Summer Workouts are Heating Up

COLD SPRING – You thought the high school football season was over? And you thought the 2026 season didn’t begin again until official practices in August?

Think again.

Football is a year-round business. Just ask any high school coach – especially Ryan McConville of Haldane High School.

“Haldane has been getting in some quality reps this June,” he said.

It’s been a process and the Blue Dells are doing things in pieces. Little by little, the coach hopes it all adds up.

“To start, we did some testing on 40-yard dash, max verticals, and weight room lifts,” he said. “One of the biggest areas we are really focused on is trying to get stronger and faster. So each part of our workouts include our ability to become faster and more explosive.”

Building blocks.

It’s not that the Blue Devils or any other Putnam County school were bad last year – these are just refinements. Practice, especially in the off season, is not all about blocking, tackling, and throwing the football around. Although there is plenty of that.

No, this is about fundamentals and building a culture.

“As we prep for a 7-on-7 competition, guys have made some big strides and we keep working to improve our technique and really executing at a high level,” said McConville.

The goal now is that what happens in the heat and humidity of summer will be remembered in the fall.