This doesn't really have anything to do with sets and reps. It's more about the weight room environment.
One of the things I look to do is to turn power over to he team (any team, not just football). Early in the training cycles I am a big part of the workout. I explain the plan for the day and have to get them moving at my pace, not theirs. I have to get them keeping track of their teammates and not just getting caught up in what they are doing as individuals.
The main reason I'm more involved is because they're always coming off of a break from organized workouts. I believe you have to re-acclimate them to being coached, to doing things my way, not their way. I'm kind of like a sheep herder. I point the group in a direction and then have to work my butt off to keep everyone going the right way.
As the cycle moves on the players start to take control of things IF I do a great job of explaining expectations and then hold them to those expectations. Everyone runs their weight room differently, so my way certainly isn't the only way. Given my limited staff and constant turnover, I'm the only constant so I don't give small groups to my assistants and let them have their way. I give them responsibility, but I'm always watching. So, by this point in the winter (week 8 of 9) my hope is that all I have to do is explain the important stuff, not the entire workout and then let them work.
I've seen glimpses of this the past few weeks, but the last 5 workouts in the weight room have been exactly what I'm looking for. I explain the two main lifts of the day and then I can sit back and watch. I hope for this around week 5 and by the end of week 6 I'm just a spectator. We're a little late this year, but better late than never.
I see guys talking to each other, making sure their training partners are getting their work done - taking control of their team. Now, we have a ways to go, but I really like where they are at this point. Unfortunately this won't be a sign of wins and losses, but it will be a sign of what type of team we have. Disciplined or not. I read a great little article on Scott Cochrane at Alabama and he said the culture at Alabama changed in Saban's second year because the players started telling each other how they did things. It started coming from peers instead of coaches. Anyone that has a clue about success knows that the players lead the team, not coaches.
I see signs of this with our group. I wish I had 2-3 more weeks to continue to develop this, but I don't. I have the rest of this week and next (Testing week).
One of the greatest feelings in this job (for me) is being able to see the maturation process happen in front of me. In my opinion, it has very little to do with me. Like I said, I'm a sheep herder making sure the group is going in the right direction. It's the group of kids and especially the emerging leaders that are actually doing the work. Hopefully, the direction I've been pushing them in is the right one. Time will tell.
When you say, "at your pace", do you use a timed rotation?
With groups of younger players, I've considered using a timed rotation. An example would be, kid A is squatting, at say, 30 seconds, I'd say rotate. Then the group would change the weight if need be, within say another 30 seconds, then kid B has 30 seconds to get his reps completed before it's kid C's turn. There would be a bit more structure than this example would indicate, but that's the gist of it.
I never implemented it, because I didn't want kids freaking out and end up loading the bar wrong or have some other unforeseen incident occurring that only a group high school boys could come up with.
Your opinion would be appreciated,
Jared Brown