Speed is the single most important aspect any athlete can obtain to improve their performance. Improved speed entails many benefits other than just being faster, such as explosiveness, flexibility and strength. Speed is something that transcends every sport. If you are fast, most coaches will give you a shot. When it comes to sports, speed does kill.

As the founder of Play Fast Training System, I have trained some of the NFL’s fastest athletes. They train quite a bit differently than young athletes, honing technique to reach peak levels of speed. However, I believe the most critical aspect of speed training for young athletes is not technique. Most young athletes can’t put technique to use in such a way to enhance their performance, they need to simply run, and run fast. For children to be fast, they have to train fast. The goal for improving your child’s speed isn’t about harping on them about their technique or how bad they look or what they should do better. When taking the time to work on speed, children should be encouraged to run as fast as possible every single step. There should be no letting up when it comes to speed training.

CLARITY-

Speed training doesn’t involve being tired. Athletes need to be fresh and fast every time they run. I normally give athletes three to five minutes rest between each rep. I want the athletes to be fully recovered before they run. Remember, athletes need to be able to run as fast as they can every single step.

SUGGESTIONS-

1- Properly warm-up prior to speed training. When it comes time to sprint most athletes aren’t ready to sprint. A through warm-up will ensure their first rep is their fastest rep.
2- Rest is a top priority for speed: Athletes need to be rested to give all they got. For a distance of under 10 yards, give a minimum of one minute rest, any distance over 20 yards a minimum of three minutes rest.
3- Speed training is short distances: You are no longer training for speed if you’re running over 50 yards.

Myth: Once fast, always fast…
Truth: If you don’t use it, you lose it!

In an article written by Doug Hix of Youth Fitness Magazine, we come to see that being a successful athlete doesn’t mean making it big time. In all reality being a successful athlete is setting personal goals and pushing yourself to your full ability to reach them. Read on to find out more about this:

In my opinion, John Wooden is the most successful basketball coach to ever step on the hard wood. In 2009 the sporting news agreed with me by naming Coach Wooden as the “Greatest Coach of All Time”. His accomplishments are so many that I don’t even want to try to list them all. Of all his great accomplishments and words of wisdom there is something that Coach Wooden said that really inspired me. It’s a quote of his that states, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”

I think this speaks so strongly to what success really should look like. So many of you think success is starting on Varsity, getting a college scholarship, or making it to the pros. Those are successful attainments, however, that’s not the measurement of success in your own life. Success is measured against the ability you have been given and how much you have done with it. Everyone is given a different measurement of ability and your success is dependent upon what you do with your measure (share).

Let me share an example of this for you. During training one day I paired a really fast guy up against an athlete that was a little slower. I said the “loser has to do an extra rep… one, two, three, GO”! They were off racing around cones and the fast guy began to pull away. After about 20 yards of running he had a 3-yard lead, he slowed down as he crossed the finish line and thought he was the winner. The athlete that was a little behind ran all the way through the line and finished strong but frustrated because he thought he had lost. However, I declared the faster athlete the loser and the other athlete the winner. The faster athlete said “what, your kidding right?” I explained to him being a faster athlete does not make you a winner. A winner is someone giving everything they have all the time, not just part time.

I think success first should start with the basic premise that winning or losing is not a measurement of success. A common term used in track and field is PR (personal record). After every track meet in college our coach would announce when someone set a PR and everyone would clap. We knew that person competed at their best and was successful. Every workout and every game focus on setting a PR, then you will always be a winner and possibly achieve more than those with greater ability than yourself.

Coach Wooden was quoted as saying “never mistake activity for achievement”. If you are NOT giving your all every day in every way, then you are not maximizing your ability.

Youth Fitness Magazine

Youth Fitness Magazine was created by SKLZ Team Member Doug Hix, with one mission in mind: to educate parents with knowledge and training tools that will help them make the best decisions for their children’s sporting/fitness routine. To get the latest tips in training and nutrition, information on sports injuries and sports specific techniques, sign up at www.youthfitnessmag.com.