Area Football Coaches Get Creative with At-Home Workouts

Since returning to Kingsley two years ago, Tim Wooer has quickly turned the Stags varsity football team back into a winning program.

Part of that success is credited to offseason workouts and training, which would typically start at this point in the year. With schools shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wooer and many northern Michigan coaches are having to get creative.

“We’d be shifting into what we call our “Zero Hour.” It’s 6:30 a.m. lifting-speed session,” Wooer said. “We’d be shifting into three days a week versus two days a week right about now on top of what they do in their weight training.

“Two years ago, I would have been really concerned because we were just starting to change and develop habits and the kids envisioned what we wanted to do. I think our kids understand now. I told them they have a toolbox of things they can do at home. And they know what those things are. And I have no doubt with the character traits they have that they will do those things.”

In Fremont, first-year coach Jason Carpenter is establishing a new culture for a program hungry for success after recording one win over the previous five years.

After coaching Fremont’s JV team to seven wins a year ago, Carpenter believes there’s an opportunity to build a winning culture for the Packers.

“The future is bright for Fremont football, but our kids have to respond to tough coaching because adversity is going to hit our kids and how they respond is 100% on how our program is going to move forward,” he said.

For Carpenter, that begins with offseason workouts and training. He’s taken to social media and the program’s Twitter account to post at-home workouts and exercises.

Squat Jumps

— FremontPackerFootball (@PackerFremont)

“I try and make it as accessible to the kids because I know they don’t have dumbbells and weight lifting stuff at home,” Carpenter said. “We’ve been doing gallon curls and book bag squats. Just stuff to keep them moving during this time. It’s a great time to stay at home, be healthy, but also a great time… there’s no excuses to get a great workout right now. I’ve been doing them and hopefully our players have been doing them.”