COYOTES RETURN TO OTAs JUNE 15 AT PALM SPRINGS BOXING CLUB

(PALM SPRINGS) — The SoCal Coyotes — taking a page from NFL Combine training — have added boxing to their off-season conditioning regimen.

The team will return to OTAs (organized team activities) June 15 at the Palm Springs Boxing Club, where renowned, veteran boxing trainer Steven Quinonez Sr. will put the Coyotes through a prescribed course of resistance training, reflex and hand-eye-coordination drills.

The Palm Springs Boxing Club is where undefeated welterweight champion Tim Bradley Jr. got his start. Coyote players will work side-by-side with 12 boxers who are fighting for their futures at the upcoming Adidas National Championship.

Training begins at 8 a.m. In addition to heavy conditioning, players will hit the heavy bag, speed bag and spar. “Every discipline they learn will make them better football players,” promises Quinonez.

“OTAs are primarily about attendance, team chemistry and getting their bodies ready for full contact and the rigors of an entire season,” said Coyotes head coach J. David Miller. “Our coaching staff, however, has injected fun into hard work, and our young men will be engaged both mentally and physically.”

SoCal coaches specifically designed OTAs to improve the strength, speed, conditioning, agility and motor skills of every player during the off-season.

On Saturday, June 22, defensive assistant coach Jeff Covington, a former Marine sergeant, will lead the Coyotes first-ever Desert Dogs Bootcamp, built on three fundamentals of training -cardio, strength, and agility.

The one-day camp will stress military-style drills and incorporate martial arts, and finish with paint-ball combat. “It’s interval training in preparation for football,” says Coach “Cov” Covington. “Bursts of intense activity, alternated with intervals of lighter activity. Then we’ll shoot live rounds at each other until only the best man is left standing.”

On Saturday, June 30, players will report to the Xavier Fieldhouse for the EUROStopwatch Pro Combine (www.eurostopwatch.com), along with pro hopefuls from across Southern California. The Coyotes are partners with EUROStopwatch and the Combine is invitation only. (To submit an application for invitation, click ‘registration’ on the website, and choose the Palm Springs location.)

On Saturday, July 13, assistant coach and trainer Mike McBride will direct the Coyote Conditioning Assessment, their final tune-up before camp. At the Doral Resort of the Desert Princess, players will swim Olympic laps, ride stationary bikes, and run on treadmills to assess their conditioning and fitness stamina. Each player will be given an individual report card by Coach McBride for personal improvement.

On Tuesday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m., the Coyotes officially open training camp at Xavier College Prep, their new home.

The SoCal players are hand-picked from private workouts, combines and professional referrals. The SoCal Coyotes are a California non-profit leadership sports organization that develops better young men, fathers, husbands and friends through the advancement of their athletic skills and education.

For more information, contact the team at [email protected].

The SoCal Coyotes were 2012 champions of the Pacific West Football League and runners-up during the 2013 spring season of the Wild West Football League. This fall, the team will play in the vaunted UFAL Eastern Division of the prestigious Southern California Football Alliance, the only CA league where a team can win a state or national AAA title.