Chapter 524 Offseason Training
First of all, not everyone can train during the offseason. To be precise, most of them can’t. It wasn’t until the team’s small training camp that they started to regain their physical condition bit by bit. For the vast majority of them, the more veterans in the league, the more so.
Secondly, offseason training is divided into two types, one is physical training and the other is technical training, but no matter which type, avoiding injuries is the first prerequisite.
The so-called physical training is simple and straightforward. It basically involves lifting weights in the gym, gaining weight and muscle, improving speed and endurance, and so on. You can often just hire a personal trainer.
The so-called technical training is to polish skills without designing tactics, such as the quarterback's passing, the wide receiver's catching, the defensive end's tackle, the running back's footsteps, etc. Football involves the body. Confrontational sports also include a lot of technical content.
When Burns pulled Levi into the team, he once said that the entry barrier to rugby is not high, and the skills between different positions are not that huge; but this is just an introduction. If you want to go further, then polish your skills. The importance of it is no less important than enhancing the physical resistance——
Cam Newton is the quarterback of the Carolina Panthers. His passing skills are very rough and he has not improved after several seasons in the league. He still relies more on his body. Since he can run with the ball and break through the ground, Why spend time on the thankless task of honing your passing skills?
If it's technical training, you can't do it just by yourself, so a group of friends often gather together to train during the offseason.
Moreover, it is not limited to your own team.
After all, this is a professional league that has always been fluid, with players coming and going, and leaving aside the team, there are also many friends made privately.
Obviously, Watt's call was to invite Levi to his small training camp——
Mainly technical training, but physical training will certainly not be left behind. The gentleman on the other end of the phone is a well-known gym maniac in the entire league.
A little surprise, a little surprise.
but.
The first thought in Levi's mind was, "How is your recovery going?"
The second reaction was, "Do Houston fans know that you invited the person who caused your season to be retired for a mini-training camp?"
The first sentence made the atmosphere a little heavy; but the latter sentence relaxed the atmosphere, and Watt couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"They can hold up through this."
The joking revealed in the words made Levi also laugh out loud, but the curvature of the corners of his mouth quickly calmed down, and he asked with sincere concern, "JJ, I'm serious, are you okay?"
On the other hand, when Berry was finally able to return to the game after a long period of rehabilitation, he discovered a worse problem again. All ambitions had to be temporarily put on hold, and he once again returned to long treatment with no foreseeable future.
Watt, on the other hand, stumbled through three long, terrible seasons.
In the 2015 season, Watt played in a cast and scored an incredible 17.5 sacks in the season, but these were only visible injuries. There were countless injuries that fans could not see——
At the beginning of the season, there were partial tears in the left and right abdominal muscles, a partial tear in the adductor longus of the right leg, a complete tear in the adductor longus of the left leg, and a complete tear in the adductor magnus of the left leg; a herniated disc in the back midway through the season; a pulled groin at the end of the season. hurt.
Fighting through injuries and still completing an outstanding season won Watt the praise of a "real man" outside the game, but the price was extremely heavy.
During the offseason that year, Watt underwent two back surgeries within three months, but still did not fully recover. In the 2016 season, he only played three games before being reimbursed for the season.
After a long period of rest and rehabilitation, he finally entered the 2017 season in good health, but he never expected that he would be reimbursed for the season again after five games.
Even if Levi is just watching, he can still feel the frustration, suffering, and even anger, let alone Watt who has experienced it all personally?
Actually, Levi and Watt have never met and are not friends at all, but Levi has always admired Watt because of Watt's tenacity and his perseverance.
After the American League finals, a reporter asked Levi if he thought forward superstars like JJ Watt or Aaron Donald were outdated. Defensive fronts like the Jacksonville Jaguars that rely on team strength can bring greater threats. ?
At that time, Levi did not answer technical questions. His understanding of rugby was still only superficial, and it was not enough to guide the country and look forward to the future; but Levi believed in Watt. "It's ridiculous for anyone to think that the days of Watt and Donald are over."
As a player and a warrior, Levi admires Watt's temperament both on and off the field, which is also an interpretation of competitive sportsmanship.
Watt was slightly stunned. He could tell that the concern in Levi's words was not a polite statement, but a genuine concern from the heart.
Subconsciously, Watt wanted to say "I'm fine". This has become a habit. Whether it's his mother, brothers, fans, teammates, team staff, hospital nurses and physical therapists, everyone is asking about his condition. The concern in his words was more or less tinged with pity, and it was revealed inadvertently, and he also formed a conditioned reflex——
He doesn't need mercy.
But Levi didn't.
The kindness and warmth of a comrade-in-arms made the words light and soft.
Maybe because of this, maybe because Levi is a relative stranger, some things are simpler.
"I'm not good."
Watt said.
After he said it, he breathed a sigh of relief, and the heavy burden on his shoulders was dropped.
"I've been trying to make peace with myself, my anger, my disappointment, my pain, and it was so bad, I looked like a puddle of mud."
"I understand the truth. Trust me, Levi, I understand all the truth."
"I need to fight against my body. I insist on rehabbing and training every day. I am making progress little by little. I am moving on the right path."
"I know I can't get frustrated because of the slow progress or get angry because of the inconvenience caused by the injury. It would be a real disaster if I delayed my recovery because of anger and frustration and couldn't play in September."
"I know that people tend to have two common attitudes towards this kind of problem, either complaining or getting angry, but this doesn't help. Even if you are angry or complaining, you must remain optimistic and cannot delay your progress."
"The experiences of the past two years have scarred my body and soul, but I shouldn't let injuries define me. I don't want to be the 'tough guy' in people's eyes, and I don't want to be the 'what if' in people's eyes. "
"If there are no injuries, so what."
"What if I change my style of play."
"Look, I understand the truth, but..."
Taking a deep breath, Watt suddenly became quiet. Although he didn't speak, he could feel the loss and confusion on the other end of the phone.
Levi understands.
Even if you understand all the truth, life still doesn't seem to become simple; because life is not a math problem, and the answer can be found by applying the correct formula.
In other words, there is no right answer in life.
(End of chapter)