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Rapid Fire—Episode #15 Featuring Kyle Brown: What is Universal Speed Rating (USR)?

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Summary

Kyle Brown, former Team USA Skeleton athlete and Owner of Kyle Brown Performance and Northeast Speed Lab Director discusses Universal Speed Rating (USR).

Published: May 29, 2025 | Last Updated: July 3, 2025

As always, please share & review this episode! This podcast is also available on Apple and Spotify.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Rapid Fire, Justin Ochoa sits down with Kyle Brown — former Team USA Skeleton athlete, Owner of Kyle Brown Performance and Northeast Speed Lab Director for Universal Speed Rating (USR). Kyle dives into:

  • His transition from sprinting on ice to sprinting development as a coach.
  • The power of data with USR — and how it’s changing the game for athletes of all ages.
  • Lessons learned from Mike Boyle, Les Spellman and Stu McMillan.
  • His strategy for scaling a business with his name on it.
  • And why early sport specialization might be one of the biggest threats to athletic development.

They wrap up with the first-ever lightning round of rapid-fire questions covering favorite lifts, pizza toppings, speed training mistakes, pet peeves and more.

Key Quotes

  • On USR’s value:

    “Data is great. But what you do with the data — that’s where USR really separates itself.”
  • On scaling a personal brand:

    “My goal is for every client to feel like I was there… even if I wasn’t coaching them that day.”
  • On lifting year-round:

    “If you’re not going to play another sport, weightlifting should be your other sport.”
  • On specialization:

    “Specialization is killing athletic potential. It’s okay to suck at something — go get better.”
  • On business systems:

    “Hire people who believe in your philosophy. Then build systems that let you step back and still deliver results.”

Time-Stamps

  • 00:00–03:00 — Kyle’s intro and background in skeleton racing
  • 03:00–06:00 — Competing on the World Cup circuit + training with Mike Boyle
  • 06:00–12:00 — What is Universal Speed Rating (USR) and how Speed Labs work
  • 12:00–16:30 — Mentorship from Boyle, Spellman, Stu McMillan & carrying that into business
  • 16:30–21:30 — How to scale a business built on your name + staffing and delegation advice
  • 21:30–28:00 — Inside KBP’s athlete onboarding, assessments, and daily programming
  • 28:00–34:00 — The dangers of early specialization + why lifting should be the “other sport”
  • 34:00–36:30 — Encouraging kids to try new sports and lean into challenge
  • 36:30–40:00 — 🔥 First-ever Rapid Fire Lightning Round
  • 40:00–End — Where to find Kyle and how to get involved with USR

Connect with Kyle Brown

Author

  • Justin Ochoa is the founder of Gem Sessions Training in Indianapolis, a complete basketball development organization.

    Justin works with basketball players of all ages and experience levels from youth to pro, specializing in bridging the gap between skill development & performance training.

    Aside from training, he founded the Gem Sessions Foundation — a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to serving youth athletes with crucial resources needed to excel in academics, athletics and life after athletics.

    Connect with Justin on Instagram or X (@JustinOchoa317) or find him here.

    View all posts Gem Sessions Training

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