The football offseason is finally here. As the state championships finished up this week, we would like to congratulate everyone on another season finished. There is still plenty to look forward to though! Now that the offseason is officially here, it’s time to start working on your goals for next season. 

In a little over a week, we will be hosting our offseason 7v7 travel team tryouts. 7v7 is one of the best ways for football players to continue improving their game year-round. At Warren Academy, our teams are trained by some of the best coaches in the area as we travel around the Midwest and play other similarly competitive teams. 

Playing 7v7 during the offseason not only allows players to keep playing during the winter and spring months, but it also offers a variety of other opportunities as well. Below, we dive into some of the biggest advantages of playing competitive 7v7 during the offseason!
 

What is 7v7?

7v7 is a fun yet competitive way for football athletes to continue playing the game they love during the offseason. With only 7 players on each side of the ball, 7v7 is great practice for quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, tight ends, defensive backs and linebackers. 

Many teams run 7v7 drills during their regular football seasons in practice every week. This type of training is mainly to help these skill position players learn the playbook and practice new sets. During the offseason, there are many 7v7 tournaments across the country that bring together the top high school football athletes to compete against each other. This gives athletes who aren’t playing a winter sport an opportunity to stay active in football throughout the offseason.

Recruiting exposure

One huge benefit of playing on a 7v7 team during the offseason is the exposure to college coaches. Most of the 7v7 games and tournaments played are filmed, which allows athletes to create offseason highlight reels. Although college coaches themselves can’t attend any tournaments, the more film they get to watch of you the better. 

Repetition

One of the best ways to get better at anything is repetition.  When you play on a 7v7 team, you will have practices and tournaments where you will be doing the same thing over and over and over again. Repetition is one of the best ways for football players to take their game to the next level. With repetition of game-like situations, athletes will better improve their awareness on the field, and ultimately practice their fundamentals. 

Competition

Travel 7v7 tournaments are great because athletes get to compete against others you usually don’t get to compete against. At Warren Academy, our 7v7 teams play tournaments across the Midwest, and will play teams from Kansas City, Des Moines, Oklahoma City and many other areas where competition is just as good if not better than Nebraska and Iowa. Not only does competition like this help athletes stay motivated throughout the offseason and look for ways to get better, but also gives them an idea of how they compare to others in different areas across the country. 

Sports performance

Lastly, playing 7v7 will help keep athletes conditioned and in shape all offseason long. Although 7v7 might not be as intense of a workout as weight training or speed training, it helps football players stay in shape and stay adjusted to the on-field conditioning that football requires. 

As we start this offseason, all high school football athletes who are not participating in a fall sport should consider trying out for a competitive 7v7 team. Not only will this help improve skills, but it will also give you exposure to college coaches, provide competition with new schools and teams and improve your overall athleticism! Visit our website for more information regarding our 7v7 tryouts!