in that heat. We play in a dome and only play in Tampa and carolina once a year out doors. Sometimes it isn't even that hot if it is later that year. 9 games a year are in a dome thats a fact. this is not including other teams on our schedule.

 

[Guitarzan]

It's a Sean thing. I don't see the benefit of the heat per se' but do like the camp out of town part. No matter what though, the new players need to be made aware of what's coming because there's nothing else like it.

 

[dat dam dog]

Well, I think most picks don't really have a clue what the Mississippi heat is like. I always used "sweltering". No breeze, no relief, just 'melt in your boots' heat.

Gay is from Louisiana, maybe he has a clue. Now he will get the refresher course LOL!

Super,

"I never will understand why they have to practice in that heat. We play in a dome and only play in Tampa and carolina once a year out doors. Sometimes it isn't even that hot if it is later that year. 9 games a year are in a dome thats a fact. this is not including other teams on our schedule."

This is near military type stuff, the know if you can keep going when being beaten in adverse conditions, you can shovel ---- in hell.

Guts and stamina.


ddd

 

[Guitarzan]

Well, I think most picks don't really have a clue what the Mississippi heat is like. I always used "sweltering". No breeze, no relief, just 'melt in your boots' heat.

Gay is from Louisiana, maybe he has a clue. Now he will get the refresher course LOL!

Super,

"I never will understand why they have to practice in that heat. We play in a dome and only play in Tampa and carolina once a year out doors. Sometimes it isn't even that hot if it is later that year. 9 games a year are in a dome thats a fact. this is not including other teams on our schedule."

This is near military type stuff, the know if you can keep going when being beaten in adverse conditions, you can shovel ---- in hell.

Guts and stamina.


ddd

but does it translate to winning games?

i suppose someone could make the arguement that: because of all that heat and all the time players spend fighting it they are actually falling behind in REAL preparation for the beggining of the season. 0-4 start to wit.

 

[rob021275]

Problem too is that central Mississippi has the ability to get 5-10 degrees hotter than coastal LA. There is also little to no difference in humidity and less chance of relief from clouds and the afternoon showers and thunderstorms that occasionally save us near the coast.

 

[dat dam dog]

but does it translate to winning games?

i suppose someone could make the arguement that: because of all that heat and all the time players spend fighting it they are actually falling behind in REAL preparation for the beggining of the season. 0-4 start to wit.

Good question, and I don't have an answer,

But I am a firm believer that solid conditioning relates to several things.

Less injuries.

Stamina late in the season when players, especially big men, start to fade.

Confidence. If we can play hard in that heat, the dome is a cakewalk.

I doubt that 'real preparation' will be missed, but conditioning needs to come first. And the summer Mississippi heat will do the trick.

Just my opinion, of course.


ddd

 

[Guitarzan]

Good question, and I don't have an answer,

But I am a firm believer that solid conditioning relates to several things.

Less injuries.

Stamina late in the season when players, especially big men, start to fade.

Confidence. If we can play hard in that heat, the dome is a cakewalk.

I doubt that 'real preparation' will be missed, but conditioning needs to come first. And the summer Mississippi heat will do the trick.

Just my opinion, of course.


ddd

well take last year's results and apply them.

Injuries were up

Big men had no displayed edge. Judging by some of the late season losses (Tampa, Eagles, Bears) the big men were less effective than the man from across the LOS

The dome seems to be a cake walk for any opposing QB and his posse and we still have a losing record there.

The real preparation was nowhere to be seen in the first 4 games of the season. In fact, they looked and sounded woefully unprepared for games 1-3.

They might have been conditioned to stand up to extreme heat (maybe not so effective either) but they have much of nothing good to show for the Mississippi heat other than water park pics--- and injuries.

At any rate, this appears as if it's not going away so the new guys better be ready for hellish conditions.

