Football season is upon us. Americans wait the whole year for the distinct smells that combines aromas of crisp fall, new pigskins, wet grass, booze, and hot chocolate. We’re so enthused that we follow football at every competitive level: from peewee to high school to pro. One team is never enough. One football game never satisfies. We always come back begging for more.

The roar of the stadiums will soon be drowning out any intelligible thoughts as the two teams have spent months preparing come face to face. One team will emerge victorious. Player motivation, coaching decisions, fan support, talent, and not least of all training will determine who will rise as victor.

The time and diligence spent repeating drills, weightlifting, and bulking up pay off in the stadium. The imposing figure of a football player leads an outsider to believe that most time spent strength training and packing on the muscle; balance also is an integral, if less obvious, part of a football team’s training regimen. For obvious reasons, players need to be in tune with their bodies. Incidentally, balance training is shown to reduce chances of ankle sprains. While balance training is incorporated during rehabilitation for athletes who sprain an ankle, it is worthwhile for trainers to be proactive and incorporate training that will reduce chances of sprains occurring in the first place. To achieve balance training objectives trainers will design workouts using the BOSU^® Balance Trainer. Don’t believe it? Check out some of the informational clips on the web (like this one) that people have made for football players.

Or if you want real, authentic proof straight from the pros, I’ll redirect to your attention to these shots that have been floating around cyberspace of the Steelers.

Questioning the power of balance? I’ve seen these people on the field. I have enough faith in the powerful combination of their balance, stability, and power to know that I wouldn’t want to be caught standing in front of them.

During football season I cheer from the sidelines or from the safety of my living room with firm confidence that balance training leads a team to have poise and stability that will make certain that their opponents on the field will be in for one wild ride.

This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.