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Find your constraints. How many days can you train fresh?

If you have NO constraints, train Monday through Friday. Three speed workouts (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and two X-Factor workouts. Never let today ruin tomorrow. Small doses stimulate, moderate doses inhibit, large doses kill.

(When it comes to workouts), small doses stimulate, moderate doses inhibit, large doses kill, says @pntrack. Share on X

What Is a Speed Workout?

Total time: 25-40 minutes. If you know Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR), do it. If you don’t know RPR, get the online course.

Do “wake-up drills,” aka “speed drills.” I suggest doing fast marches, A-skips, high knees, box jumps (jump over five imaginary boxes), prime times done fast x2 (aka straight-legged bounds), and butt kicks done fast x2 (aka retro sprints), and finish with one acceleration into top speed.

These speed drills need to be done with max intent, max intensity, and 100% effort for 5-6 seconds each.

Never jog.

Try to look like Carl Lewis (run tall, knee up with foot under knee, hand crosses the hips).

Spike up.

Do three sprints with five minutes’ rest. Do two flys (10-yard or 10-meter) and one 40-yard dash. To time the 40 with Freelap, put the start cone 3 feet in front of the starting line. Put the finish cone 3 feet past the finish line.

Flys are max speed sprints, so do a 20- to 30-meter run-in.

Always run with the wind.

Record every time.

For fun, convert your fly times into miles per hour. Mph = 20.45 ÷ 10-yard fly or mph = 22.37 ÷ 10-meter fly.

What Is an X-Factor Workout?

X-Factor workouts are 25-40 minutes of maximum intent, non-sprint work with each effort lasting 6-10 seconds and enough rest to repeat at the same level. Plyometrics are the most common X-Factor exercise. Strength work is fine as long as it doesn’t ruin the next day. Hip mobility work should be done once a week. Med ball work is great.

Wickets are obviously close to sprinting, but since we aren’t timing and aren’t wearing spikes, wickets are done on X-Factor days. Sprint into eight wickets, spaced at 6 feet.

Have fun. Be innovative. There are a lot of X-Factor videos out there. Check out the Twitter accounts of @kyle_edwards32 and @grahamsprints. Even if you do something worthless like speed ladders, the low-dose approach will ensure that no harm is done.

My team doesn’t push or pull anything, but if you are into that kind of thing, this is when you do it.

If You Have Constraints

If you have football workouts for five hours a day on Monday through Thursday and 7on7 tournaments on the weekends, forget about speed training. You are doomed to get slower this summer. Athletes with this schedule will become efficient at playing in third gear. It’s everywhere.

Over-scheduling is an enemy of speed, says @pntrack. Share on X

If you have basketball in the morning and baseball in the evening, you will stay slow. Over-scheduling is an enemy of speed.

I recently set up a speed program for an athlete with the ubiquitous 7-12 football obligation Monday through Thursday. Obviously, this is not conducive to speed work, but there’s a way to at least maintain speed and a slight chance of improving speed.

My program called for a minimum of eight hours of sleep every night. Yes, that’s what’s wrong with 7:00 a.m. workouts. To be at your best, you need to be up by 5:30 a.m., which means you must be sleeping by 9:30 p.m. the previous night. This is NOT optimal for teenagers.

Since sprint training can only be effective when athletes are rested and energetic, Friday must be an off-day (total rest). Saturday and Sunday will be speed days. Pick the best time of the day, the time when you feel the most energized. If you drink coffee, do it before your speed workout.

X-Factor, like speed work, is also rest-dependent. With a grueling schedule Monday through Thursday, it’s highly likely that X-Factor can’t be done. However, with the help of an afternoon nap and some pre-workout caffeine, the athlete might squeeze in some X-Factor work in the evenings.

If you learn nothing else from this article, train speed when fresh.

If you learn nothing else from this article, train speed when fresh, says @pntrack. Share on X

If You Need More

You can find all my courses on CoachTube.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

 

William of Ockham was a 14^th century English philosopher who is famous for his ideas in the category of metaphysical nominalism. (Please, don’t stop reading. I swear there is some decent content here.) His most famous concept is “Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitate,” which in English means, “More things should not be used than are necessary.”

While there is no indication that he wrote that exact phrase, he is given credit for the idea of not lending mental bandwidth to something that is not “self-evident, known by experience, or proved by an authority.” These three rules result in a burden-of-proof spectrum ranging from easiest to most challenging to prove. When developing a program (whether you’re periodizing, individualizing, or choosing exercises) or making on-the-fly changes to a program (based on accumulated workloads, players’ daily psychological testing, or undulations based on feedback from VBT or RPE), it’s critical that what you implement is bucketed into one of these categories.

Apply this burden-of-proof spectrum to help navigate data collection, program development, and on-the-fly changes to achieve the outcomes you want. Share on X

If you’re unable to bundle your changes into one of these three categories, then there’s no point in implementing them and expecting the outcome you want. And don’t confuse this with the scientific process!

Self-Evident

I would characterize self-evident as two things:

1. Something obvious: “Hafthor Bjornsson is strong” (yep, that checks out).

2. Something that a person knows about themselves: “My body doesn’t respond well to barbell back squatting.” Okay, then I probably won’t barbell back squat this athlete.

I would describe a self-evident change as something intuitive. Assume, for example, an athlete has a major force production imbalance with one of their legs. Intuitively, as a coach, I would recommend a decrease in bilateral lower body work with an increase in unilateral lower body work. Also, possibly some correctives if the loading pattern for their squat jump is askew. Those of you who are thinking, that’s pretty obvious, my guy—that’s the whole point. Self-evident changes need to be extremely obvious to justify being in this category.

For those of you asking: Why would I make an emphasis on correctives and unilateral training? The athletes I work with squat 2x bodyweight, they don’t need single-leg work. I’m not saying you should inundate an athlete only with corrective exercises to fix the imbalance and never lift heavy. If the athlete is strong, they should continue to train, but with a unilateral emphasis until the imbalance is more manageable.

There’s also something to the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy when working with athletes, and this is what makes coaching tricky. Each athlete has their own psychological makeup that, at the very least, we need to consider. How an athlete appraises a situation is critical to understanding the hormonal cascade that will ensue. If an athlete believes something is good or bad for them, it probably is. This self-evident category is perhaps best used for athletes who are in-tune with their bodies and minds and know how they respond to demands; it’s not very applicable for youth and novice athletes.

Known by Experience

This category is similar to the self-evident classification regarding athletes’ experiences with their bodies. However, I would argue this is based more on a coach’s experience and their relationships with their athletes and can be applied more globally. I think of self-evident responses as a 1:1 ratio. Does the athlete have poor arm swing during a sprint? Work on front side mechanics; you probably won’t fix the problem as effectively if you don’t work on the exact issue. With knowing by experience, there are many different changes you can make based on one problem. The athlete isn’t sleeping well at night and has acquired a 12-hour sleep debt. What do you do? Well, if you don’t know your athlete’s nightly routine, this would be a good place to start. Another example is knowing that collegiate athletes are going to have a tremendous amount of stress during finals week. Having the wherewithal to program a de-load week or to schedule optional activities is knowing from experience.

Essentially, this means knowing that uncontrollable stressors—sport performance stress, school stress, family stress, financial stress, sleep stress—all affect athletes in a similar way as the stressors you program in the weight room or on the field. These uncontrollable stressors compound the acute stresses in your program because they are chronic and affect athletes continuously throughout the week(s). Knowing when individual athletes are more stressed (academic tests, a poor run of form, continuous weekly sleep debt, etc.) and responding appropriately based on your experience and your relationship with the athletes are what makes knowing by experience effective, though more challenging than self-evident responses.

Proved by an Authority

This category has the highest burden of proof and is mostly reserved for the hard sciences and using the scientific method to prove cause and effect. For example, HIT training can yield similar aerobic adaptation when compared to moderate-intensity training and can do so with less training volume (shameless plug). Having a proven, accurate, and reliable way to measure performance outcomes is the most effective way to achieve this category. For example, I wanted to improve my vertical jump, so I embedded more plyometrics and jump training into my program. My LBM and fat mass stayed the same, and my vertical jump increased. I can prove the program caused the change.

So, how do these philosophical tenets reflect where strength and conditioning coaches and sports scientists are now in the 21^st century? Great question!

Our Data Obsession

Currently, our industry is obsessed with data, linear regression models, correlations, and statistical significance. We search for these things as if they will tell us exactly when our athletes will be sick or injured or what exercise will make inferior athletes better than the genetically gifted athletes. We attempt to find correlations with random data points to all good and bad outcomes (Good God! We’ve had ten soft tissue injuries on Tuesdays this year, therefore to limit soft tissue injuries, we shouldn’t train on Tuesdays). We don’t remember the first thing we learned in Stats 101: correlation does not imply causation. Now, before I get too carried away and make every sport science department in the country scream at their computer screens in disgust, data in athletic development is necessary.

However, we’ve been ignoring the simple principle that Ockham described over 700 years ago. In the same vein, Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” The more screens, tests, and data collected during a year, the more noise there is, and the harder it can be to find the signal you’re looking for. The key is the data needs to have (data analytics people say it with me…) actionable insight. So how does this bring us to programming? Another excellent question.

The three most important programming steps:

1. Data Collection. Accurate and reliable testing of athletes on specific characteristics that are important to the sport they play or the goals you want them to accomplish (these play a varying role, but are required by all sports).

• Sufficient mobility: ROM testing, mobility screens, etc.
• Adequate motor control: OH squat testing, dissociation testing, etc.
• Aerobic capacity: HR recovery testing, VO₂ max, etc.
• General strength: Repetition max testing, force plate testing, etc.
• Power: Vertical jump testing, broad jump testing, force plate testing, etc.
• Speed: 40-yard dash, 5-10-5, etc.

2. Periodized Program. A well thought out plan that varies based on the test results of each athlete.

• Attacking weaknesses while solidifying strengths

3. Retesting. This ensures the program accomplishes the athletes’ goals.

• Our actionable insights and Ockham’s razor come into play here. If the data you collect does not change the way you program, coach, or interact with an athlete or if the changes you make don’t alter the data or outcome, is the data worth collecting?
• If the data you’re collecting causes a change in the way you program, then I would argue yes, it is worth collecting—it’s causing actionable changes to the way you’re programming for an athlete. However, if these changes do not show results, is the test viable for the athletic characteristic?

With these three programming steps in place, how can Ockham’s razor and actionable insight help us design effective programs?

Avoid Death by Data Collection

Just as Ockham described, “More things should not be used than are necessary.” So, if you’re collecting data on athletes and don’t take any actions after you collect data, what is the point of gathering it in the first place? For example, if you monitor an athlete’s power output on a force plate and don’t make changes to the program based on their data, why do you have them jump in the first place? Don’t just check the box to say that you monitor athletes. You’re wasting your time and, more importantly, the athlete’s time.

Attack Their Weakness and Solidify Their Strengths

In a well-designed program, each athlete will most likely perform similar movements with modifications based on training age, mobility deficiencies, and movement preferences. Particularly in professional sports, athletes do have a say in their program. If they don’t want to do the movement you have programmed, you need to explain why you included that exercise and then give them a choice on modifications that are similar to the original plan.

