Published: 11:27 PM, Mon Jul 30, 2012
'Circus' drill pushes Pine Forest Trojans football players to limit
The first thing you notice about the "circus" drill that occasionally closes football practice at Pine Forest is the noise.
There are the usual whistles and shouts from coaches. There's also plenty of yelling from the players, trying anything to wring a few more moments of energy from heavy legs.
"This is to see who really wants to play football," coach Bill Sochovka said Monday.
The circus, which is new this season, can feature as many as six tasks, each done for two-minute segments. Players have to sprint, crawl and zig-zag up the small grassy hill that rises from the west side of the Trojans' stadium. Players also have to rattle off squats and spend time sitting against a low brick wall. Finally, there's the dash up the steep hill that looms over one end zone. The loose, sandy soil makes the ascent difficult and dirty.
"As long as you push yourself, you'll be good," linebacker Nelson Guillory said. "You've got to stay on your toes, because if you don't, you'll slide right back down."
The circus is a companion to the more common "county fair" drill that forces players to run through a series of arduous exercises.
"They don't like to go to the circus; they don't like to go to the fair," Sochovka said.
- Stephen Schramm