Have you ever seen world class sprinters run? Have you ever seen any overweight? Have you ever seen ones that are not muscular? Take a look at the sprinter who comes in last, he looks overweight and not muscular. Do you think he or she trains hard to finish last? What’s the deal here? Genetics? Did they not choose their parents wisely?
In soccer, the saying goes “speed kills.” As trainers, we can make them stronger, but how do we make them faster? We want our athletes to be successful in whatever sport they choose (hopefully more than one sport at the high school level), how do we help them improve their training to facilitate this improvement? Professional coaches can recruit their players. College coaches can recruit their athletes. High school coaches “pray for their players.” So, let’s “train” them!
Every parent wants the best for their child. My wife and I do! We will help and coach you through life and what you choose to do with that life. Some young boys and girls enter the world of athletics. Athletics sometimes consumes parents more than the youth who play. Some parents do whatever it takes to help their children succeed. The good, the bad and the ugly. I am a coach, a coach for a long time. I love winning, that’s why they keep score, right? So how do we help those we train to improve athletic performance? Teach them to run!! Follow a well-designed sprint schedule. Start now, get a coach (maybe me if you live in Tampa) to teach your players how to run.
You want to be fast, practice running fast! Shocking, isn’t it? To increase the sports performance of your daughter or son; minimize the amount of body fat carried by the athlete. The same applies to recreational athletes. A leaner body will perform better and faster. Please do not make them do constant aerobic exercise/state to minimize body fat. You will only maximize the loss of muscle tissue. No treadmills, stationary bikes, long-distance running. To be fast, practice running fast!!
Being able to accelerate and run fast is probably one of the most valuable skills for any young athlete. Some young athletes have the natural ability to run fast, so speed development doesn’t seem to be as important as it is with a player who lacks that ability. The truth is that both naturally fast and slow athletes can improve speed through proper training. However, it is very important to recognize that running speed is not the only type of speed essential to developing athleticism. Other types of speed, such as foot speed and hand speed, can be paramount in athletics.
Regardless of the type of speed we must recognize that speed is based on power. As the basic foundation of athletic training, we need to increase maximal strength along with the mechanics of speed training. It is that time-limited element, where an athlete must generate as much force as possible, that is one of the critical components of speed development. If you don’t apply power with proper running mechanics, your son or daughter won’t run faster. What many coaches don’t understand is that running is a skill that can be improved just like throwing a football or baseball.
Getting hit with tremendous linear speed is great for 100, 200, and 400 meter runners. Working out and training specifically for sprinting is just that… specific. For athletes playing other sports, speed is also extremely important and must be included in training. Due to the ever-changing nature of movement within a sport, all things related to “speed” need to be addressed. What an athlete does during any game, and more importantly, how he moves is dictated by the situation. He must respond, react, and generally change direction, either based on a specific play or how his opponent responds to that play. This requires the ability to speed up, slow down, and change direction at critical points during gameplay. In any case, speed and agility must be trained.
Developing athleticism is of paramount importance. He trains like an athlete, not like a bodybuilder, a powerlifter, an Olympic lifter. Even if you’re a “weekend warrior,” or an aspiring young athlete, or like me, “a washed-up jerk,” be an athlete. To be fast, practice running fast! For old guys like me, when I run, I start slow and stop. I actually stole that quote from the great strength coach and track and field coach Dan John, but it definitely applies to me.
For more information on this topic, visit www.strength-training-coach.com. I would love to help you become the best athlete you can be.
strength and honor
Coach Ross