PLAYOFFS!!! Quick Tips for a Successful Playoff Run │Joe Kenn, VP of Performance Education
- Dynamic Fitness & Strength
- Nov 2
- 3 min read
As the regular season wraps up and high school football playoffs begin across the country, what are some quick tips or recommendations that might give your team that extra edge to hoist a championship trophy?
First off, congratulations! A playoff berth is the first piece of chasing a championship run. If your team has made it to this point, there’s no doubt that preparation on and off the field has been a success. The question now becomes: are there any adjustments we can make to give our athletes the best opportunity to play fast, physical, and focused for several more weeks?
Having had the privilege of preparing teams for college bowl games and NFL playoff runs, I’ve learned that success in this stage isn’t about reinventing your process — it’s about refining it. With that in mind, here are three key points to consider as you prepare for your playoff push.
1 – Practice Time and Amount of Contact
Regardless of level, the biggest question late in the year always revolves around on-field preparation: How much is enough? Coaches often wrestle with the balance between keeping players sharp and keeping them fresh. My personal recommendation — based on decades in the trenches — is a slight reduction in both duration and contact.
By this point, your team knows the playbook. Your culture, communication, and conditioning are already built. The key is preservation without stagnation — trimming the total number of plays run while maintaining crisp tempo and intent. Keep the practices short, focused, and high-energy.
Remember, the goal is to peak on game day, not on Tuesday afternoon. Your job as a coach now is to manage output. Use your warmups/pre activity prep and position periods efficiently, and focus contact in short, controlled bursts that reinforce physicality without grinding your athletes down. As I’ve always said: “Last Fast – Play Stronger Longer.”
2 – Squat Light and with Explosive Intent
At this stage of the season, strength isn’t the limiting factor — power output is. You don’t need to chase numbers in the rack; you need to maintain pop. Using squats (front or back) or single-leg rear-foot elevated squats at 50–70% of a true max for 2–3 paused reps across 5–8 sets with short (one-minute) rests keeps the nervous system firing and maintains that “in-season horsepower.”
The goal is intent — every rep should move fast. Emphasize bar speed and rhythm. If you have access to velocity tracking, use it; if not, coach it with your eyes and your energy. Explosive lifting is about coaching mindset as much as movement.
This exact approach helped the Carolina Panthers sustain power through a deep postseason run all the way to Super Bowl 50. Whether you’re training pros or high school athletes, the principle is the same: keep the legs fresh, fast, and ready to fire.
3 – Rest, Recovery, and Routine
At this point in the year, discipline in recovery becomes the separator. Every rep, every meeting, and every hour of sleep counts. Athletes have to own their recovery process — coaches can educate and provide structure, but players must execute.
Encourage your team to prioritize sleep, nutrition, and hydration. Emphasize whole foods — quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, and consistent caloric intake to fuel and repair. If your school provides recovery resources — massage, contrast baths, or stretching — make sure athletes are using them.
Don’t underestimate the power of routine: a five-minute flexibility circuit, a hot shower, and lights out at a consistent time can work wonders. Consistency off the field builds consistency on it. I always tell my players, “You can’t perform like a pro if you recover like an amateur.”
Final Thought
Playoff football is about execution, energy, and emotion. You’ve built the foundation all year long — now it’s about fine-tuning. Stay true to your system, coach with conviction, and make sure your players feel confident in the plan.
Remember: it’s not just about surviving another week. It’s about peaking at the right time, physically and mentally. Keep your team fresh, powerful, and connected — and you’ll give yourself every opportunity to finish holding that trophy.
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