A growing number of high school football coaches in the Dallas area are rethinking their summer training protocols to protect student-athletes from overuse injuries and the physical toll of excessive competition. While many Texas programs continue strength and conditioning drills during July, Denton Ryan head coach Shane Tolleson has opted to give his team the entire month off.
Tolleson, who is located in Richardson, approximately 12 miles north of Dallas, argues that the short summer window does not determine championship success. He stated that the team is focused on winning a state title in December rather than in June, dismissing concerns that the break might hurt preparation.
The concern among these coaches aligns with broader data on youth sports safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 30 million children and adolescents participate in youth sports across the United States.
According to a report from Step & Spine Physical Therapy released in April, overuse accounts for roughly half of the 3.5 million sports-related injuries that occur among young athletes annually. Despite these risks, the summer months often see high school players increasing their activity levels through college camps, private training, and 7-on-7 football circuits.
Coppell football coach Antonio Wiley noted that the pressure to gain visibility for recruitment has intensified the workload on young players. He explained that many athletes feel compelled to attend numerous camps and work with personal trainers to attract attention in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness deals.
Wiley provides his athletes with significant rest periods, including about ten days off around the Fourth of July and a break before fall workouts begin. He emphasized that while the University Interscholastic League permits specific hours for strength and skill work, the real danger comes from athletes exceeding those limits through external commitments.
Wiley compared the athletes' bodies to vehicles that require proper maintenance, stating that expecting high performance without adequate recovery leads to breakdowns. He warned that soft-tissue injuries are likely to rise as players push themselves too hard in pursuit of college opportunities.