Quote:As more athletes get year-round focus on football, top gridiron talent continues to excel in track and field
By Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com
on May 21, 2015 10:00 AM, updated May 21, 2015 12:32 PM


Auburn Hills Avondale running back Joshuwa Holloman is also an muti-state champion sprinter. He encourages all football players to compete in track and field as a means to improve on the football field. (Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com)


DETROIT -- In today's world of prep sports when specialization for a single seems to be on the rise, it is easy for any youth to lose sight of other opportunities.

In the world of high school football, once the season ends for athletes, another one begins for most of them. Kids with next-level dreams use up their winter, spring and summers going are 7-on-7 camps, drill camps, conditioning camps, recruiting camps, and lots of things with the word "camp" or "clinic" involved.

Parents shell out a lot of money for their children to go to these so-called Underwear Olympics, referring to the fact the the athletes don't compete in pads.

Yet while some football athletes are in the weight room trying to bulk up and traveling around to camps and clinics, their are others that use the spring working on their speed and strength without having to shell out money.

They join the school's track and field team.
(Video caption: Auburn Hills Avondale senior RB Joshuwa Holloman (Cincinnati) and Warren De La Salle running back/defensive back Allen Stritzinger put an emphasis on track and field for football development and encourage other football players to do the same. Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com)

As more and more athletes are focusing in on just football, there are those using track and field as a stepping stone for football season.

Just ask Auburn Hills Avondale running back and sprinter Joshuwa Holloman.

Holloman is getting ready to head to the University of Cincinnati for the fall. Before that, however, he is preparing to try and win his third-straight state title in the 100 meter dash and second-straight in the 200 meter dash when he competes in the Division 2 state championships on May 30.

Cincinnati actually encouraged Holloman to continue to pursue track and field throughout the recruitment process.

"Track, it benefits me for football," Holloman said. "It makes me faster. (Cincinnati) acknowledged the fact that, with me and my speed, they did not want to take anything away from that."

In fact, it was track that got Holloman more attention on the recruiting trail.

"With track, as far as recruiting wise, it did help a lot with me," Holloman said. "That's how it kind of started my name because of me winning a state championship ... as a sophomore. Throughout the season, when they said my name, that's what tagged along with it."

If anyone knows the benefits of football players getting involved with track, it is Detroit Cass Tech's Tom Wilcher. As a former football player and record-setting hurdler for the University of Michigan, Wilcher coaches both sports for Cass Tech.

If he had it his way, he would require all of his football players to be on the track team. Instead, the Technicians' track team is "everybody that is not playing baseball" or playing golf.

With the amount of success and Division 1 talent that Wilcher has coached over the years, it is hard to argue against what he thinks his athletes should be doing.

This spring, Cass Tech is sending one of the top 4x100 teams in the state to the Division 1 championships. On that relay team are 2016 Michigan State football commit Demetric Vance and 2017 wide receiver standout Donovan Peoples-Jones. Sophomore Donovan Jones and freshman Kalon Gervin compete the relay team and, naturally, each play football for Wilcher too.

Over the years though, Wilcher has seen the enthusiasm among football players for track and field diminish thanks. With football players thinking they can spend time building muscle and just show up for camps, Wilcher thinks that path is far less beneficial than the path taken by those who diversify themselves as athletes.

"That's what the problem is," Wilcher said. "That's why you have to tell athletes that it's not about recruiting the same muscles by doing the same thing over and over again. You have to make yourself more athletic. You have to make yourself a better athlete. How do you do it? You participate in other sports."

Wilcher believes that athletes need to find news way to challenge themselves mentally and physically. Holloman notes that being a track athlete means plenty of quality weight lifting as well. Yet, constantly building speed and strength through running is something that many athletes miss out on.

After going through the recruiting process and being recruited by many Mid-American Conference schools, Holloman knows what Division 1 schools are looking for.

