RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – The newness of practice has worn off for the North Carolina State football team and that first game is still more than two weeks away. Eleven practices into camp for the Wolfpack, some would call this the dog days. But coaches have become pretty good at keeping the daily routine fresh.
“It’s not like a repeat of the same words every day,” N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren said. “You’re moving into situational football, two-minute drills and end-of-game situations and special teams, so there’s not a lot of monotony in the learning.”
And the players appreciate the variety. Preseason camp can be a grind, but at N.C. State, the coaching staff has made it a point to keep the players’ stress level low.
“Coach Doeren has done a lot to manage our stress, he’s done a great job of giving us a enough time to recover and eat, fuel and hydrate,” N.C. State defensive standout Davin Vann said. “He’s done a great job of managing stress and fatigue on us this year, I think that’s something he’s learned and adapted.”
The only way to find out what works is to give it a shot. There’s no handbook that lays out a formula to manage a football team. At N.C. State, the Wolfpack feels like they have found a nice balance.
“Coach McNeill talked to the team last night, so they get different messaging every day and I think that helps,” Doeren said. “You’re not just getting them ready for a game physically, there’s a lot of mental capacity that you have to push and push and push, and try to get them to be able to focus with that stress that’s going on from the learning side.”
Game day is what the players live for, but they know there’s lots of hard work to be put in to get to that moment. It’s up to the coaches to make sure when that day rolls around, the players are at their best.
N.C. State enters the 2024 season ranked No. 24 in the AP preseason Top 25, as well as No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Wolfpack open regular season play at home against Western Carolina on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.