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UCLA battling against letup in middle of spring practices
TL;DR
UCLA's spring practices started with high energy, but head coach Bob Chesney expressed concerns about maintaining enthusiasm as practices progress. He emphasized the importance of consistent effort throughout the practice period.
Key points
- UCLA's spring practices started on April 2, 2026
- Head coach Bob Chesney expressed concerns about maintaining enthusiasm
- Chesney emphasized the importance of consistent effort
- Days five to eleven are seen as critical for energy levels
Mentioned in this story
Bob Chesney
UCLA
UCLA defensive back Logan Hirou runs with the ball during a practice drill on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
(Alex Hutton - The Sporting Tribune)
After a high-energy first spring practice on Thursday, April 2, UCLA head coach Bob Chesney was honest about his team’s level of enthusiasm.
“It’s day one, so you expect that,” he said. “It’s like everybody talks about, what about day five, six, seven, eight, you know? Right in the middle of that. You get to nine, 10, 11, you’re on the other side of it. I want every day, [we] keep doing this.”
Two weeks later, those concerns have manifested themselves. This week features the aforementioned practices six through eight, and Chesney noticed the dip in energy. The difference first became apparent during practice on Tuesday, in small but noticeable ways.
“I didn’t see many steps backwards from anybody today. I just saw that there was just a little bit of a lull, [compared to] what they were bringing the other days,” Chesney told reporters after that practice. “And we’ll check the GPS stuff and see how the volume, the intensity, everything was, you know, physiologically. But ultimately, to me, it just felt like a little bit of a dip.”
The Bruins players concurred with Chesney’s view, and spent much of Thursday’s practice rededicating themselves to find the same level of energy from earlier practices.
“We were a little sloppy at times, but our energy was pretty good,” wide receiver Landon Ellis said. “It’s always about how you recover from a day like that. How do you respond? Which is the name of the game, because it’s all peaks and valleys in football.”
The practice did not naturally offer as much voltage as those that opened the spring session, and as such featured a more conscious effort to keep the players at attention. They did up-downs after an unsatisfactory response to one of Chesney’s instructions. The head coach also encouraged noise and chatter during one special teams drill.
After one particular rep, Chensey turned to tight end Brayden Loftin and linebacker Drew Spinogatti and told them simply, “Gotta talk.” When they told him that they had been talking, he encouraged them to talk louder.
Q&A
What did UCLA's head coach Bob Chesney say about team enthusiasm during spring practices?
Bob Chesney acknowledged the initial high energy but highlighted the challenge of maintaining that enthusiasm as practices continue.
When did UCLA's spring practices begin in 2026?
UCLA's spring practices began on April 2, 2026.
How does Bob Chesney plan to keep the team's energy up during practices?
Chesney aims to ensure that the team maintains their energy and effort consistently throughout the entire practice period.
What specific days did Chesney mention as critical for maintaining practice energy?
Chesney referred to days five through eleven as critical for maintaining the team's energy during spring practices.