Justin Wilcox: Cal Could Have Spring Football Practice in the Fall
Even though the fall football season has been canceled, not much has changed in the Cal football players' daily routine -- at least not yet.
For now, they are continuing with their voluntary workouts outside, as they have been for the past few weeks, even though there is no hope for a fall football season. Because of the health restrictions imposed by the City of Berkeley and Alameda County, Cal has been unable to advance to the second preparation phase, which invoves mandatory workouts under coaching supervision with organized film work. Some other Pac-12 schools have been operating in the second phase for two weeks.
Cal coach Justin Wilcox expects some clarity from the Pac-12 and the NCAA within the next few days regarding the parameters for fall worouts, and there is a chance Pac-12 teams will engage in what is essentially a traditional spring football practice period in the fall. Typically, teams have 15 coached practices each spring, but with no fall football, there is a call to have those 15 or so practices in the fall.
"I think there's a lot of momentum behind that," Cal head coach Justin Wilcox said Wednesday in the video above. "Again, there's going to be limiting factors based on local public health orders throughout the country. But generally speaking, I think that seems to be a lot of where people are thinking, to treat this similar to a spring -- whether it's right now or in that October-November time frame."
A high percentage of Cal players has been on campus going through the voluntary workouts, and although a few of them went home for a few weeks after the fall season was canceled, most remain on campus and continue to participate in the voluntary workouts.
"September 1 we're going to have more information to share with them about what the schedule looks like going forward," Wilcox said.
For now the players continue to workout outside. They are not allowed to go indoors to the weight room.
"[The coaches} have the ability of a couple of us today to go observe the workouts from bsically the stadium," Wilcox said. "So we're able to watch some workouts. The interaction with them is all virtual."
Lost in that process is the personal interaction that creates the chemistry and family atmosphere that coaches say is so important.
"One of the best parts of [football]," said Wilcox, "is the camaraderie, the engagement, the face-to-face, the daily interaction. That's the team dynamic. And that's been difficult, to be honest."
The other concern is the players' activity off the field as they try to limit the spread of COVID-19 by avoiding large groups.
"Being that age I can only imagine how hard that is," Wilcox said.
Wilcox says the players have done a good job of following the protocols set up by the school's medical advisors, and Cal has reported a fairly low number of positive test results among its fall athletes.
"We don't approach it as a threat," Wilcox said. "[We don't say], 'If you don't do this, this is what happens to you.' It's really, 'For your well-being and the well-being of all those around you, here's what we're trying to get done.'"
**Wilcox addresses the protools players are asked to follow off the field
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