If an athlete needs to improve their force production based on force plate measures, there are hundreds of ways to accomplish this, and it becomes increasingly specific when you have other data points to consider for the athlete. Knowing by experience comes into play here. We need to consider many factors, and having the experience and the knowledge of the athlete’s future goal will be critical in the decision-making process. If this same athlete has an excellent rate of force development, adding additional mass could hinder their RFD. Therefore, it would be best if the athlete added as much LBM and as little FFM as possible. Making sure that the athlete is aware of the goal—and giving examples of how they can achieve that goal nutritionally—is critical. However, if the athlete doesn’t need an extremely high RFD (think of offensive lineman in football), adding any kind of mass takes precedence. The key is to monitor progress and change course when the data you collect indicates it’s time to do so.

Monitor Adaptations with a Test and Retest Method

As stated earlier, we need to test and retest athletes to ensure that desired adaptations are occurring. The testing methods you choose must be self-evident or proved by an authority. You can effectively program for teams based on the goals set forth by the on-field coaching staff and then individualize the program based on the desires and needs of each athlete. When you’re initially testing your athletes, the tests must be reliable and accurate. If changing body composition is a goal, make sure you use a properly calibrated machine (underwater weighing and Bod Pod are the gold standards). If the initial testing is wrong or if force plate numbers were inflated, there is no way to show changes resulting from the program. Or, even worse, you reveal that your athletes got worse because of some incorrect numbers you initially gathered. Being able to show that adaptations occurred not only proves that the programming was effective but also demonstrates your inherent value as a practitioner.

You display even more value when you show that you accomplished the overall goal for the team (increasing team power output via force plate measures, for example) while also improving individual imbalances measured by the force plate, all while improving cardiovascular fitness demonstrated via a fitness test. (I’ll take the bonus in a lump sum, thanks!)

What Now?

As a coach, if you ever find yourself saying, “This is the way that we have always done it,” take a step back and listen. Take an unbiased look at what someone is suggesting. See what their evidence suggests and try to understand why they think a change could be helpful. The best way to implement Ockham’s razor in your programming is to use it as a lens to analyze your current program, “Know yourself and seek self-improvement.” See where you can make improvements as a coach, whether it’s the data collection process, the implementation of individual training, or showing adaptations to on-field staff or even athletes. No competitive athlete I’ve worked with has ever been disappointed by seeing improvements in the data.

As with anything, Bruce Lee’s quote “absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, add what is uniquely your own” remains true. If something is useful, use it. If a training method comes out that shows improvement in every athletic quality at the same time, you best believe I’m going try it out for myself. If something isn’t useful, discard it. If a test doesn’t measure what it says it measures, get rid of it—it’s a waste of time. Add what is uniquely your own. If an athlete believes something will improve their performance, let them have their placebo effect. Just remember, “More things should not be used than are necessary.”

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

One day I served some fish to an older man. He asked me: “Are you grieving?” Or at least I thought he did. Grieving for what? I wondered. My perplexed looked spurred him to repeat his question, and he slowed his cadence to let the words be understood even with his accent and the muffling of his mask: “How’s your breathing?”

I guess my mask was a dead giveaway. He then asked, “How much longer?” and I replied, “I’ll have your order right up, sir!” “No! No! How much longer like this?” he said, meaning the social distancing rules, the pandemic, the quarantine. I optimistically replied, “I’m hoping our governor gives us some leeway come June.”

“Are you praying for it?” he asked.

“Sir,” I answered. “I don’t pray. I prepare.”

I didn’t intend to belittle him, nor do I have anything against praying in general. My statement was a verbal confirmation of how I am currently dealing with the world around me. During situations like this, I think it best to reflect on how good we still have it. As someone who has been fortunate enough to make a living in the fitness and training industry for nearly 20 years, I’d say I (and we all) have it pretty good.

Why We All Should

The story above is an account of an interaction I had with a customer in my new job in the meat market of a local grocery store. You may ask why would I be working at a grocery store during a pandemic? Because I can! In fact, most of us in this industry can! We are all able-bodied, supposedly service-driven, and currently have the time.

It has almost become cliché these days to hear many of us in this industry speak or write about “serving others” or “impacting the community.” What better way to act than to help a local “essential” business provide for the community? Is it hard work? Yes! Do you get paid comparably? Not even close! But do you get the opportunity to serve the community and keep them safe? Absolutely!

Initially, the quarantine downtime was much needed and not all bad. But for me, the routine of waking up and preparing for nothing got old quickly. Share on X

Initially, the quarantine downtime was much needed and not all bad. Taking some time to step back and regroup was probably a great thing for all of us. But for me, the routine of waking up and preparing for nothing got old quickly. Leave it to watching a few old-school Dusty Rhodes promos to get me going:

Times like these will reveal who we really are. Are we the ones who pray for better times…wishing that things get better? Or are we the ones that prepare to make things better? Are we the ones to go out there and do what we can, given the hand we are dealt? THIS IS A GREAT TIME to find out who we really are! Find out what we are made of! Find out what we are capable of!

For those of us who approach our daily sessions as providing “the best part of our client’s day,” the approach is the same but in a fraction of the time. Let’s face it, our service in private sector is a luxury for most people who can afford us. The service provided by grocery store clerks, staff, and management, on the other hand, is an everyday necessity for most (exacerbated by the current situation).

This meat market job required getting back to basics both physically and mentally. It specifically called for lifting and transporting heavy boxes of meat, handling heavy-duty cleaning equipment, and moving and positioning non-ergonomic landscapes.

For example, the counter is meant for customer presentation without regard for the comfort of the worker. Those big, plexiglass-covered cases look great from the front, but our access to safely get your order is not always easy. A small sliding glass door that sometimes gets stuck from semi-frozen meat juices serves as the only way in to access misaligned display trays. Getting the tray out was sometimes an effort in grace and balance, and you didn’t want to spill any chicken juices on the pork or beef…yikes! Flashbacks of working in tightly packed rooms, weaving in and out of forests of racks and bodies, came to mind—avoiding hazards while not infringing on personal space.

After my first few weeks of on-the-job-training, I was put in charge of “the pier.” Depending on my shift, this entailed setting (opening shift) or breaking (closing shift) the day’s catch with a combined focus on presentation, safety, and shelf-life preservation. I cannot understate the attention to detail needed for setting and breaking, as well as its tediousness. The cooked, raw, and live products needed to be assessed for freshness and separated. Avoiding cross-contamination while maintaining freshness were the key goals.

Comparably, the skill sets of area setup and incoming athlete assessment will become equally tedious and focused tasks moving forward. As we return to our work settings, preparing workspaces for safety (and the clear perception of it) will be paramount. Properly spacing small groups, applying surface barriers, and checking temperatures will now be our new normal.

Dealing with the pier, on top of the monumental efforts of cleanliness and dealing with shortages of both product and overall customer confidence, added to the pressure of the job. Even during pre-COVID times, customer interaction is the key to driving sales. Add the mental stress, emotional pendulum, and panic of a pandemic, and you have an exercise in futility on some days.

To start, market clerks must undergo double the safety training of any other employee in the store. What I thought were just regular sanitary procedures were amplified: constant handwashing, cleaning of surfaces, and avoiding cross-contamination became a lesson in obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Checking fridge/freezer temps, the stock of items, and when the fresh load was coming kept my senses on high alert during my entire shift.

Our initiatives to keep our athletes safe need to be visible to set their minds at ease as well as reflect our level of care for them. Share on X

This was especially important for customers to witness: The heightened level of care became habits in good “selling.” Setting minds at ease and maintaining customer confidence became an art form, as our everyday behaviors became our path to increasing store sales. Likewise, some of our clients may not want to return to our facilities immediately. As every sound business uses word of mouth to drive their sales, our initiatives to keep our athletes safe need to be visible to set their minds at ease as well as reflect our level of care for them.

Closing Is Crucial

Closing is the job that no one wants, but it was the most crucial to our success. It was clear to me how loathed this duty was when the two other guys that started at the same time I did in mid-April—both of whom had similar shift times—only lasted a combined total of two days. My first night closing was a lesson in humility and what hard work truly is. Breaking down the grinder, saw, and tenderizer correctly—followed by the most thorough cleaning process I have ever experienced—left my body sore, my clothes stinking, and the taste of sanitizer in my nostrils every single night.

As much as we all hate late-night gym checks, we need to take the time to leave our facilities as if we are opening on Day 1—not only to give us pride in our ownership, but also to tell our clients everything they need to know about our programs.

Closing the back room was made much easier due to a younger co-worker, Rich, who trained me. I cannot say enough about him: This young man displayed more patience than he should have and allowed me to learn by screwing a few things up. He did what every good coach does in that regard and taught me the road to perfection is littered with failure. For myself (as a coach), I found value in taking a step back and being less vocal, which allowed for more concise instruction in the spaces of time in-between. I must thank Rich for showing me what that looks like.

The first couple of times I closed, I had to do it on my own since the woman who was supposed to operate the front never showed up (and quit a few days later). Closing is a two-person job, where one cleans the back room and the other tends to customers and keeps up with other general duties. In this case, I was doing two jobs at once, and the effectiveness of each was marred by my attendance to the other.

You know the old saying about chasing two rabbits? If any of us have had staff no-show at our facilities, we know the havoc it wreaks on our plans. Well, in this case, just take a deep breath and do the best you can, even if it breaks you a couple of times. Those nights were rough, but as I gained experience, I mentally planned to do this job alone and developed a routine that made things easier.

Much like any new job environment, the learning curve depends on your level of attention and desire to do the job better and better. This is also imperative for all of you younger coaches breaking in: Develop your routines and contingency plans immediately! At the very least, it will keep you aware and ready for the worst.

Lessons and Customer Stories

The kicker with cleaning the back room in this store was that it did not have a central drain, which made the finishing touch a royal pain in the butt. As the machines were sprayed down, leftover meat particles sluiced with standing water bogged the area.

Video 1. Coach Pete Arroyo in action during the backroom closing and sanitizing process.

We rigged a Shop-Vac to suck up all this standing water. Every time it backed up, I had to stop the rinse and allow it to empty into a sink compartment. Any of us who have worked in or near bigger cities know the frustrations that come with stop-and-go traffic—in this case, my flow (no pun intended) was interrupted several times, making a long job even longer and wetter. But, hey, I signed up for this after all.

The lesson here is that even when situations and settings are less than ideal, there is always a tool available to get the job done, no matter how “primitive.” Share on X

The lesson here is that even when situations and settings are less than ideal, there is always a tool available to get the job done, no matter how “primitive.” Most coaches have many high-tech tools at their disposal these days, but if that OFF button was ever hit, what would you do? What if that fancy software program decides not to cooperate or the Wi-Fi crashes? Do you still know how to use a notebook? This actually did happen to me the week upon returning to my training facility.

One day I had a gentleman (or so I thought) ask for a few pounds of shrimp, but it had to be the Argentinian shrimp. “Don’t give me that Chinese s**t!” he demanded. “You can’t trust nuttin’ from there!” I was caught a bit off-guard that his reason for requesting the Argentinian shrimp wasn’t due to flavor or a particular recipe, but instead reflected some of the hysteria of the pandemic. I gladly directed him to the bagged shrimp in aisle eight, and I told him it was what we have in the display anyway (it’s the dirty little secret of the fish counter).

He told me he would wait instead for a fresh load another day. Did I not just tell him this was what we had on display? I was slightly entertained because his line was in one of my favorite movies of all time, “The Wrestler,” when Randy “The Ram” Robinson was placing an order of his own with the big guy in the gym. I won’t elaborate what that means. In this job, you interact with all types, and dealing with the stupid in a classy way becomes a skill.

