Three Weeks into Winter Workouts and IU is Feeling the Effects of Coach Ballou and Dr. Rhea
/
The Hoosiers will look to finish better in 2018 Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written By Nathan Comp
On January 4th, it was announced that David Ballou, a former IU fullback, was making his return to the Hoosier football program as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. It quickly became apparent that Ballou would be focusing on three main facets of training: speed, injury prevention, and IU football’s word of the year, the ability to finish. With a few weeks under his belt during winter workouts, we wanted to give a brief update on his progress towards these three goals. Indiana released a video on Thursday with an update on their progress.
Speed
Finding players with the speed to compete in the Big Ten was an obvious emphasis in Tom Allen’s first recruiting class. That need for speed does not stop in the workouts Ballou has designed. As soon as Ballou was hired, Allen began driving home its importance, saying, “you obviously want to develop that speed – you can always get faster.” Even PhD Matt Rhea, Indiana University Athletic Performance Coach, has “speed development” in his Twitter bio. So what is the staff doing to improve this aspect of the game? Ballou described it by saying, “There’s a lot of things that a lot of people do that may or may not transfer to the football field. What we’ve dug into, and been on a mission for, is to do those things inside that room that’s going to have a direct correlation to game speed…a direct correlation to being able to put your foot in the ground and change direction.” IU football fans can get excited about this progress; in order to compete with the cream of the crop programs in the Big Ten East, this simply was something that had to improve. It was evident numerous times last season, especially in the later stages of the game, IU simply did not have 60 minutes of game speed to get them over the hump. This is certainly something to watch in the upcoming season.
Injury Prevention
After countless key players’ injuries last season, focusing on player’s injury prevention can be described more as a necessity than just another something they’re trying to improve. IU must be able to keep its best players on the field for the entirety of the season. To do this, wide receiver Luke Timian detailed some of the changes Ballou is making when compared to prior offseasons. “I’ve had some hamstring issues in the past, so they’re really targeting that. I can already feel a difference in my stronger hamstrings.” He continued by mentioning, “It’s not that everyone has the same workout, it’s specific to each player so that we can all hit a certain reach with the weaknesses that we have.” Ballou has been credited in his past work at IMG Academy in his ability to improve player’s injury prevention. Star wide receiver Nick Westbrook, sidelined after only one play last season with a torn ACL, has already been hinted at a major comeback season: “will be faster than he was before!” teased Coach Rhea (again with the speed). Although with last season’s bad fortune on the injury front it may seem things can only improve, it is still something to watch.
Finish
I’m not sure an IU football article without the inclusion of “finish” this offseason would truly be an IU football article. Just like 'Breakthrough' in 2017, Tom Allen’s word for the 2018 season has been designated finish. Plastered over the player’s workout shirts is the word, and they have begun to embody its meaning in their workouts. Left guard Wes Martin described what he felt was the true meaning behind the word. “Every day we have a finishing workout. Trying to push through that and being able to excel when things aren’t easy, when you’re tired and you’ve been through a long workout already, still being able to finish. That’s what we need to do in the regular season. The purpose is to finish when things are tough.” Again, IU fans can be excited by hearing that a glaring weakness in last year’s team, the ability to close out games down the stretch, is being worked on this offseason.
After what I believe was a vast culture change on the field and in the locker room last year, I expect similar positive changes in the culture of IU football’s strength and conditioning program. I echo the praises of Miami transfer Nick Linder, quoted saying, “Coach Ballou has done a great job these first few weeks. I’m really excited with the direction that the strength and conditioning program is going.” With focuses on speed, injury prevention, and finishing, IU football is off to a great start this winter.
*Quotes were found from the Twitter accounts @IU_CoachBallou, @MattRheaPhD, and @HoosierFootball*
Fans of Hoosier Huddle can help support the site by shopping on Amazon using the ad below at no cost to the shopper. Thank you for your support.