VanderBeek: Lions Club All-Star Practices Are Kept In-Tune, In-Tempo
As the South all-stars prepared for the 41st annual Central California Lions All-Star Football Game, practice at Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock sounded more like a college camp than a typical high school workout. Along with whistles, pads, and shouted instructions, players worked through drills with a steady soundtrack of music pumping across the field.
South head coach Rob Scheidt of Merced said the idea came from watching college football practices, where music had become part of the routine. After bringing the concept into his own high school practices, he found that the tempo improved and the players stayed more engaged. For the all-star week, he believed the same approach helped a group of players from different schools find rhythm more quickly.
Scheidt said the modern player is used to constant stimulation and that the music actually sharpened concentration rather than distracted from it. He pointed to one earlier practice without music, when technical problems shut the speakers down, as one of the team's weakest sessions. Once the music returned, he felt the South produced its best practices of the week.
The article noted that other programs, from Oregon to UCLA and even local schools like Downey and Modesto Christian, had already embraced music during practice. Jeremy Plaa of Downey said fast-tempo music naturally kept players moving and prevented a sluggish session, while others believed it helped simulate the noise and energy of game day.
For the South all-stars, that background soundtrack ranged from hip-hop to country and became part of the team's identity during camp. Players such as Anthony Brooks of Modesto Christian said the music kept the team hyped up and focused, while Scheidt viewed it as a simple tool that matched how this generation learns and responds.
The game itself was set for Saturday, June 14, 2014 at Wayne Schneider Stadium at Tracy High. The South entered looking for a second straight win after its 17-14 victory in 2013, while the North still held the long-term edge in the series at 24-15-1. Scheidt hoped his team would carry the same focus and tempo from practice into game night.