Improving Speed for the Young Athlete

By Bruce Cohn
Concord Journal, November 2001
 
One of the most common questions that young athletes ask is, “Can you make me fast?” They understand that the athlete who can act the quickest usually makes the biggest plays which often lead to victory in sports. The honest answer to this request for more speed is, “We can teach you to run faster and reach your genetic potential for speed.” To understand how we can say this, we must look at the components that make up speed and what can be done to improve them.

Speed in sports is usually about making a play in 5 seconds more so than pure sprinting speed. We use training techniques from track to develop sports-specific speed. The techniques we use are geared to improving the following five elements of speed: mechanics, quickness, acceleration, agility and speed endurance. Mechanics can be improved by form running which focuses on proper posture, arm and leg action. Gains in quickness and acceleration are accomplished by emphasizing starting mechanics, low center of gravity during first steps, reaction time drills and explosive training techniques. Agility drills focus on starting, stopping and changing direction quickly and smoothly. Speed endurance training enables the young athlete to move as quickly at the end of a game as at the beginning.

At FIT-TO-GO we use form running, agility and foot speed ladders, assisted and resisted running, lateral and backwards running, change of direction and reaction time, plyometrics and strength training to enable youngsters to become faster. We have found that by concentrating on proper execution of these techniques, our athletes have developed explosive speed in a few weeks and lowered sprint and agility testing times.

Bruce Cohn is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Middlesex School in Concord. He runs FIT-TO-GO Total Sports Conditioning and is a nationally certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Bruce can be reached at 781-316-0061 or brucegym@rcn.com.