MAKING SUPER MEN IN CAPE; MANY SOUTHEAST FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE STAYING IN TOWN TO WORK ON THEIR STRENGTH

Southeast Missouri State University football coach Tim Billings has no way of knowing for sure just what the Indians' big participation increase in their voluntary summer strength and conditioning program will mean in terms of an improved record.

But Billings does know that what his players have shown him so far during the steamy days of June gives him plenty of hope that his program's building process is headed in the right direction.

About 60 players are currently participating in the voluntary summer strength and conditioning program that Billings says is vital to the success of a football team. Billings expects that total to jump to about 75 by next month, which would mean about a 75-percent participation rate.

Contrast that to last summer, as Billings was getting ready for his first season at Southeast, when about 40 to 45 players participated, although even that was a significant increase from previous years.

"This is the largest group we've had by far," said Billings, whose first Southeast squad went 3-8. "I'm excited because it shows the kids are fired up, that their expectations are higher. Like anything else, the more you put into it, the harder it is to give it up. It shows you the kind of commitment they've made."

Southeast players generally work out four times a week, lifting weights for about an hour and then doing various forms of running and calisthenics for up to an hour. It's all designed to get the players bigger, faster and stronger.

While the workouts are voluntary, Billingshighly recommends that his players participate. It's not that they wouldn't work out on their own back home, but he says studies have shown that workouts done in a group setting are much more beneficial.

"When you're alone at home, it's just hard to do it. When you're with people, where everybody is pushing each other, you gain so much more strength and get so much more out of it," Billings said. "We try to emphasize to all of them how important it is to stay here, either to go to summer school or just work while they're working out. That way we can keep an eye on them and know they're doing what they're supposed to do."

Billings said not only is a squad's summer program vital for increasing strength and improving speed, it's also important in helping build team unity.

"It's hard work, it's hot. Being together in that kind of environment, you gain a lot of team spirit," he said. "The players learn who they can depend on and they develop leaders."

At most of the country's major football powers, Billings said that well over 90 percent of the players stay in town over the summer to work out together. At Marshall, where Billings spent 10 years as an assistant coach before coming to Southeast, he said summer participation was upward of 90 percent.

Billings said it is his ultimate goal to have virtually all of his players hanging around Cape Girardeau over the summer. If that ever happens, then he figures the Indians will eventually have a good chance of becoming big winners.

"Any coach will tell you that the biggest, most important time of the year for strength and conditioning is the summer, when the guys don't have to worry about football games or school for the most part," Billings said. "We'd eventually like to get nearly 100 percent summer participation. I don't think there's any doubt, to have a championship football program, you have to have that kind of commitment."