[Panther1]

Track is a big help in developing good speed in the backfield. All Football Players should run track.

I always see this written, but not sure if I agree.

If you're doing track in hopes to "help your speed," it means your speed maybe isn't great. If you're not one of the TWO or THREE fastest kids on your team, your coach is going to have you compete in something OTHER than the 100m dash (the only true all-out SPRINT event).

What if track wants you to run 400meter dash or 200meter dash, or worse, the 1-mile or 2-mile run? Running doesn't make you faster, SPRINTING makes you faster. If you're working on running at 400m pace, your 40yard dash isn't necessarily going to improve (and it MIGHT even get WORSE!).

Maybe your coach wants you to throw shot or long jump. IF your goal in running track is to help you for football (as I hear many people suggest), is the time spent working on those things on a weekly basis going to help MORE than if you were lifting, sprinting, etc.?

Not saying kids shouldn't run track -- if a kid can really help their track team in something and they enjoy it, they should...just that maybe the idea that football kids should automatically do it because it will "help" their football isn't all that true.

I guess I'd agree that kids should do track if the football coaches aren't doing what they should with a good year-round strength/speed program, but are there really schools that DON'T have that nowadays?