Competition brings out the best in most everyone, especially professional athletes. With many weeks before the Ravens hit the football field it’s already begun at the Under Armor Performance Center in Owings Mills.
As the team reported for their offseason workouts earlier this week, they found the new training program the organization instituted to be very different than in years past. This is one that breeds competition.
“It’s more competitive this year,” responded wide receiver Kamar Aiken when asked the differences in the program compared to last season’s activities. “There’s a lot of competition. They started from Day One with the competition, so I would say it’s a lot more competitive, and just guys getting after it.”
With a stockpile of wide receivers on the roster already, and the addition of one perhaps next week, Aiken already sees how the Ravens are fostering competition within the receiving corps.
“I guess who’s coming across the line first, who’s finishing the drill first,” said Aiken. “Then they’re keeping a chart on who’s coming across first, and who’s coming across last, so guys are paying attention to that and it’s getting a little more competitive every day.”
The new training program has certainly turned heads. Some expected the strength and conditioning coaches to ease into each individual players’ regiments. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite.
“I think if you start from Day One with the competitive stuff, it’s going to translate to the field,” remarked Aiken. “I love to compete anyway, so whatever they’ve got for us, I’m all for it.”
Cornerback Jimmy Smith echoed Aiken’s sentiments on just how tough the new program is. He is looking forward to the competition translating to results on the field.
“I think a lot of people are shocked just by how intense it is,” said Smith as he took to the podium on Tuesday. “It looks very intense; they’ve been running a lot – way more than we have in the past.
“So, I think we’re going to be in great shape come OTAs. Probably by next Friday, I think they’ll be in great shape.”
The new program features much of the same workouts, however newly hired Director of Performance and Recovery coach Steve Saunders has added a few twists here and there.
“I think our running program, now, we’re really focused two days a week on speed and power, so we’re working that stored energy system,” Saunders explained. “What happens with those is, when you’re working speed, you have to let the body recover fully. So, if we do a 50-yard or 100-yard sprint [and] turn around and do another one in 30 seconds, you didn’t let the athlete fully recover to go full speed.
“I think a lot of ways their speed and power days are a little easier than they thought they would be, although the heavyweights, the linemen, would beg to differ after yesterday. Then, our conditioning, we’re really working the lactic system. Tuesday and Thursday, but again, it’s going to be smart running. We’re going to start with certain rest intervals and work intervals, and we’re going to work our way up from there as the season gets closer.”
While last year the Ravens saw their fair share of injuries fracture their roster, the coaching staff is doing everything in their power to minimize at the very least, the nuisance injuries.
Here’s hoping it works!
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