You may have experienced this in dealing with well-to-do parents or ignorant sport coaches giving you “advice” on what they want their athlete to do. The best secret you can tell them is that there are no secrets.

Another older gentleman ordered some salmon one day and then asked: “Is that salmon fresh?” Quickly remembering my prior interaction with the Argentinian shrimp-shopper, I saw it as high time to use another line from “The Wrestler.” “Fresh as monkey’s breath, brother!” I replied. At first, he looked perplexed, but my subsequent giggle set him at ease, and he chuckled slightly when he realized I was joking. We have to keep things fun in dark and uncertain times!

Another day, an older woman came to the block and said, “I want three pounds of beef, freezer-wrapped, and I want it now.” At that point, we just happened to be out of the ground beef she wanted, and the butchers had to grind it fresh. This wasn’t a good start—she sighed loudly in disappointment, and I then had to turn my attention to other customers.

What made it a bit rougher was the fact that I wasn’t yet coached on how to freezer-wrap—after doing what I thought was right, I asked a more experienced cutter, only to have him point at the brown paper and tell me, “Use that.” Okay, I took my time and wrapped to the best of my ability (which, looking back, was not particularly good). And—you guessed it—she used that time to loudly complain, “Hurry up! Don’t you know what you are doing?” All this with a decent line of customers behind her.

Thankfully, the manager popped up, stepped in, and wrapped it, but when I turned around to give the customer her order, she had disappeared. I tracked her down and gave her the package, only to have her slam it into her cart without any verbal response. A few minutes later, a front-end worker brought it back to the market counter and said the customer didn’t want it. Man, was I angry…and the lesson here is you cannot please everyone (nor be everything to everyone), no matter the lengths you go to. For some, it will never be enough, and those are usually the ones who point fingers when they fail.

Continuing to Serve

In retrospect, taking a part-time job in the meat market at a local grocery chain was my way of preparing as opposed to praying. As anyone in our line of work can attest to, this pandemic situation has been rough on many fronts. Many of us in this field have businesses or jobs at schools and need our income to support our families. The financial, mental, and physical toll of having our livelihoods stripped away without foresight of “if” or “when” we could return goes without saying.

The anxiety from the idle time can wreak havoc on our bodies, minds, and souls. The best remedy for me was to continue to serve the best way I possible could. Share on X

I am lucky: I do not have anyone I am solely responsible for. The only responsibility I have in that regard is taking care of those in the world around me (clients) and my reputation. The anxiety from the idle time can wreak havoc on our bodies, minds, and souls. For myself, the best remedy was continuing to serve the best way I possibly could. I’m certainly not a spring chicken anymore, but am able-bodied, have nothing but time, and love making an impact anywhere I can.

“Isolation is not desperation.” –Unknown

Whether professional or collegiate organization sport coach, strength and conditioning (S&C) coach, medical staff, executive, senior administrator, department director, etc., the role of somebody in a position of authority is to consistently establish and introduce the strategic platforms and advances that will result in successful team outcomes. A career in athletics also necessitates an obligation to foster a high standard for the positive development of the organization’s administration, workforce, and athletes both on and off the field of play.

Many opportunities are available to continually improve one’s professional craft, including educational seminars, internet searches, reviews of scientific and non-scientific literature, webinars, travels to successful athletic programs, discussions with successful professional peers—the list goes on and on. Improvement also requires persistent professional practice, the experiences that occur over a career, and of course, positive outcomes.

A sports organization’s pursuit of the “Holy Grail” of sustained success appears to be limitless as well. This includes the relentless search for renowned professionals for executive administration, department heads, coaching, medical care, S&C, nutrition, “specialty” staff, and technology, to name a few. During the many conversations that have occurred throughout my career with various medical, professional sport, and collegiate peers, the topic of creating a strong organization and team culture was rarely discussed. When these infrequent “culture” conversations do arise, they usually contain limited substance as to the specifics of achievement versus the often-stated theoretical attainment of a resilient culture.

Whether currently occupying or desiring a future role of authority (e.g., head coach, department head, executive management, etc.), the realization of success is very unlikely without the presence of a strong organizational and team culture. Culture is essential to ensure the frequent and effective desired achievements that lead to success or to transform the kiss of failure into one of triumph.

The realization of success is very unlikely without the presence of a strong organizational and team culture. Share on X

The following summation is founded upon my various experiences as a corporate CEO, department head, head S&C coach, athletic trainer, and practicing sports physical therapist. Also included in the content of this article are my experiences and relationships with prominent professionals, including corporate CEOs and senior-level business executives, nationally recognized medical and healthcare providers, and Hall of Fame sport and S&C coaches.

What Is the Cause of a Once Successful Organization’s Demise?

When placed in a position of authority to establish a resilient culture within an organization, one should recognize that a strong correlation exists between the operations of a sports organization/sports team and that of a corporate business entity, and vice versa. As significant financial revenue is produced from TV contracts, season ticket sales, playoff games, bowl games and national tournaments, team apparel sales, concessions, parking, marketing and advertising, etc., isn’t a team sport organization in reality a business enterprise?

There are various explanations for an organization/athletic team’s decline from its once successful ways, and one significant reason is the deterioration of a strong culture. The demise of any business organization often transpires in a progression of “stages,” as described by business CEO and author Les McKeown. A sports organization and sports team are no exception. The following is a representation of each particular stage founded upon my experiences as applied to a sports organization, department, team, etc. that is failing and perhaps hostile as well.

Having Fun Stage

Once the sport organization, collegiate institution, or sports team has surpassed the initial early struggle stage (a phase omitted from this discussion) of building and establishing a consistent level of success, the organization enters what is deemed the fun stage. During this period of sustained success, the organization has likely assimilated exceptional personnel with the utmost proven ability and skill level into their senior management, administration, work force, medical staff, spectrum of coaches, and team athletes. This is also where all previous efforts result in on-the-field “wins.” As these wins continue to accumulate, the “big dogs” of the organization will now emerge. There is also a persistent exemplary presence of the organization’s vision, processes, policies, systems, education and skill training, accountability, and, of course, culture.

Whitewater Stage

Over time, if the sports organization does not adhere to the established details and culture that have provided persistent success, these accomplishments will be jeopardized to eventually enter the whitewater stage. This is the period where the established processes, policies, systems, and culture are brought into the spotlight and questioned. An attitude of complacency may also ensue, with an evolving mindset of “Why do I have to work so hard now that we’re winning? Haven’t we achieved our objectives?” It is imperative to avert this apathy, as it is vital for the organization to endure in its vision and continue to enhance the platforms, commitments, operations, and culture that achieved initial success.

The phrase “success breeds success” only becomes real with an unrelenting work ethic, a fierce determination for continued advancement, and a thirst for competitive success. The whitewater stage is a very difficult one to endure, and it is here where organizations and leaders may begin to suffer a lack of confidence.

The phrase “success breeds success” only becomes real with an unrelenting work ethic, a fierce determination for continued advancement, and a thirst for competitive success. Share on X

Personnel may plateau and perhaps even regress in their role, requiring reevaluation and possible replacement. As staff and player contracts terminate, renewals may or may not be renegotiated. Staff as well as athletes may vacate, trades are made, and competing organizations may poach executives, administrators, coaches, and athletes in an attempt to reverse their own particular failures. These deleterious circumstances now place unfamiliar stress upon the organization, resulting in a consequential repetitive restarting of the personnel process. The restarting process will likely resemble something similar to the following:

• Identify the new personnel or athlete.
• Acquire the new personnel or athlete.
• Develop (education and train) the new personnel or athlete.
• Replace the personnel or athlete.

Each new member of the organization must adapt and adhere to the cultural mindset of the organization. Without the sustainment and, if necessary, reestablishment of a strong culture, the reoccurring restarting personnel process cycle will likely become persistent.

Predictable Success Stage

This stage follows the whitewater stage, and it is during this period that all members of the organization must continue to work in unity for the same common cause in accordance with the established organizational objectives. Due to the fluctuating environment, the adjusted strategic objectives must be achieved. At times there may be a hesitation in vision, creativity, risk-taking, and initiative; however, with the continued establishment and maintenance of the ideal foundation of organization personnel, processes, accountability, and culture, success is usually predictable. Predictable success also allows for the addressing and correction of the most recent risks, dangers, and threats that may arise as a possible disruption to the organization’s success.

Treadmill Stage

If the sports organization enters the treadmill phase of this continuum, the organization has probably begun its preliminary demise. Personnel at all levels have continued to become too “comfortable” with their level of sustained success and consequently create an attitude of daily “routine.” The new mindset of “routine” brings with it the consequences of persistent amplified mediocrity and apathy.

NFL Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells has taught me that there is a big difference between routine and commitment. When entering the treadmill stage, the workforce becomes less “committed” and is stuck in a repetitive daily performance of “routine,” as little if any positive progress is established. Those still expending a great deal of energy and effort find little if any forward momentum. The organizational culture wavers to place too much emphasis on policy, process, and data, thus reducing the emphasis on direct operational contact, communication, and especially action. Procedures and methods are executed as always but with a corresponding lack of advancement and subsequent poor accountability.

The Big Rut Stage

This stage is the final chance for the organization to avoid a dismal environment; however, for many entering the big rut stage, it may already be too late, as the organization has regressed to its previous losing ways. The ability to be self-aware is lost as animosity now develops between management, coaches, and athletes. Attitude, performance, and culture spiral downward. A rectification is desperately sought as staff is terminated, athletes are released, and new staff and players enter the organization, reinforcing the repetitive restarting process. The restarting process becomes a vicious cycle that initiates time and time again, as failure is now almost certain.

Many professional sport franchises, collegiate sport teams, and business organizations have gone through this unfortunate process of failure to eventually take the appropriate steps to properly reorganize and reestablish themselves as a successful organization. The revival of a once dismal situation is not just an emotional touch, it’s a comprehensive takeover of mediocrity, apathy, and poor culture, and, depending upon the severity of the situation, the filling of empty hearts as well.

The following are recommendations to consider when attempting to reverse a deteriorating sports organization, department, or team into one of sustained success.

Determine the Strategic Platform and Objectives

A successful makeover in organizational culture will require the executive management team, along with the senior administration and head coach, to collectively devise a new organization platform strategy. The foundation of this new platform is based upon the four “P” pillars identified as follows:

• Position – where to go
• Perspective – what is seen
• Plan – what to do
• Projects – what to prioritize

A successful makeover in organizational culture will require a new organization platform strategy based upon the four “P” pillars: position, perspective, plan, and projects. Share on X

Strategic platform objectives should be established for the parent organization, each department, and the athletic team, as the achievement of these planned objectives will give rise to the overall success of the organization. The strategic objectives should also be achievable, measurable, and specific, and not generalizations such as “Our goal is to win a championship,” as isn’t that every organization’s aspiration? The preliminary objectives may also not be intended for the achievement of an immediate championship, but instead present a fragment of staged objectives with noted timelines of achievement.

The staging of objectives is also instituted with the intention to rapidly change an “unstable” situation to one of “stability.” An example of such a staging may comprise a progressive plan of action to eliminate a lengthy playoff drought, attain success in the playoffs, and progress to win championships. The transformation plan should be specific to the circumstances presented, as a “cookie cutter” or “cut and paste” approach will likely not attain the success desired.

