The Wisconsin football staff is entering the upcoming season with a new mindset towards the development of their players.
Following the first day of practice in Platteville, Wisconsin football Head Coach Luke Fickell was asked a handful of questions regarding the players. One of the more light-hearted questions was in regards to players bringing gaming consoles during their two week training camp away from campus. Coach Fickell had a serious answer to the question, and took the time to speak about what he is looking for out of the players early on off the field.
Wisconsin Football Head Coach Luke Fickell Allowing Players to Develop Own Rhythm
As the first practice of camp wrapped up, Wisconsin football Head Coach Luke Fickell addressed the media and spoke about his players and camp strategies in detail. Fickell sported a Wisconsin shirt with the words “Hunt or be Hunted” and broke down the phrase during the third question asked.
“We have to understand that our greatest challenge is within our own program. The whole idea of hunt or be hunted is that there is a lot of hunting going on in the program, and that what it is because it is us challenging each other to make each other better.” – Wisconsin Badgers Football Head Coach Luke Fickell on intensity of players in camp.
Fickell was asked about the intensity of football and how players could feel the need to challenge each other on offense and defense. The coach responded by stating, “We have to understand that our greatest challenge is within our own program. The whole idea of hunt or be hunted is that there is a lot of hunting going on in the program, and that what it is because it is us challenging each other to make each other better.”
The coach finished answering the question by adding, “That is going to do nothing but make us better.” Fickell stated that he should be the person most worried about intensity and the potential for chippy play, but it is not something that is on his mind. The Wisconsin football leader instead felt that players need to develop a rhythm while painting the standards of the team.
Luke Fickell: “As Long as They are Playing Football on Their Gaming Systems…”
One of the aspects of players developing their routines that Wisconsin football Head Coach Luke Fickell mentioned during his first question was that players had brought gaming systems with them to Platteville. The Wisconsin football team will be in Platteville to begin their preseason camp, with some players bringing more gear than others.
When speaking about his players routines, Fickell stated, “Some of them brought gaming systems and I said as long as they are playing football on their gaming systems I’m alright with that, as long as they are getting seven hours of sleep I’m alright with that.” The coach finished his statement by saying, “Everything else is football.”
Wisconsin Badgers Football Staff, Players Focused on Meeting Standards
One of the words that Coach Fickell used when explaining what he is looking for out of his players is “standards”. Fickell acknowledged the team, both staff and players, need to establish what is accepted and what is not accepted heading into this season.
At one point during practice, Fickell called the offense and defense in for a meeting before restarting their drills shortly after. When asked about this during his media availability, the coach stated, “It’s a point of emphasis and for me in particular it is being able to really establish what those standards are going to be.”
Fickell added that there cannot be excuses for failing to meet the standards of the team when he stated, “That’s a period where we are trying to play faster, and if we just say, ‘It is day one, we are going to let them work through some of these things’ that is not something we are going to do now.” Fickell also acknowledged that the team did not have a lack of standards last season, but rather that the team needs to reevaluate them before the start of the season.
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