Free football combine open to middle and high students

In an effort to generate excitement about the Socorro football program and perhaps entice more students to come out for the team, new Warriors coach Derek Smith is taking something of a novel approach – at least at this level.

Any football fan is aware of the annual NFL Combine, in which top and even middling pro prospects show off their skills to general managers around the league.

The weeklong event features hundreds of players who are put through a battery of physical challenges.

Well, local Warriors football players and even wannabes – both boys and girls from middle school through high school – will now get that same experience.

“We wanted to gauge the interest of the kids and we just want to get kids out there,” Smith said. “We want to get the middle schoolers working with the high schoolers. We’ll have coaches and staff in place so we can all work together.”

The free event is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. May 22 at Warriors Stadium.

“We just want to gauge where people are, see what their abilities are,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter if they run a 10-second 40, at least they’re out there being involved.”

Participants will be running 40-yard dashes, doing vertical leaps, broad jumps, bench presses and shuttles, as well as positional drills.

While it is important for returning players to be involved, bringing in other students, as well as middle school students, gives everyone a chance to show off a bit, as well as to rub shoulders with their peers.

And it’s a chance for Smith to check out the competitive drive of his players as he has been needling them about who is the fastest and strongest.

“The NFL has its combine, colleges have tryout days, even women’s tackle football has something,” Smith said. “I’ve been asking them if they’ve ever done anything like this and they haven’t. They do a night of champions where everybody lifts in front of parents, but they didn’t do anything like this. You can get some good competition and a good look at where you’re at and what needs to be worked on.”

It is also a great way to kick off the summer workouts, which will go Mondays through Thursdays 5:30-7 p.m.

“That way we can gauge where they are now and where they’re starting from and then we’ll do it again right before the season,” the coach said. “Then we’ll see what kind of progress we’ve made.”

And for students who are unfamiliar with the drills or activities, the coaches will be demonstrating how everything is done.

Introducing the middle school students to the high schoolers also has added benefit of developing camaraderie, but it also lets the younger players know that they are part of the program.

“Want to get the kids out there, get the high school kids working with the middle school kids because their coached and staff have been put in place so we work together for a feeder program,” Smith said. “We’ll probably be sharing the field and doing workouts together during the summer so we want the younger kids do agility drills and learn the plays as we install everything we need to install.”

In addition to building the feeder program, Smith said the goal is to create a large enough player pool so that the program can have a true junior-varsity team that plays a full JV schedule, giving everyone chance to play and grow.

NOTE: Smith is looking to fill out his coaching staff and is seeking one or two more assistants, he said. Those interested in the position can go to socorro.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=1060 for more information or to apply.