By Bart Moss
For the FCT

The Red Bay Tigers are putting the finishing touches on their summer workout program. Michael Jackson’s Tigers are ready to hit the fields fnext week for the first days of fall practice.
Jackson said his team is ready, mentally and physically, to defend its area title because of his team’s dedication during this summer’s off-season conditioning program.
“Our summer program is designed to maximize strength and handle the workload of the early season heat,” said Jackson, whose team went 9-2 last year. “We expect our players to take pride in improving skills and building team chemistry in the summer time.”
Jackson said a good workout program has to have measurable objectives to give the players something to aim for during the long summer.
“Our program is based on measurable results that players can use to improve their individual skills,” he explained. “By the end of the summer, our guys can see if they have gotten stronger or more explosive.”
Jackson said his team’s hard work and dedication this summer has been due to the strong leadership of the Tigers senior class.
“We have had an outstanding summer,” said Jackson, who is in his second year as Red Bay’s head coach. “We have 46 players on our roster. Ninety percent of them show up to workouts. About 75 percent have made it to every workout. Our largest class is our seniors, and that is where the leadership is coming from. They had success last year, and we believe if we work hard, we can accomplish a lot this year.”
Jackson said he believes a strong summer program will lead to results on the field in the fall.
“If you are larger, stronger and faster athlete, then you can apply these traits to becoming a leader on the field,” said Jackson. “Our players take great pride in understanding that if you have a baseline for being successful at your position, these goals need to be reached in order for you to be successful against your opponent.”
The Red Bay Tigers will open their season Aug. 21 at Colbert Heights.