Support Staff Meets with Media Prior to First Practice at Memorial Stadium

Aug. 10, 2012

Tavai

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Members of the Kansas football support staff met with the media on Friday afternoon prior to the team’s first practice inside Memorial Stadium since fall camp opened. The Jayhawks will work out at Memorial Stadium again Saturday as the team holds fan appreciation day with practice beginning at 8:45 a.m.

Below are selected questions to KU’s Director of Strength and Conditioning Scott Holsopple and KU Student Manager Charlie Weis Jr.

Director of Strength and Conditioning Scott Holsopple

On an effective strength and conditioning program:
“I think the most important things are to keep it simple and stay with your fundamentals, but it’s really hard to hold on to those every day. That’s what you have to do, whether it’s making someone accountable to the highest level for the smallest things. It’s the everyday weighing guys in, sending them a text, staying on top of them, watching what they are eating, but you just can’t tell them that, you have to go through it forcefully to make sure it gets done. Being accountable, that’s just following through under Coach Weis’ football program, accountability, being disciplined to do your job. You’ve got to hold them accountable to that every day.”

On position specific weight training:
“Everything for me is position specific, because that’s what they play and your goal is to get them to be better at the job given to them by the head coach. I think it’s also more individual specific. If 90 percent of the game is mental, then you better be training the mind. I think that’s the most important thing. The byproduct is getting faster, stronger and becoming a better football player. It really starts from the neck up as the most important thing and it just gets adapted to that position. I meet with the individual position coaches all the time, always communicating and I think that’s important. They are giving me their feedback and I’m taking it and trying to go to work to make them the best they can be for their position.”

On the progress the team has made:
“My thought process is you have to build a relationship with (the student-athletes), that’s what I’m in the process of doing now. Show him how much you care before how much you know. It’s not just telling him, you’ve got to run and get low, but go out and do it with him everyday. Like Coach Weis would say, `there is no status quo, either you are getting better or you are getting worse.’ I fall along right with what he says. Even if it’s that much (a little bit) better, you’ve got to get that much better every day. You start adding it up and it’s like a wall.”

Student Manager Charlie Weis Jr.

On growing up as a coach’s son:
“I’ve wanted to be a (head) coach for a long time, and I’ve always wanted to be just like him (my father). He’s my role model in life, so I’ve always wanted to be just like my dad. Growing up, All I’ve seen around me is football. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I definitely want to be a head coach some day and be just like my dad. We have a little bit different personalities, but if I could ever have as much success as he has, I would consider my life a great success.”

On what he has learned:
“From the time I started working at the University of Florida until now, I can’t even explain how much I have learned. I feel like I’ve learned so much football. The little things he (Coach Weis) just knows so much. From all the coaches, here and at Florida, I’ve learned so much and it’s an awesome experience that I can’t even describe. It’s hard to say in just a short clip what I’ve learned, but it’s been a lot.”

On being the same age as some of the players he’s coaching:
“It’s been a good thing. A lot of times I try to separate the dad and coach thing with the players and I think they understand that. I think it’s definitely easier when you are around their age to take a more mellow approach of this is what he’s trying teach you, and here is what he is trying to get you to understand right now. I think that can definitely help at times.”