BRADENTON, Fla. — With one week of heavy fitness in the rear-view mirror, Louisville City FC coach James O’Connor and his 2016 roster are prepared to move into more game-simulated exercises in Week 2. The first six days at IMG Academy featured seven sessions of on-the-field and on-the-ball activities, two gym sessions with a combined six circuits to emphasize core, conditioning and strength training, and Saturday’s infamous turf-field suicide shuttle session.
The shuttle lasted only 700 seconds (11-ish minutes), but it ran all 22 outfield players ragged.
“When I was a player, I hated the shuttle test,” O’Connor, a midfielder in the English Premier League and USL for a combined 19 years, said. “The intensity is the killer. All those reps — on tired legs — really test a man’s mental toughness plus his physical capabilities. It’s the ‘Beep Test’s’ bigger, badder brother; you can quit a Beep Test, but you can’t quit the shuttle.”
The shuttle lined the 22 players up in two groups of 11, and sent them on six back-and-fourth suicide sprints. The run had to be completed in 35 seconds or less. If one person didn’t finish in time, “You don’t want to know what happens,” according to O’Connor.
Needless to say, no one missed their marks on Saturday. The completion of the shuttle sent LouCity into 44-hour rest period. Week 2 kicks off on Monday at 8 a.m.
The Other Football
A future professional footballer (of the American variety) waited patiently on the sidelines during Saturday’s shuttle. Trevone Boykin, TCU quarterback, is training at IMG Academy in preparation for the 2016 NFL Draft and was next up on the turf after LouCity.
“Let’s go No.11!,” Boykin could be heard shouting from the sideline at Louisville City midfielder Niall McCabe. He cheered on other LouCity players throughout Week 1’s most difficult workout as well.
After the session, Isreali midfielder Guy Abend and American defender Conor Shanosky ran routes and caught passes from Boykin.
“It really comes in so much faster and harder than you’d expect,” Abend said. “I was happy to be able to catch one, even if he took a little off of it the second time.”
Boykin is projected as a NFL free agent. Boykin completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,575 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2016.
Looking Ahead
Entering the 2016 preseason this month, Louisville City FC has returned 13 players from the 2015 roster while adding players like MLS Cup-winning forward Chandler Hoffman, University of Louisville alumnus Paolo DelPiccolo and University of Kentucky alumnus George Davis IV.
O’Connor and his team will begin training with a two-week camp at the state-of-the-art IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., before returning to Louisville for a four-game preseason schedule.
Louisville City FC will begin regular season play on March 26 at Charlotte Independence. LouCity then returns to Louisville Slugger Field on April 2 to host New York Red Bulls II in the home opener, with a special 3 p.m. kickoff.
Fans can stay up to date with all of Louisville City’s breaking news, roster updates and ticketing information by following the Club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Season tickets are available for Louisville City’s historic second season via the Club’s official website.