 

[StudioSaint]

The ultimate goal of training camp should be to maximize the team chances of winning the Superbowl. That said, looking at the last 10 Superbowl winners only the Tampa Buccaneers held training camp in a hot & humid climate. So I would say empirically there is no real advantage (towards winning a Superbowl) of training in adverse heat conditions. The theory of mentally preparing them to soldier on under dire conditions doesn't seem to fit. These guys are training to win football games, not a war. Comparing a football game to combat, grossly underestimates actual battlefield conditions. A football player's life is less in danger during a game, than it is in his car driving to and from the game.

Soldiers train to survive in uncontrolled, extreme life and death situations. Situations in which they may be cut off from water & food and under constant fire - no timeouts, no substitutions, no Gatorade, no IV's and no oxygen on the sidelines.

There have been several studies that have shown that the optimal way to prepare/train for anything is to prepare/train in conditions as similar to the actual performance as possible. This is where home field/court advantage comes from. Teams usually perform better on their own field/court, because they spend more time training on it.

Since half of the Saints games are played indoors and most of the road games will be played either indoors or in mild climates, I think it would be in the best interest of the Saints to spend most of training camp practicing indoors. Not for the climate control, but to get the feel of the footing on FieldTurf, depth/distance perception under artificial lights and even the sound of the game indoors versus outdoors.

Everyone laughed at how soft the Cowboys training camp was last year, but look at how they did. It's an empirically unsubstantiated myth that training in adverse heat conditions makes a football team better. It may make them better suited for playing in adverse heat conditions, but it doesn't make them better suited to win football games. Just look at the Saints' performances against Tampa Bay in the heat of Tampa Bay and in the climate controlled dome.

 

[basilisk]

I never will understand why they have to practice in that heat. We play in a dome and only play in Tampa and carolina once a year out doors. Sometimes it isn't even that hot if it is later that year. 9 games a year are in a dome thats a fact. this is not including other teams on our schedule.

i agree 100%, it makes no sense... you can get in as good if not better shape in a better environment... TC should be about strength, cardio, and mental reps anyway, imo... none of those require 100 degree heat

 

[dat dam dog]

Well, I am seriously overwhelmed here!

Everyone spent a lot of time on those posts, and I read it all.

I think I'm right. Conditioning in heat makes play/conditioning in the cool very easy.

Thanks for the responses. Camp is at Millsaps, right?


ddd

 

[Guitarzan]

Well, I am seriously overwhelmed here!

Everyone spent a lot of time on those posts, and I read it all.

I think I'm right. Conditioning in heat makes play/conditioning in the cool very easy.

Thanks for the responses. Camp is at Millsaps, right?


ddd

Until further notice...

one thing for certain... if you need to find out who are the players that would fight through totrure, then that heat should give you a pretty good clue.

 

[Superfan]

Imagine your in class and the teacher is monotone bueller bueller. Ever been put to sleep in class and bored. This is what the heat does to you. You physically drained as well as mentally. How can we expect our team to stay focused? One thing psychologically is to handle the dehydration and workout intensity results in a diet increase. More Calories and more hydration = more food and gatoraid. well when you are just playing the game you now don't have to face that major heat and now the extra plate of paste you use to burn off is now not needed. Grant and smith probably couldnt stop he cravings. Imagine you workout and you can almost eat what you want but you stop and you gain weight.

I understand that they have fitness and doctors who help them but i think psychologically changing your diet over and over can really wear on you especially if you are a big guy.

Just say no to Millsaps and just practice on Airline. Practicing in the Heat makes about as much sense as practicing on airline when we had to play in chicago in the NFCCG. Just use frozen balls.

 

[whiteshadowen]

I'm 100% behind practicing at Millsaps. I think the intent of SP is not really the heat, it's getting the team away from NOLA and the distractions of being home. It's a team building thing.

But all that aside, 2 years at Millsaps , 2006 NFC title game and 2007 debacle. Can't really draw any conclusions from that.

Bottom line, I'm from Vicksburg so it means I get to go to a lot of the sessions. It has been a great experience for me and many other Saints fans in this region.