New leadership will plan enhancements for the existing processes, procedures, informative data, and other vital information. There may also be a need to fill the organization’s voids—i.e., additional specific skill-set staff, establishment of departments and/or programs, collection and distribution of new information for attaining the desired objectives, and a new culture to warrant the achievement of the strategic plan objectives to ensure a successful transformation.

Unfortunately, there are also events that happen where the initial planned objectives may be prioritized to steer the organization from disaster to stability, including a defined role to assist in restoring stability to the surrounding community as well. Such ominous circumstances include an organization on the verge of financial and emotional disaster as realized during the somber events of the September 11, 2001 (9/11) attack on New York City, the 2008 financial crisis, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the present COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, my professional experiences include all of the above-mentioned events. Whether the objectives are to achieve a gold medal, hoist the championship trophy, or reverse a crisis, the odds of achievement increase dramatically when the organization establishes, and conforms to, an appropriate and strong culture.

Who to Hire?

Only when the organization’s new platform and objectives are determined can the selection of the most suitable candidates to lead this campaign transpire. During arduous times, the current leadership is likely to be removed, and candidates then vie for these newly vacant positions. These candidates will arrive from “within” the organization or from “outside” the organization. Each of these scenarios has advantages as well as disadvantages.

Promoting from within the organization is often appropriate. It is beneficial to have someone at the helm who the organization is familiar with and deems trustworthy—someone acquainted with the organization, as well as the former objectives and present operations, and who has established relationships within the workforce and team athletes. These candidates must also display confidence in their demonstrated ability to reverse the organization’s current undesirable performance.

However, “in-house” candidates may also be limited in “outside” experiences. Some may be restricted by their lone prolonged experiences within the same organization, placing a possible constraint upon their abilities. Candidates from within the organization may also be regarded as “guilty by association” and perceived as partially responsible for the current organization/athletic team demise.

There is an old saying that an “expert” is defined as someone from out of town. “Outside” candidates do provide some advantages for the new leadership roles. These include, but are not limited to, proven unique experiences in present or former leadership roles, the familiarity with proven strategic platforms, planned processes, and the establishment of organizational culture. Many “outside” professionals present a proven “resume” for turning dismal organizations into successful ones. Coach Bill Parcells was well respected for his proven ability to accomplish this task.

Outside candidates are able to make informed unbiased decisions because they lack personal relationships within the organization. These candidates also lead to an opportunity for additional “outside” relationships, staffing, and athletes to now be available to the organization. It is recommended that if an outside candidate is selected to lead the organization, a department within the organization, or the team itself, they should be allowed to employ some of their relationships as well. Newly hired leadership should not be expected to remain isolated on their own island without familiar professional peers who will both conform and believe in the new strategy plan and culture to be implemented. The addition of familiar workforce staff and athletes will contribute to the acceleration of a successful transformation.

One last thought on organization employment. When assembling this new workforce, it is important to not lose focus on the concept of “team.” Many organizations may hire the “best” executives, department heads, staff, and coaches, as well as sign the “best” athletes, yet never achieve the success desired. Although all personnel must possess both the knowledge and skill proficiency to perform their responsibilities admirably, it is not required that they all be regarded as the “best” professionals in their field. However, this new workforce must demonstrate the ability to provide 100% of their skills and efforts each and every day. Therefore, the accretion of such talent may not necessarily include individual “world-renowned” professionals, but on the contrary, the organization will now embrace the best team of professionals in the sport league or conference. There are also occasions for the preference of a hire or signing who displays a bit less talent, but who presents the right fit in an organization’s culture.

Have a Comprehensive and Precise Plan of Action

It is important to remember that hope is not a plan of action. It would be very disingenuous to believe that the reversal of a dismal culture will happen arbitrarily. I am also not aware of any head coach or business executive who has access to a crystal ball. Therefore, at the time of the initiation of this transformation process, an “absolute” prediction of the future is unfounded. Nevertheless, a strong and concise detailed plan of action—one that specifically correlates to the achievement of the new and measurable objectives—is always favorable for implementation.

It is important to remember that hope is not a plan of action. It would be very disingenuous to believe that the reversal of a dismal culture will happen arbitrarily. Share on X

The new strategy must address the role, expectations, and accountability of all in senior management, the workforce, the spectrum of coaches, and athletes. The components of the prescribed plan of action should include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Identify the current state of the organization and how it measures up to other successful competitive organizations in the sport league or conference.
• Identify the immediate as well as any significant problems and/or conditions to be resolved along with the corresponding achievable and measurable objectives to ensure this correction.
• Identify the primary organization departments and personnel best suited to assist with this campaign of culture transformation.
• Provide the details of the processes, as well as any and all “staging” of this new strategy, including timelines for anticipated achievements.
• Provide all additional financial costs and structure necessary for the implementation of this strategic plan of action.
• Provide in detail how this new strategy will reverse the present breakdown in culture and attain success.
• Describe the advantages of this new strategy and how it positions the organization when compared to other similar competitive organizations.

Culture

Culture is the foundation and backbone of any organization. When a change in leadership takes place, there will likely be an associated change in culture as well. It is important to point out that culture changes through a process of transformation. This transformation is necessary, as the greatest threat to the organization is not the present-day downward spiral but addressing the crisis with yesterday’s logic.

Changing culture requires an acknowledgement of what a strong culture is. With regard to team sports, the physical qualities necessary for athletic success—i.e., strength, power, speed, etc.—are not considered a culture, as these physical qualities are beliefs for athletic achievement. A strong culture encompasses the entire organization and workforce, not just a few segregated departments.

Changing culture requires an acknowledgement of what a strong culture is. Share on X

As an example, how would the enhancement of physical qualities assist the departments of human resources, accounting, legal and compliance, marketing, and technology? Culture necessitates the resilient attributes of cooperation and effort from the entire organization to lead to the appropriate self-accountability (more on this later) of all departments and members of the workforce. This commitment ensures that the obligations and contributions of all departments within the organization will cooperatively assist the team athletes to become stronger, more powerful, and faster.

Culture is also considered the character and personality of the organization. It provides a feeling of unity that positively impacts the organization by solidifying values and objectives while also increasing morale. As Henry Ford stated, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” An individual commitment to a group effort is essential to establish a strong culture and result in success.

The following 10 behaviors require no talent and will assist in a positive transformation of an organization’s culture.

1. Be on time.
2. Bring a strong work ethic.
3. Provide your best effort daily.
4. Exhibit positive body language.
5. Exhibit positive energy.
6. Have a positive attitude.
7. Exhibit passion in your work efforts.
8. Be coachable.
9. Do the extra.
10. Always be prepared.

Establishing a strong culture encompasses many parts. To keep this dialogue brief, I will highlight the importance of organizational communication and accountability.

Communication

The practice of good communication lays the groundwork for a strong and resilient organizational culture. When a change in leadership occurs, the various workforce members who have had experiences with a change of leadership versus those who have not should be acknowledged. People react differently to perceived stressful situations, and some individuals may require an altered approach in the communication of the new expectations now placed upon them.

Everyone in the organization is to be informed of the organizational operations. Regardless of the operational methods of the past, this new strategy will now be the precedent moving forward. That stated, those in positions of authority should be open to input from all colleagues and staff for whom they are responsible. These opinions and assessments should be respected and acknowledged; however, these discussions should not alter the foundation of the strategic plan moving forward.

As changes transpire within the organization, some individuals may not have an affinity toward these new adjustments. However, change is the only mechanism that will ensure the transformation of culture and success. It is important to keep the workforce and athletes constantly informed, as daily communication will eventually eliminate the distrust that may be present at the initiation of this cultural transformation.

Change is the only mechanism that will ensure the transformation of culture and success. Share on X

Be explicit and clear with all expectations placed upon each member of the organization, as nobody should have to guess at their role and expected accountabilities. Every associate should understand that their energies are for the greater good of the organization. Inquire each week, “What did your staff love, and what did they loathe?” Employ this information wisely and appropriately.

It is natural for people to want to know why they are unique, why are they special. Everyone in a position of authority should encourage, acknowledge, reward, and reinforce positive achievements, exceptional performances, and especially results. The appreciation and recognition of these achievements should occur in a “public” manner.

Acknowledgement should not be limited to a single department or the athletic team alone, but involve all departments and workforce within the organization, including senior management. It is also significant to recognize that communication frequency trumps quality. Superior culture, work proficiency, and desired outcomes are achieved via the frequency of daily communication versus a single “high quality” end-of-year review.

Accountability

“The single most powerful characteristic of the Predictable Success organization is the existence of a culture of self-accountability.” –Les McKeown

To successfully achieve the desired transformation in workforce culture, every person must be held accountable for their specific role and achievable objective responsibilities. As culture is always evolving, accountability must then advance to a level of self-accountability, an environment where each person is acceptingly accountable to themselves. Self-accountability transforms the perspective of a job as solely a source of income to an opportunity of enthusiasm for the relaying of messages of importance to peers. As each workforce member realizes their own self-accountability, success will come about more easily and rapidly.

Self-accountability also acknowledges all efforts are for the “good of the whole” and not individual accolades. Then again, the success of the whole will also bring forth the individual accolades that many desire. During my time as the head S&C coach at St. John’s University of New York, Hall of Fame Head Basketball Coach Lou Carnesecca often reminded our teams, “Athletes who play the game for fame and fortune will likely achieve neither, but players who strive for championships will likely achieve both.” Everyone in the organization must work in unity for a common vision of success, as none of us is as smart as all of us.

Everyone in the organization must work in unity for a common vision of success, as none of us is as smart as all of us. Share on X

The advancement of self-accountability also leads to trust. The establishment of trust within an organization is imperative to ensure the success of any sports or business entity. Trust can’t be bought, traded for, or spoken about in passing—trust is earned. Trust demonstrates the steadfast dependability of an individual’s contribution of consistency of performance.

As new leadership continues to evolve, additional circumstances may arise that require attention. As previously conveyed, certain individuals in the workforce may not be comfortable or may even contest organizational change. Those refuting the planned organization transformation will require a direct conversation to reinforce the new strategic system presently in place.

As these discussions take place, personalities who may be “stuck in their old ways,” not onboard, and perhaps even disruptive may be exposed. Those who are noncompliant will need to determine if they can conform and remain or leave the organization, informing their direct report accordingly. If a particular individual is regarded as an esteemed member of the organization with a valued skill set, an additional consideration may be a reevaluation for a possible amicable adjustment in organizational role and responsibilities for which they are still held accountable.

Most individuals likely have aspirations for their present and future careers. Those not conforming to the new strategic plan and culture should be confronted with a focused discussion on the effect of their unsuitable and/or defiant behavior upon their personal career opportunities. These opportunities include, but are not limited to, remaining on the team roster or within the organization; playing time; draft status; professional advancement including executive, senior administrative, department head, head or assistant coaching opportunities; future job references; and a poor overall professional reputation, to name a few.

A more positive result for culture “buy-in” will likely take place with an appropriate and respectful conversation based upon an individual’s personal opportunities versus their poor conduct and its effects upon the organization. Although the latter should also be acknowledged, expressed personal interest in the individual emphasizes a sincere appreciation of concern that is often acknowledged with gratitude at the time of these discussions.

Accountability not only correlates to rewards for outstanding performances but consequences for those failing to meet their communicated roles and expectations. Expectations are placed upon the achievement of objective responsibilities. These objectives are to be measured, as quantifying ensures fairness, accuracy, and accomplishment; affords accessibility to pertinent information; and, of course, reinforces the old adage that states: “What gets measured gets done!” Objectives are measured with the purpose of the achievement of progression as well as the attainment of valid and useful information, and not simply for the sake of measuring. Individual popularity, length of tenure, etc. do not allow for “modifications” in accountability, as all in the workforce are expected to conform to the newly recognized standards of the organization.

