First, I never got the chip off my shoulder from being cut from my Pop Warner team when I was 11. I knew I could play then, but I was just too small. At 11 years old, I weighed 49 pounds, the league minimum was 63lbs. I went to every practice, all the way up to the week before the season was supposed to start. The coach called me over at the end of practice and told me that it was just too dangerous to have me on the field. So I was cut, and that was that. I would like to believe that it wasn't my lack of talent that got me cut, but honestly, I was fast, but a mediocre football player at best. That didn't stop it from hurting though, and I have carried that with me for years.
I finally got an opportunity to play again when I was in high school. Sophomore year football, and it was a great time. I got to play receiver, and return kicks, and a little defense sprinkled in here and there. I was still the smallest guy on the team, but I got lots of playing time, and felt I could contribute, though didn't get a lot of opportunities in the games, and again, my fault, there were better options on the team, that worked harder. Little did I know, the last game of that season would be the last time I would ever wear football pads again. Girls, cars, and money trumped my desire to play sports.
So, that brings us up to the present. I am like any typical 30+ year old guy. I love to sit on the couch watching football, and criticize players for making dumb mistakes, or decisions that "I" would have made differently. I talk about how if I had just a few breaks in life, I could have "played that game". Well, I ran across an article one day, when I was looking for a new workout plan. The article was about a 40 year old guy who started training one day, and decided to play semi-pro ball, and had been playing for 3 years now. So here is this 40 year old guy, now 43, who put his money where his mouth was, and went for it. So I thought, what is stopping me from doing the same thing. Then I did a reality check, lots of things were stopping me. Lets start with being about 18% body fat. Not wearing pads for almost 20 years. Not seriously training "EVER" to be a professional athlete. Then throw on top my family responsibilities, full time job, and hobbies, there just wouldn't be any time. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices, and for the right reasons, I was willing to make those sacrifices, which segues nicely into the non-selfish reasons for playing.
Lets start with who I am. I am a 35 year old software developer from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I like to consider myself a father of 3, which seems like an odd statement, but stay with me. I have one biological son, he is 3 years old. My girlfriend has 2 sons, ages 14 and 13. I know they are not my biological sons, but I do my best to treat them that way, and make them feel that they are my own. They have their own father, and the last thing I want to do is replace him, but I do want the boys to feel like they can count on me, trust me, and come to me with anything.
So, with all of that said, here are the unselfish reasons I want to play football. As a parent it is easy to tell your children to work hard to achieve your dreams. It's easy to constantly tell them try this, and try that, and work through the pain. I guess I want to take it a step further. Playing football is a dream of mine, and I feel, how can I tell the boys to chase their dreams, when I'm not doing the same? So, that is exactly what I am doing. The way I am training, I am training as if I am going to be trying out for the Packers in January. I don't want to just play football to say that I was a 35 year old man that was "on" a semi-pro football team. Look, they gave me a jersey and everything!! I want to play at a high level. I want to be counted on to make plays, and make a difference on the field. I do not want to just show up and be on the team. I want the boys to see that I put my money where my mouth is. I will be putting in months, if not years of hard work to make this dream come true. I want them to see what it takes to go from the couch, to the field, and to play at a high level. Do I have any idea if I have what it takes? Heck no I don't, but I am driven (or dumb) enough to believe that I can get myself there. I am a firm believer that if I do not have natural talent in an area, I can still get to that point with lots of hard work.
Now, how hard do I plan on working? Well, my training began on October 3, 2011. My training is based on a lot of things. I have read a lot about how football players prepare in the off season, for the next season. So I took some from that. I have a friend who trains people for playing hockey, and was a division 1 hockey player, and Olympic skater himself. I take a lot of advice from him. I have another friend that trains our oldest boy for speed and agility, and I take a little bit from him. I have a relatively strict diet now. I am religious on my supplements. I do skill training with the oldest boy twice a week.
I have an AM and PM workout schedule. My AM schedule, before work consists of cardio, which consists of running a mile or two, then going on the field to do sprinting drills (40 yard dash, shuttle run, suicides), ab workout, and skills training. Also every other day in the AM I workout my calves, hamstrings, and quads (hip flexor machine).
My PM schedule is 4 days a week, after work. Monday is chest day, Tuesday is leg day, Thursday Shoulders, and Friday (Saturday or Sunday) is back day. Here is the breakdown.
Chest
- Flat Bench
- Incline Bench
- Dips
- Barbell pullover
- Squats
- Front squats
- dead lifts
- straight leg dead lifts
- upright rows
- clean and press
- shrugs
- military press
- Pull-ups
- bent over rows
- dead lifts
So, that is my routine as it stands now. I'm also trying to improve my routine, and tweak things as I find them necessary. Currently, I am finding that I am losing way too much weight, but i'm monitoring it before I change anything. I'm hoping it levels off. I do not plan on playing under 200lbs, and my goal is to play at 205.
If anyone reads this and have any input, or suggestions, or anything at all, please feel free to share your insight. I'm looking for every little bit of help I can to make this thing a reality.
My next post will include what supplements I am currently taking, my diet, and what equipment I have purchased in order to help me achieve my goal.
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