"First, I would tell you that colleges are not going to look for people that are all just big and strong," Holloman said. "I would say the main thing they are looking for is speed. When you get to college, they're going to get you bigger (and) they're going to get you stronger. If you walk in there and you're not fast and you're an athlete and you play a primary position like cornerback or running back ... If you can't move, that's not going to benefit you in any type of way."

Allen Stritzinger had a breakout sophomore season this last fall as a running back and defensive back for the Warren De La Salle football team, the Division 2 state champions.

Heading into the Division 1 state meet this spring, Stritzinger is the only sophomore that qualified in a field of 24 110-meter hurdlers. He will also be running on the team's 4x200 and 4x400 relays at the meet.

"Power, speed and technique all came along with this year's football experience," Stritzinger said. "Last year, I learned a lot in track - good form and technique - and I translated that into my football game as well."

For Stritzinger, holding off on the camps and clinics until the summer time in order to do track is something that all football players should consider.

"I feel like track and football go hand-in-hand," Stritzinger said. "That's what helps you when it comes down to it, your end game ... I would rather perform in a game than at a camp."

For both Holloman and Stritzinger, track is also a way to really compete for something in the spring time.

"It's big meets," Holloman said. "You've got 20-30 teams when you get the bigger meets. That environment, you know? Most kids, they really don't have that type of experience ... It's great to be a part of that."

For athletes looking to prove something to college football coaches, Wilcher sees track and field as the best option outside of football to do so.

"Track is the sport where it proves to college coaches how fast you really are," Wilcher said. "You go out there and run a slow 40-yard dash time but you come in the top three in the state in the 100 ... they know what you've got. They know you're fast. You don't have to build your whole depth around one (football clinic). You can build you whole career based on what you have done (in track) and not what you've done in just one day."

mlive.com (includes video interview)

(05-22-2015 12:44 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  

Quote:As more athletes get year-round focus on football, top gridiron talent continues to excel in track and field
By Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com
on May 21, 2015 10:00 AM, updated May 21, 2015 12:32 PM


Auburn Hills Avondale running back Joshuwa Holloman is also an muti-state champion sprinter. He encourages all football players to compete in track and field as a means to improve on the football field. (Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com)


DETROIT -- In today's world of prep sports when specialization for a single seems to be on the rise, it is easy for any youth to lose sight of other opportunities.

In the world of high school football, once the season ends for athletes, another one begins for most of them. Kids with next-level dreams use up their winter, spring and summers going are 7-on-7 camps, drill camps, conditioning camps, recruiting camps, and lots of things with the word "camp" or "clinic" involved.

Parents shell out a lot of money for their children to go to these so-called Underwear Olympics, referring to the fact the the athletes don't compete in pads.

Yet while some football athletes are in the weight room trying to bulk up and traveling around to camps and clinics, their are others that use the spring working on their speed and strength without having to shell out money.

They join the school's track and field team.
(Video caption: Auburn Hills Avondale senior RB Joshuwa Holloman (Cincinnati) and Warren De La Salle running back/defensive back Allen Stritzinger put an emphasis on track and field for football development and encourage other football players to do the same. Jared Purcell | japurcell@mlive.com)

As more and more athletes are focusing in on just football, there are those using track and field as a stepping stone for football season.

Just ask Auburn Hills Avondale running back and sprinter Joshuwa Holloman.

Holloman is getting ready to head to the University of Cincinnati for the fall. Before that, however, he is preparing to try and win his third-straight state title in the 100 meter dash and second-straight in the 200 meter dash when he competes in the Division 2 state championships on May 30.

Cincinnati actually encouraged Holloman to continue to pursue track and field throughout the recruitment process.

"Track, it benefits me for football," Holloman said. "It makes me faster. (Cincinnati) acknowledged the fact that, with me and my speed, they did not want to take anything away from that."

In fact, it was track that got Holloman more attention on the recruiting trail.

"With track, as far as recruiting wise, it did help a lot with me," Holloman said. "That's how it kind of started my name because of me winning a state championship ... as a sophomore. Throughout the season, when they said my name, that's what tagged along with it."