There are other possible causes for poor individual performance. Absent organization divisions/departments, obsolete equipment and processes, limited number of skilled staff, absent or inadequate education/training methods, poor communication, etc. should also be appraised as contributors to poor performance versus a lack of an individual’s effort or ability to achieve their assigned responsibilities. When these organizational inadequacies are realized, they should be rectified as soon as possible.

Conversations with my peers from various business and sport organizations also reveal an opinion that the enforcement of accountability includes treating all personnel as equals. As this point of view is acknowledged, it should also be recognized that individual backgrounds and personalities vary, the severity of “violations” is wide-ranging, and repeat violations do not materialize from each person within the organization. Therefore, when addressing accountability, there’s no obligation to be fair, there’s an obligation to be right. Each violation of accountability should be addressed based upon the individual and each distinct incident.

It should also be noted that there is a significant difference between discipline and rules. A good friend of mine, now retired, was previously employed on a professional sport team coaching staff that had just gone through a change at the head coach position. The new head coach asked my friend to remain on his new coaching staff, to which he agreed. On one particular occasion, the new head coach called my friend to his office and stated, “I’ve kept all of our players’ fines and records from the time of the previous head coach until now. I’ve fined our players three times more than the previous head coach. Why do you think these problems are still occurring?” The response was simple and direct, “Coach, that’s because you have rules, the previous head coach had discipline.”

The presence of self-accountability also correlates directly to an awareness of self-discipline, resulting in the requirement for very few rules. Share on X

The presence of self-accountability also correlates directly to an awareness of self-discipline, resulting in the requirement for very few rules. Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Bobby Knight, considered one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, had one rule for his basketball teams and one rule only: “Don’t do anything that you think I might not like.” The genius of that one statement is that it covered an enormous amount of territory. Coach Bill Parcells places the “discipline” versus “rules” conversation in the proper perspective: “Discipline isn’t about punishing people. It’s about creating an atmosphere where you don’t have to.”

Accountability also correlates to the athletic team’s anticipated performance. I have witnessed athletes being awakened by the coaching staff to confirm class attendance and coaches pursuing athletes to attend team mealtimes even though these meals are provided free of charge, as well as other absurd scenarios. When inquiring why this conduct is tolerated, one implied concern was if the athlete becomes “disgruntled” because they are held accountable, they may transfer to a different institution. The concerns that arise from such scenarios are as follows:

• Coaches have more appropriate uses of their time than ensuring their athletes attend class or eat meals.
• Athletes who attend class, attend team meals, etc. demonstrate self-discipline, responsibility, and the willingness to prepare. They earn the trust to be depended upon and the expectation of consistency for their best efforts during team training, practice, and crucial game situations. Can the same be said of an athlete who needs to be “hunted” to attend class, team meals, etc.?
• If the noncompliant athlete is fairly popular, their inappropriate behavior may spread to their teammates, potentially making a bad situation even worse.
• All of the team athletes will eventually see through the facade of accountability and no longer tolerate the expected team culture. Such a large setback will eventually establish a large team divide. The cultural foundation is now severely compromised, placing the team at high risk for failure with any additional episodes of adversity or high-pressure situations.

To reflect upon this type of situation from a different perspective, let’s assume that there are staff and team athletes who deliberately violate an organization’s culture and are not held accountable for their actions. As the organization and locker room becomes segregated, the cultural foundation will begin to crumble. The team may win a few games, but it will likely never achieve the level of anticipated success. This state of affairs will likely result in the termination of some combination of senior administrators, head coach, staff, and athletes.

However, the situation won’t end there. There will be an assessment of the organization and team landscape by the newly hired personnel. Upon review of the state of affairs, the new authority will likely release all of the remaining members of the organization and team who continue with their nonconforming conduct, while also questioning how these individuals were ever allowed to remain. Therefore, the accountability that should have initially transpired eventually does transpire, unfortunately at the cost of employment, scholarship, or position on the athletic team.

Successful sports organizations usually have one factor in common—the recognition of and adherence to a strong organizational culture. Share on X

The sustained success demonstrated by some sport organizations is not established by coincidence. Successful sports organizations usually have one factor in common—the recognition of and adherence to a strong organizational culture. During the stressful occurrences of an organization’s demise, the establishment of a new strategic platform that includes measurable objectives, leading to a workforce and athletic team environment of self-accountability and self-discipline, will result in the reestablishment of a strong organizational culture and the eventual return to sustained success.

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Taste is a weird thing. Defined as “a homeostatic function that aids in deciding what to eat,” it can vary quite substantially among people. For example, I find marmite, the often-polarizing food, absolutely repulsive; meanwhile, my wife enjoys it on toast. Conversely, she has a strong dislike for parsnips, while I like nothing better than a couple roasted up and eaten along with a side of beef. The ability to detect different tastants—chemicals that drive flavor—can also differ in the magnitude by which it occurs, leading some people to be labeled as supertasters (and tending to dislike coffee and Brussel sprouts). What we taste is subject to a variety of different influences, including smell and visual stimuli, and also social and cultural factors.

In recent years, those involved in sport have become increasingly interested in the effects a variety of tastes can have on performance. A couple of years ago, I wrote a post for SimpliFaster about how strong spicy flavors might act as a treatment for muscle cramps. Other research demonstrates how both sweet and bitter tastes, as well as cooling sensations mediated through taste, may help improve performance.

Based on this research, I recently co-authored a really interesting paper published in the European Journal of Nutrition, which asked, “Can taste be ergogenic?” We explored the influences of sweet and bitter tastants on performance, how thermal tastants (both hot and cold) can influence our capacity to exercise, and whether these performance-enhancing effects were due to taste itself or placebo or expectancy mechanisms. Here, I’ll share the key points with you.

Sweet and Bitter Tastes

In day-to-day life, the main sweet taste we’re exposed to comes from simple carbohydrates—essentially, sugar. We’ve long known that carbohydrates positively influence exercise performance, especially in endurance activities where athletes often consume carbohydrate-containing drinks, gels, and bars during competitions. Over the last couple of decades, however, researchers have started to notice something interesting: we see an improvement in performance when we consume carbohydrates during exercise, but only around 25% of the carbohydrate consumed during exercise enters our bloodstream to be used as energy.

This is much less than expected, given the performance-boost carbohydrate delivers. The finding led other researchers to speculate that—when consumed during exercise—carbohydrates might stimulate pathways within the brain and central nervous system. Two main proposed pathways are thought to be activated:

• Those associated with reward
• Those associated with feelings of energy availability

On the latter point, when we exercise, our brain consistently makes calculations between how much energy we have left and how long the exercise is due to carry on and uses the results of these calculations to regulate effort. When our brain senses that our energy stores are running low, it subconsciously drives us to slow down. When we consume carbohydrates during exercise, the sweetness activates taste receptors that tell our brain “energy is coming,” allowing it to modify the effort we’re putting in.

When we consume carbohydrates during exercise, our brain loans us the energy we're expecting to digest soon, says @craig100m. Share on X

Essentially, we’re loaning the energy from the carbohydrate we expect to digest in the next short period of time. We know this happens because we can trick the brain into thinking energy is coming by rinsing a carbohydrate around the mouth and spitting it out; when we do this, exercise performance is still enhanced.

The relationship between carbohydrates, sweet taste, and performance is somewhat complicated. Carbohydrates that don’t have a strong sweet taste, such as maltodextrin, have performance-enhancing effects when rinsed around the mouth. In contrast, very sweet flavors that have no energetic value—such as artificial sweeteners—don’t exhibit an ergogenic effect. Overall, this suggests that taste per se does not enhance performance. Instead, the carbohydrate molecules bind to some as-of-yet-unidentified receptors in the mouth. A further important area to consider here is that carbohydrate mouth rinses could lead to oral health issues, which commonly affect athletes and have important impacts on performance—something we should consider before using them.

Bitter tastes appear to activate similar regions of the brain as sweet tastes, leading researchers to wonder whether they could enhance performance similar to carbohydrate mouth rinses. The idea has been most well-explored by an Australian research group. In one study, the authors gave a group of male cyclists a solution made to taste bitter by adding quinine—the compound that gives tonic water its bitter taste. When the cyclists rinsed the solution around their mouths and then ingested it, they experienced an almost 4% performance improvement compared to when they rinsed and swallowed water. When a similar bitter solution was swilled around the mouth and not ingested, performance did not improve—which suggests that ingesting the bitter solution is what’s important. The researchers proposed this reason: there are a large number of bitter taste receptors situated in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and swallowing the solution activates these receptors and, hence, performance enhancement.

Like quinine, caffeine is a bitter tastant that activates bitter taste receptors in the mouth. Caffeine is also exceptionally well-established as an ergogenic aid, which begs the question: Are some of caffeine’s ergogenic effects due to its bitter taste? I explored this in detail in a separate paper published in 2019; a key difficulty with this suggestion is that caffeine mouth rinses don’t seem to enhance performance when the caffeine is not swallowed.

Thermal Tastants

As anyone who enjoys a tasty curry will know, humans have used spices in their diet for years, including those that cause sensations of heat. The main chemical compound that drives these feelings is capsicum, which we find in foods such as chili. Creams and ointments that contain capsicum give a sensation of heat when rubbed on the skin, demonstrating the potentially broad use of this compound. Using capsicum as an oral pre-exercise supplement has received increased attention over the last couple of years, with a few studies exploring capsicum’s effects on exercise performance. Capsicum supplementation improved 1500m time trial performance, total reps in a reps-to-failure protocol carried out at 70% 1RM in the back squat exercise, and time to exhaustion in a repeated treadmill running exercise. Importantly, capsicum consumed as part of a meal doesn’t appear to elicit the same effects, so it’s likely that specific, targeted capsicum consumption in tablets is required.

However, before we all rush off and start purchasing—and taking—capsicum supplements, it’s important to consider that side effects are very common. The most common of these is gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Consuming this very spicy compound is associated with GI pain and diarrhea, as many people can attest to from experience. These effects have the very real potential to limit performance, which presents the main limitation of capsicum supplementation.

Conversely, menthol—a common flavor in toothpaste and mouthwash—elicits a cooling sensation. These sensations can have important implications when it comes to exercise performance, as feelings of overheating are linked to reduced performance. Early studies have demonstrated the somewhat minor effectiveness of menthol mouth rinses on endurance performance, which appear to be largely mediated through improvements in thermal comfort. However, no change in body temperature occurs.

The Important Role of Placebo

The placebo effect refers to the “desirable outcome resulting from a person’s expected and/or learned response to a treatment or situation.” This is crucial from a taste perspective; if an athlete consumes an ergogenic aid with a strong taste, and then sees a performance improvement, they will associate that taste with the improvement. And when they consume the same supplement on a different occasion, they will expect their performance to improve. Given that the effects of placebos on exercise performance are real and replicable, there is the potential that some of the ergogenic effects of any supplement are due partly to the athlete recognizing a taste they expect will improve performance and perform better as a result.

If this sounds implausible, consider the results of this case study, in which a child with an autoimmune disease received medication along with a strong taste and smell. After a period of time, the medication was removed from the cocktail, with only the taste and smell remaining; after consumption, the new “medicine” improved the patient’s symptoms. This isn’t to say the placebo effect exclusively mediates the potential ergogenic effects of taste but that it’s at least a contributor.

Summary

In summary, we found that taste has the potential to improve performance. It can be difficult, however, to separate the effects of taste per se and the stimulation of specific receptors in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract that provide signals to the brain regarding aspects such as energy availability. At present, it appears that carbohydrate and menthol mouth rinses have the potential to enhance performance. And ingesting bitter tastants and capsicum may also improve performance, although not because they stimulate the taste receptors.

Carbohydrate & menthol mouth rinses as well as bitter tastants and capsicum may enhance performance, though the mechanisms by which they work differ. Share on X

As the research in this area expands, we should get a better idea of how strong tastes enhance performance, and how we can harness this knowledge for athletes. An important part of using any ergogenic aid is that of placebo and expectancy; if the athlete believes something will improve performance, it likely will, and so strong, recognizable tastes form a part of this—and might be something for supplement manufacturers to consider in the future!

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. We have transitioned in this country from static stretching to dynamic mobility for our warm-up, and I was right there as most coaches balked at the dynamic warm-up. The change reduced soft tissue injuries, but we still faced an abnormal amount of odd injuries—non-contact injuries in particular. Often, return-to-play protocols look fantastic on paper but ultimately fail as athletes go on to get hurt again.

We’ve developed all kinds of programs that help athletes get stronger and faster with the hopes of becoming bulletproof.  When we enter the robust, unpredictable world of sport, we tend to fall short in keeping our athletes in the game, on the field, or on the track, and we keep doing the same things we’ve done in the past. We haven’t learned our lesson. More strength! More mobility! More power! More and more does not equal a more resilient athlete. It may be part of the performance puzzle, but major pieces are missing.

Neurology and Performance

A long time ago, I heard a famous strength coach talk about asking each athlete how they had trained prior to working with him. After they completed a form listing what they’d done, he tried everything they hadn’t done yet to get them better. If we want changes, we may have to look at what we are not doing. We train muscles. We train fast-twitch explosive capabilities. We do the best soft tissue therapies and the best conditioning, yet we still don’t always get the results we want.

In recent years, neurology (addressing your brain) has evolved to take a place at the forefront of our training world. What was once considered voodoo or pseudoscience now leads the way for the most “in the know” movement-based practices. The days of neglecting an athlete’s neurology are over. I hope. If you haven’t started implementing neural-based movement protocols in your warm-up, you’re missing major pieces of the performance puzzle.

If you haven't implemented neural-based movement protocols in your warm-up, you're missing major pieces of the performance puzzle, says @WGF1. Share on X

Neural warm-ups are a great way to stimulate all of your body’s major subsystems quickly and efficiently. These major subsystems include—but are not limited to—the vestibular system and the visual system. As John Iams would say, “Changes happen at the speed of the nervous system.”

Addressing these subsystems in sports performance is important because most of these pathways are under-stimulated with conventional training means. Complexity and novelty drive brain function. The more novel the stimulus, the more the brain pays attention to what you are doing—and you can’t go broke paying attention. As these subsystems begin to provide accurate and improved signals, they allow the athlete to create optimal movement strategies. In other words, we create more robustness in the performance world.

Most athletes have a sub-clinical vestibular or visual issue and addressing it can pay huge dividends in reflexive movement patterns, says @WGF1. Share on X

When I say the word neural, I’m talking about sensory avenues that the brain uses to feel, see, and predict where you are in space and how to navigate through it without hitting your head.  Most athletes will present with some type of sub-clinical vestibular or visual issue that—when addressed in a general way—will pay huge dividends in reflexive movement patterns. Improving the parts of the brain involved in spatial awareness, vision, balance, and coordination allows athletes to see more of what’s coming at them and increases awareness of their surroundings. This is paramount in sport not only for preventing concussions (head trauma) but also for preventing accidents that may cause other injuries in general.

In the real world, the brain is wired for survival. Read that again: wired for survival, not for performance. Your brain is constantly working on, against, and with gravity every second of every day. In future articles, we’ll discuss the many modes the brain uses to serve and protect our noggins. This article tells you three reasons not to neglect your neurology. These are non-negotiables! I explain very easy ways to access these parts of your brain to free tissue, increase mobility, potentiate movement, reduce potential injury stressors, work on coordination, and just become a better mover. And it ain’t hard. You probably haven’t been doing it, so this would be a good time to start.

1. “You Cannot Move What You Cannot Feel”

In the world of neurology, tactile sensation and cortical body maps are critical pieces of improved high functioning neurology. If we are truly movement experts—or at least wish to be­­—we have to address each area of real estate in the brain. If you want to move it, feel it. Know where the heck it is.

If we are truly movement experts—or at least wish to be—we have to address each area of real estate in the brain, says @WGF1. Share on X

We take information from the body, and we implement a plan. These maps, which are built based on specific information that’s constantly provided by the three important subsystems, continue to interact to make intelligent decisions and predictions on your next move (proprioceptive, visual, and vestibular). If the athlete’s map or spatial awareness is off due to an issue within one or multiple subsystems, many potential problems could arise (and certainly, we won’t be at our highest state of preparedness).

2. Train Your Eyes—Not Just to See Clearly

The peripheral vision fields close down as threat increases. You read it right. Want to move better? Train your eyes. Too often, we look straight ahead in training and develop lazy peripheral fields.

Video 1. Football players incorporate a visual component in their warm-up.

As movement compensations creep into our everyday training life, so goes our peripheral vision. If we overlook the visual system, many imbalances throughout the body can become increasingly less than optimal.

3. Rocking and Rolling

Rocking and rolling should take the place of your core training. Your inner ear is the single most important sensory function that your brain and body need to function at a high level. If your vestibular system is compromised, it becomes a major threat to your movement world. When there is a threat, your vision changes, and the wheels begin to focus more on not crashing than on robust athletic movement.

Video 2. Rocking and rolling movements to warm-up the vestibular system.

Please don’t neglect the vestibular system. After all, if you don’t know which way is up—or where you are—it will be tough to express anything that resembles elite athletic ability. By stimulating this major system, you’ll quickly realize changes in postural recruitment strategies.

The part of the brain that is getting the most hits on Twitter and Instagram seems to be the cerebellum. Why is that? The cerebellum is responsible for maintenance of balance and posture/postural adjustment—and has a great working relationship with the vestibular system. So all the aspects of the above “what not to neglect” can be reached through training the cerebellum. In multiple videos and lectures, I’ve laid out how we can impact this area of the brain and get what I call motor returns: cleaned up movement, better accuracy, and better timing.

After all, isn’t this the essence of all sports? Notice I didn’t mention squatting, sprinting, fast twitch or slow twitch, eccentric or concentric. Let’s not neglect what helps those muscles contract, what creates that movement, and how we may do it more efficiently without pain: your brain.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Sprinting is unique because it’s the greatest plyometric and motor skill around. I often see plyometrics and motor skill learning rushed or abandoned in favor of just running fast. Doing so cheats athletes of valuable time to train their nervous system and muscles to crave proper technique and speed. No doubt, an athlete must frequently run fast to lay the framework for moving swiftly. Still, motor learning is a necessary support that provides context and allows athletes to self-organize all movement. Sprinting is, after all, a hind-brain activity that occurs very quickly.

The more good movements we expose our athletes to, the more experience their brain has to draw from. Researchers at McGill University found that:

To learn a new motor skill, the brain makes an estimate of the expected sensory inflow that it should get from your sensory system, and the cerebellum uses this prediction to compute the difference between what you intended to do and what you actually did. Elite athletes are not only better at coordinating their movements, their brains are also better at making these kinds of rapid predictions and readjustments.

Two exercises we use a lot in our program that go a long way in helping our athletes learn are prancing and galloping.  While admittedly funny looking, the variety and long term development they provide build robust athletes and sprinters alike.

Prancing Benefits

So what is prancing? Prancing is an exercise that requires tremendous amounts of coordination, rhythm, and ability to use the lower limbs and feet reflexively. It functions as a low level plyometric than can be used as an extensive option to build a base not just in volume but also in an athlete’s general motor skill learning. This movement is a needed precursor to true plyometrics and gives athletes a fighting chance to run well at peak velocity.

Prancing gives a reference point for plyometrics & teaches rhythm in upright sprinting to support running well at peak velocity, says @grahamsprints. Share on X
Prancing is a fun movement that appeals to athletes of all ages. However, it is not just fluff. It serves as a reference point for plyometrics and teaching rhythm in upright sprinting. Using prancing with my developmental athletes, I’ve seen marked improvements in all of the following:

1. Exploring and Finding Optimal Forward Lean with Great Posture

Studies have shown that the body’s lean while sprinting is between 2-4 degrees (Bruce, 1994; Hoskisson and Korchemny, 1991). Simply put, if an athlete is too upright or inclined too far forward, they will lack vertical force and appropriate dorsiflexion.

Try it: Stand upright. Now lean forward until you feel your Achilles get an elastic loading sensation. That’s how I cue my athletes. If you lean too far forward, you fall off-balance. Such is the balance of posture. It’s also a nice submax rehearsal of head position and gaze. If an athlete is not popping away from the ground, perhaps their posture is the issue, and it is much easier to correct here than at top speed. Make them feel the why behind “Posture, posture, posture.”

2. Teaching the Body Proper Co-Contractions and SSC Strategies

The prance is also great for allowing an athlete to find the sweet spot for proper foot strike with good GRF and loading ankles and Achilles like a spring for future plyometrics. Prancing creates enough air time for the athlete to prepare for the next ground contact. Using it in this manner makes it a great extensive plyometric with a maximum velocity theme. I call this pre-tensing, although I’m not sure if this is the correct terminology. When an athlete is having trouble with plyometrics, most times it’s not just a strength issue. They often have not learned how to load and unload properly.

3. Arms that Work Together and Contribute to Rhythm and Vertical Forces

My stance on arm action has always been that good arms help less than bad arm action hurts. Arms contribute about 10% to vertical force during sprinting. Not insignificant even in professionals. We often see high school athletes doing an array of things with their arms that often work against them.

When doing the prance, it’s critical that the timing of the arms is on point. Again, the elbow flexion, etc. of a prance is not the same as a max speed sprint. It is not as fast. What matters is that they’re optimizing it to learn and apply. I’ve had the best success cueing arms by saying, “elbows down and back.” This seems to create a contralateral action, or cross-extensor reflex with the leg to deliver an effective ground strike. The prance is a tremendous entry point for this. I often tell my prancing athletes to focus on “arms up” on one rep. On the next rep, “arms down.” What feels better? Whether the athlete is a pusher or puller, they get feedback here.

4. Acceleration Context

While having enough strength is important for acceleration, so is the ability to contract and relax (psoas and quads) and flex and extend opposite sides of the body. Even though prancing is done upright, it teaches general timing and provides context on thigh switching seen during a start with low heel recovery. Using the ground as a reference system, you can see the similarities in timing, but the differences in foot strike and horizontal projection don’t make this a guarantee.

How to Prance

The prance mixes a thigh drive with a “pogo bounce” off the ground as the reset position. The athlete must use each powerful thigh drive with the simultaneous pogo to be ready for the next ground contact before they get there.  Some athletes can pick this up right away, and this may tell you something during the early season about who has lots of general movement experience to pull from. Doing a tough drill motivates young athletes, and prancing is something novel you can use in many ways during a practice. For the initial introduction, it’s best to teach it as part of a warmup, and within a week they should be ready to prance at a moment’s notice.