If anyone knows the benefits of football players getting involved with track, it is Detroit Cass Tech's Tom Wilcher. As a former football player and record-setting hurdler for the University of Michigan, Wilcher coaches both sports for Cass Tech.

If he had it his way, he would require all of his football players to be on the track team. Instead, the Technicians' track team is "everybody that is not playing baseball" or playing golf.

With the amount of success and Division 1 talent that Wilcher has coached over the years, it is hard to argue against what he thinks his athletes should be doing.

This spring, Cass Tech is sending one of the top 4x100 teams in the state to the Division 1 championships. On that relay team are 2016 Michigan State football commit Demetric Vance and 2017 wide receiver standout Donovan Peoples-Jones. Sophomore Donovan Jones and freshman Kalon Gervin compete the relay team and, naturally, each play football for Wilcher too.

Over the years though, Wilcher has seen the enthusiasm among football players for track and field diminish thanks. With football players thinking they can spend time building muscle and just show up for camps, Wilcher thinks that path is far less beneficial than the path taken by those who diversify themselves as athletes.

"That's what the problem is," Wilcher said. "That's why you have to tell athletes that it's not about recruiting the same muscles by doing the same thing over and over again. You have to make yourself more athletic. You have to make yourself a better athlete. How do you do it? You participate in other sports."

Wilcher believes that athletes need to find news way to challenge themselves mentally and physically. Holloman notes that being a track athlete means plenty of quality weight lifting as well. Yet, constantly building speed and strength through running is something that many athletes miss out on.

After going through the recruiting process and being recruited by many Mid-American Conference schools, Holloman knows what Division 1 schools are looking for.

"First, I would tell you that colleges are not going to look for people that are all just big and strong," Holloman said. "I would say the main thing they are looking for is speed. When you get to college, they're going to get you bigger (and) they're going to get you stronger. If you walk in there and you're not fast and you're an athlete and you play a primary position like cornerback or running back ... If you can't move, that's not going to benefit you in any type of way."

Allen Stritzinger had a breakout sophomore season this last fall as a running back and defensive back for the Warren De La Salle football team, the Division 2 state champions.

Heading into the Division 1 state meet this spring, Stritzinger is the only sophomore that qualified in a field of 24 110-meter hurdlers. He will also be running on the team's 4x200 and 4x400 relays at the meet.

"Power, speed and technique all came along with this year's football experience," Stritzinger said. "Last year, I learned a lot in track - good form and technique - and I translated that into my football game as well."

For Stritzinger, holding off on the camps and clinics until the summer time in order to do track is something that all football players should consider.

"I feel like track and football go hand-in-hand," Stritzinger said. "That's what helps you when it comes down to it, your end game ... I would rather perform in a game than at a camp."

For both Holloman and Stritzinger, track is also a way to really compete for something in the spring time.

"It's big meets," Holloman said. "You've got 20-30 teams when you get the bigger meets. That environment, you know? Most kids, they really don't have that type of experience ... It's great to be a part of that."

For athletes looking to prove something to college football coaches, Wilcher sees track and field as the best option outside of football to do so.

"Track is the sport where it proves to college coaches how fast you really are," Wilcher said. "You go out there and run a slow 40-yard dash time but you come in the top three in the state in the 100 ... they know what you've got. They know you're fast. You don't have to build your whole depth around one (football clinic). You can build you whole career based on what you have done (in track) and not what you've done in just one day."

mlive.com (includes video interview)

Here's a another nice story about his recruitment. Apologize if it has been posted before.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/high-s.../22872507/

He has run four sub-11's in the 100m this year so far and looks to have the same speed in pads, I'm very excited to see how they use him, we haven't had a burner like him in a long while.

He won his regional this year by .2 seconds in the 100 and .16 seconds in the 200, looks like he'll repeat both baring a slip as he has 6 of the top 12 times in the state in the 100m this year and 4 of the top 10 in the 200m.