The following is a progression plan I usually roll with to push my athletes to prancing proficiency safely.

1. Fence Drill Foot Pop/Assisted Pogo

The athlete should land stiff and aim for where the back row of spikes would be to maximize the reflexes of the feet and ankles. This is the landing position when prancing. The ankle and Achilles must load and unload.

Video 1. Mastering the basics allows coaches the freedom to use variations later. Don’t skip the boring and simple but be confident to allow athletes to move quicker through progressions.

2. Unassisted Pogo

Same thing as above but now without the fence to help control the downward velocity. They must do the same thing as #1, but quicker. If an athlete does not dorsiflex or get their ankle to a neutral position, it’s not possible to prance.

Video 2. Pogos and Prancing go hand and hand. Learn to bounce first, then add alternating switches.

3. Paused Standing Thigh Drive with Double-Foot Pogo Landing

Drive one thigh up aggressively using the arms to split and rip. Immediately relax and get the ankles and feet in position for a stiff pogo position landing that includes an elastic rebound.

Video 3. The leg drive of prancing is moving quickly from relaxing what needs to shut off quickly. Prancing is quickness, not power, so don’t have athletes punch their knee too forcefully.

4. In-Place Prance

It gets harder here. Now we begin driving the thigh and executing a double-leg pogo upon landing into another thigh drive on the opposite leg. It has to occur simultaneously. I usually have my athletes focus on landing with both feet together. Getting the arms down and back is key for delivering enough force to pop away from the ground.

5. Alternating Prance (Rhythm)

Same thing as #4, but the thigh drive has to come up closer to parallel. This will start the horizontal locomotion. Place the premium on rhythm, slight forward lean, and good hard double-foot contacts close to midfoot. Feel the elastic reflex contribution.

Video 4. Rhythm is tricky, as you want to be even to the flow of the exercise but not get tight from being too strict. Use a beat that works for your athletes and foster rhythms that develop good positioning.

6. Alternate Prance (Quick + Long)

The thigh drive and arms control the length of time on the ground. To go quickly, the athlete will use short coupling times, small leg drive, and quick arm action at the expense of GRF. To prance long, the athlete will use a longer coupling time and slightly more horizontal orientation with powerful arms and thigh drive.

This progression could have huge value for field athletes and athletes who specialize in multiple events. Discovering how to manipulate ground contact length for quickness and power is a terrific learning experience.

Video 5. Experimenting with speed encourages athletes to find a landing pattern that suits them. Due to the low impact of the exercise, risks are low so feel free to push athletes to uncomfortable rates of speed.

Other Variations

1. Lateral 45-Degree Prance

This is performed like a traditional prance, but the leg closest to the dividing line drives out at a 45-degree angle. Again, both feet land together. The same variations of quick and long are possible here.

Video 6. Lateral prancing is awesome as it takes a simple exercise and makes it more exploratory without resorting to being silly. Lateral hops and lateral prancing are very similar, and should be mastered by all athletes.

2. Big and Small Asymmetrical Prance

This is the same as a regular prance, but I cue the athlete to go big on one side and use a smaller setup bounce on the other. The knee drive and arm action are more aggressive when going “big.” This helps you see imbalances.

3. Single-Leg Prance

This variation probably has the most aggressive thigh drive and knee punch of all. The power arm action contributes to the jump and is a great option for teaching “violence” during acceleration.

Video 7. Single-leg prancing sometimes is a rehab or regression, depending on the athlete. Coach Valle is a huge prancing fan for athletes who need to work on recovery mechanics (and actually commissioned this article).

Benefits of Galloping

The gallop is another staple movement in our track program. It’s essentially a series of repeated single-leg jumps using rolling or flat foot contacts. Like the prance, there are endless variations and applications if coaches don’t limit their imagination. There are many benefits to galloping, and it’s great to see coaches I respect like John Garrish, Rob Assise, and Carl Valle lobby for including gallops in programs.

1. Gallops Are Fun

Gallops might be one of the most fun motor skill activities to teach and progress. Gallops have an air of harmlessness about them that other drills, jumps, and plyos simply don’t have. If feeling elated were an exercise, this would be it. Often kids are afraid of being wrong or looking silly when sprinting or jumping, but this creates an atmosphere where fun movement is the foundation.

2. Perfect for Single-Leg Jumpers

Long jumpers, high jumpers, and athletes whose goal it is to dunk will have a lot of options here. The experimentation alone will make them more aware of their bodies. When I discuss variations in the upcoming section, you’ll see why. This is a great way to give athletes extensive submaximal repetitions. Single-leg jumping requires more horizontal braking than bounding, which has more of a vertical braking component. I think all jumpers have different solutions for expressing and redirecting force via speed (faster run, shorter GCT) or power jumping (slower run, longer GCT). Although the cliché “self-organization” feels like a lazy buzzword, gallops can help athletes and coaches decide how to maximize the single-leg takeoff and support with other plyometrics. The gallop checks a lot of boxes for the multi-event athlete, including some hurdling.

3. Training Maximum Velocity Postures

In examining two stills from one of my gallop videos, I can’t help but draw some similarities between the “toe-off” and “full support” positions of maximum velocity running. In the second image, the swing leg recovers high and tight to the glute and steps over the opposite knee while the stance leg lands close to under the center of mass. The posture involves a slight forward lean that allows for a fluid transition to the next gallop. I would say that the “figure 4” position without a gap between the knees slowly gives the athlete feedback on how to best position their limbs.

4. Varied and Easy to Teach in Large Groups

The best part is that you can do these anywhere. I can get kids galloping in one practice, and we can even do them on a grass field. I can have high jumpers do curvilinear gallops while long jumpers do distance gallops and hurdlers do hurdle gallops over wickets spaced 10 feet apart on the turf as a warmup before their main practice. You can gallop high, far, in a rhythm, and use single or double arms. 

How to Gallop

In some videos below, I’m galloping on the track, which is not optimal because grass or turf limits pounding. I was merely using the facility available to me on a given day. Some of the progressions are slow and quite easy, and it’s up to you to decide where to start. I’ve started at the beginning with some, and some athletes can progress quite rapidly. I’m a single-arm galloper, but double arms can be used as well in any of the exercises.

1. Walking Rolling Contacts with and Without Arms

I start by teaching an athlete to walk while rolling through the heel and pushing off with the big toe joint. I then add arms and ask them to imagine a lifting sensation while getting one arm down and the other up simultaneously.

Video 8. Walking and rolling contacts are excellent for fundamental galloping and other locomotive methods. The speed of walking is much slower than running, so understand that much of the remedial drills don’t transfer until later variants are prescribed.

2. Horse Gallop

This is pretty silly. You can use a hurdle top or PVC. I have the athlete imagine they are a kid pretending to be a cowboy or cowgirl. I often add a “baddum, baddum…” noise for a rhythm. They execute with small, flat foot contacts. Occasionally with gallops, kids will perform an alternating left-right skip for distance. If they do this, I remind them to focus on one leg at a time and only to express force with that leg. The other leg is effectively a dummy, setup leg.

Video 9. Galloping is inspired by horses, so spend some time observing equine sports and nature. Galloping is not just used to add variety, it helps athletes problem-solve foreign motions that are sometimes improvements in movement quality.

3. Quick Gallop

I like starting with a quick gallop because it’s an easy way to let athletes feel the contributions of their arms. When galloping quickly, the elbows flex more, close less on the backswing, and block below the head level. I find it helpful to have the athletes pop their arm down and focus on that to set a quick rhythm. The low height of a quick gallop lets you do a more extensive volume of reps. I typically use more of a flat takeoff myself, since the takeoff is quick, and the shin drops less—like when preparing for a big horizontal displacement.

Video 10. Galloping quick is excellent for athletes who need to explore frontside mechanics. Teaching galloping doesn’t promise excellent frontside mechanics directly, but it could help athletes be aware of their frontside mechanics in general.

4. Gallop Buildup

I love using this variation to see who is ready for more intensive galloping and is beginning to change their speed and direction of force. I’m not what I’d call a speed jumper, so I typically start flat-footed with short contacts on the first gallop and progress to heel-toe takeoffs with longer ground contact. My arm blocks at about chest height on the first rep, and by the fifth rep, it’s up by my eyes and head.

Video 11. Building up speed or motion in different ways is valuable for LTAD and teaching. This video is useful for sprinting and other athletic tasks.

5. Gallop for Distance

Once the athlete has the quickness and rhythm down, we begin talking about going for distance. I cue them to be heel-toe or flat and experiment, ultimately paying attention to what feels better. I like them to think about accelerating and pushing off the joint under the big toe. When doing these, lots of athletes will begin to gather and rock and drop their hips excessively rather than patiently rolling through the foot. They need to keep their posture, which will put them in a better position for the next jump. I’m beginning to think about tracking galloping distances over five hurdles. In one of the videos, I’ve spaced five wickets at 12 feet. With any distance further than that, I was not able to complete the last wicket.

Video 12. Galloping for distance can turn ugly if you don’t look at landing positions, since technically it’s not similar to sprinting. Make sure the athlete is graceful, feels light, and doesn’t overwork their hamstrings.

6. Randomly Spaced Gallops

These are the holy grail of galloping. On each rep, I remove a wicket, adding or playing around with the distance of each. There is definitely an agility component here since every rep is a different set of distances, and the athlete has to organize on the fly to best complete the row of wickets via gallops. In one of the reps below, I have wickets spaced as close as five feet and as far as 15 feet. In another spacing, I gallop more like a hurdler who is one-stepping. The randomness leads to awesome results, especially when an athlete blows out of a quick gallop with a powerful gallop. Slowing it down on slow-motion video, you can see how an athlete uses varied foot contacts and arm blocks to get the job done.

Randomly spaced gallops have huge value for field sport & multi-event track athletes who need a variety of movement solutions to execute successfully. Share on X

I’ve never had an athlete who could not do a successful rep as long as they were ready for this variation, and the spacings were not too ambitious. This holds tremendous value for field sport and multi-event track athletes (especially athletes who do all three jumps or hurdles) who will need a variety of movement solutions to execute successfully.

Video 13. Galloping with broken rhythms are necessary to improve the ability to create rhythms due to transition patterns. Here is a common example of the exercise used for all sports.

Other Variations

1. Hurdle Gallops

These essentially are an imaginary “one-step” hurdle drill. I cue the athletes with the traditional, “check the wallet and watch” cue, with the trailing arm stopping on the hip, and the lead arm blocking in front. I have them keep the slight downward lean (not just flexing at the waist) that would be seen over the top of the hurdle throughout the entire rep. This is an excellent way to teach an active lead leg that craves being back on the track without any interruption of flow between each push-off. Once they have a rhythm, I ask them to think about making their parabola slightly higher and more arced to clear a higher imaginary hurdle. This is great prep for a novice hurdler and provides more context as to why we don’t jump hurdles. They can take this with them as they progress to less hurdling discounts in both height and distance.

Video 14. Gallop hurdles are not just for long jumpers, they are for everyone who is on their feet. In addition to speeds, learn to play with spacings and heights to explore movement strategies.

2. Curve Gallops

Let me start by saying that turf fields have way too many curved lines and circles to not take advantage of them. Running and jumping on a curve is different than doing them linearly. The circle run is a high jump staple, but I don’t see many people doing curved gallops. It does feel a little awkward when using two arms since there is no actual bar to clear, and the body wants to rotate as such. This drill is a must to let the athlete understand that the lean during the “J” in the high jump comes from the inward rotation of the ankles and the feet using crossover steps. It’s important to cue the athlete to stay on the line during a curved gallop.

Video 15. Adding a curve to galloping breaks the monotony of linear galloping and creates variety with a purpose. Curved running is a skill that is great for enhancing other motor skills down the road.

3. Run-Run-Jumps/ Long Jump Gallops

We’ve all seen athletes barrel down the runway and throw their arms forward or leave them behind at take off. The run-run-jump with windmill arms helps athletes who use a “run in the air” to land with better orientation. Perhaps a run-run-jump with a conventional two-armed takeoff would be more suitable for a hang jumper. Either way, variability is a good thing. Adding the two runs between jumps adds a layer of complexity to the penultimate step, forcing the athlete to keep their posture through the two runs while rocking through the heel to the toe.

Video 16. The “Run-Run-Jump” drill is timeless. Coaches who use it will see improvements in jumping technique and reacceleration if coached properly.

Endless Options

Between prancing and galloping, a coach has many options when trying to help their athletes learn. On maximum velocity days, powerful prances with a big pop are more suited as a warmup tool or as an entry-level plyometric. Quick prances function almost as dribbles with a reduced ground reactive force to get reps in without the fatigue. As a whole, prancing goes a long way with teaching foot strike and proper postures.

Gallops help teach hurdling, jumping, and maximum velocity postures to large groups of athletes, says @grahamsprints. Share on X

Likewise, gallops are a means to teach hurdling, jumping, and maximum velocity postures to large groups of athletes. My head is already swimming with ideas on how to use hurdle gallops as a part of a completion run rep with long hurdlers. Or maybe as a complex with a hurdler’s reduced spacing acceleration work between hurdles. I envision using gallops for distance as part of a jump complex with full approaches and gallop buildups on short approach days. The random-spaced gallops can shift motor learning into high gear by letting athletes, such as hurdlers, figure out where to be and how to get there.

Prancing & galloping, two funny looking exercises, can help shift focus back to long-term athletic development in the speed world, says @grahamsprints. Share on X

We see lots of jump testing, but I wonder if tracking gallop distance would be a refreshing way to motivate athletes without getting overly specific this summer. The athlete could use both static start reps in which they have to overcome inertia on acceleration-themed days and use a 5- to 10-yard run on maximum velocity days. Moving forward, I’ll be playing around with this. These two funny named and looking exercises are a way to shift the focus back to long-term athletic development in the speed world.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Despite some variances depending on the state in which you live, we are getting close to football season…of some kind. As coaches, we will have limited time with our athletes to get them ready. So, we need to get our athletes fast as soon as possible.

Here are my top four techniques on how to get faster at running and to improve speed in football.

Technique #1: Max Velocity Running

It may seem strange that this would be a “technique” to improve speed, but during my 30 years of coaching, I’ve seen that the average football player who has been in the weight room for months often has a hard time sprinting. On more occasions than I hoped to witness, I’ve had athletes come to me for a filmed running assessment, and when I asked them to sprint, they fell, tripped, or stumbled as they tried to get to top end speed. Their form was usually a leaned-forward position as they tried to squat their way down the track.

Video 1. Analysis of sprint mechanics for an athlete leaning too far forward with their torso.

This mechanical flaw is usually the result of an athlete doing months of bilateral movement under strain without ever having to move their limbs rapidly. Unfortunately, this is what we ask our athletes to do on the first day of practice: Run as fast as you can without ever practicing the most neurologically demanding movement our body knows.

There is a simple fix. Sprint as fast as you can for a short duration, frequently and fresh. The fear of falling is one of our greatest fears (think caveman days: falling when sprinting usually resulted in you being dinner for some terrifying predator). The body will adjust itself to not fall over within a few reps. One of the shortcomings is that the body will at first slow down to relearn how to sprint, so it will take more than a few workouts to get to that max speed.

Tip #1: Keep the Distance Short

Coaches tend to use longer distances so they can kill two birds with one stone—speed work and conditioning. The problem with this is that combining the two trains the athlete’s nervous system to run slow in a fatigued state; it never learns to open all the way up, and it creates a lower neural ceiling. Max velocity tends to develop better in a fresh, well-rested state.

Max velocity needs to be coaxed by starting with a short distance. When timing 10-meter splits from longer sprints, very few sprinters are able to hold max velocity for a full 30 meters. Few high school sprinters can hold 20 meters. Novice runners can’t hold for 10 meters. They are good for two strides and start to slow down. Master the 10 meters and when improvements stop, add 5 meters more.

Max velocity needs to be coaxed by starting with a short distance…Sprint as fast as you can for a short duration, frequently and fresh, says @korfist. Share on X

This workout would be 4-5 reps of a fly 10-meter run with a 5- to 8-minute rest to allow for ATP/creatine replenishment.

Why is max velocity important if players never reach it in a game?

Some people may ask, why do we need to get to max velocity? The average speed run during a game is 14 miles an hour. Well, say you have two cars: a Porsche and a Ford. Both cars can get to 60 mph, but because of the Porsche’s higher ceiling, it will get there faster. It will have a much higher rate of acceleration due to its higher horsepower or max velocity.

Tip #2: Use a Timer

Having a target is always the best training cue for athletic development. One way to expedite the nervous system reaching max velocity is by using an electronic timer and targeting a time. Having an electronic timer gets rid of the “coach’s clock” syndrome. And once you have legitimate times, you can post them. Nothing will motivate an athlete more than seeing their name in the middle of the pack and wanting to move up.

It’s also a great motivational tool because they can see themselves improve every week. And because we have a short period of time (and many athletes haven’t done much over the last couple months), they will certainly get faster with the sprints that they do. A great program to follow is “Feed the Cats” by Tony Holler. SimpliFaster also offers a great selection of timers. For beginners, it is easy to start with a Freelap System, and they now have a very reasonably priced option.

Tip #3: Incorporate Mini Hurdles

If running form is a concern, using mini hurdles is a great way to take care of the problem. Once again, we will tap into the fear of falling and place mini hurdles on the field. The hurdles should be between 3 and 5 inches tall and anywhere from 5 to 6 1/2 feet apart. The faster the athlete, the farther the distance.

There is a benefit for faster athletes to go through shorter hurdle spacing. The hurdles usually clean up most running flaws, says @korfist. Share on X

However, there is a benefit for faster athletes to go through shorter hurdle spacing. The hurdles usually clean up most running flaws. I straddle the hurdle placement on a line, and my coaching tips for the hurdles are to go through as fast as the athlete can, keeping the right foot on the right side of the line and left foot on the left side of the line.

Video 2. Athlete performing a short assisted sprint over mini hurdles towed by the 1080 Sprint.

Tip #4: Program Drills to Help Sprinting

I employ a series of drills that help improve sprinting as well. One of the aspects of fast running is the scissoring action of the knees during a sprint, and this is universal, whether in accelerating, sprinting, or agility. I call these drills booms. They are really abbreviated high knees, but they incorporate hip stability and body tension. For an entire progression of the drills, you can purchase this video.

Video 3. Athlete performing one of the switches in the “booms” progression.

Another drill series I use develops the hip. Most athletes, especially those who have had a heavy dose of bilateral movements, tend to lose their lateral stability when they stand on one leg. You can see this when they run. One leg will cross the body to the other side.

This will not only actually force the athlete to decelerate because the foot is too far in front of the body, but also cause too much rotation in the upper body to compensate for the hips swerving too much—not that different from an axle having a bend in it. As mentioned above, mini hurdles down a line or mini hurdles with hands over the head tend to help quite a bit. A full progression of lateral chain hip development is available here.

Video 4. Lateral chain development targeting the hips.

Technique #2: Practice Running Separating the Upper and Lower Body

As much as one-third of the game of football is played with the torso or head not completely square on the hips. This could be a WR looking back for a fade, a linebacker watching a running back while sprinting toward the side line, a tackle turning outside to pick up an edge rusher, or the same edge rusher getting turned while pursuing the QB. Some coaches call this “football speed” and use it as a reason to say that track doesn’t develop football speed. We don’t want the WR to be overthrown because he can’t keep his speed once he turns back to find the football. Similar problems could occur for all the above-mentioned positions as well.

Let’s learn to be “football fast” by training for these scenarios and getting accustomed to performing while the upper and lower body are separated.

Video 5. Athlete performing assisted sprints with the upper and lower body separated.

It is really quite simple: Run your flys with different body positions—either head back or adjusted or torso adjusted. If you have an electronic timer, look at the huge speed difference between normal running and departed running. What is even cooler is if you watch the difference shrink with the practice of different types of runs—now you are “football fast.”

Video 6. Sprinting while looking the opposite direction, working on keeping full speed while making visual contact with an offset target.

Technique #3: Running Circles

Agility training for football usually consists of ladders and cone runs. In game situations, however, players run some form of a circle more than they plant and cut, but we never really train for it. If you train near a basketball court, the tipoff circle, free throw circle, and three-point arc all make great circles to sprint around. Hula hoops work great as well. Someone who does not efficiently and quickly run a circle never advances their outside hip, and it looks like they hop around the circle, which means it takes two steps where it should only take one. A really efficient athlete can bring their outside hip forward and lead with their outside shoulder, so the outside leg advances the body.

Running a figure eight (Infinity Run) while focusing on a target may very well be a top exercise for football training, says @korfist. Share on X

To make it an even better movement, use two hula hoops and make a figure eight. Now you are incorporating hip movement. Most coaches say their athletes need better hips. To make the exercise even more football-friendly, have the athletes focus on a target while running the figure eights (also known as an Infinity Run). This integrates their vestibular system with running, and it may very well be a top exercise for football training.

Video 7. Running a figure eight pattern (or Infinity Run) for football-specific footwork and agility.

Technique #4: First Step Shin Angle/Foot Stiffness

None of the movements mentioned above will be as effective without a good first step. There isn’t a coach out there who doesn’t want a better first step. The problem is that most don’t know what parts go into a first step. The first step is going to rely on two things:

 

• • The most important is the direction of the force.

 

• • The second is the displacement of the hips, or how far the athlete’s body travels before their first foot hits the ground.

 

The direction of force is the key element. Say we take two athletes who can create 500N of force, which usually translates into a squat of two times an athlete’s body weight (generally). Athlete A has a shin drop that is more horizontal in nature, and Athlete B has a more vertical drop. Who travels farther on their first step? Of course, Athlete A. In fact, the more powerful Athlete B becomes, the more vertical he pushes and does not improve his first step quickness.

The direction of force is the key element for a good first step…We need to use resistance to hold the body so it can find that shin-down position, says @korfist. Share on X

What are some drills to do to be more like Athlete A? I rely on one concept: We need to use resistance to hold the body so it can find that shin-down position.

Video 8. Horizontal shin drop that helps deliver force in the right direction for acceleration.

Video 9. An example of a march, where the athlete is trying to roll over the top of the foot.

Video 10. Here is a video that shows how to move laterally.

With not much time to work with your athletes in some states, use the above tips, techniques, and drills to get the most out of the small amount of time you do have.

I didn’t want to have to write this. When I wrote my first four-week speed training plan, I was hopeful that by now you athletes would be back with your coaches, working to get better and make up for lost time. Instead, it’s June. Restrictions are starting to be lifted, but it’s entirely possible that you’re going to have to keep training on your own for a little while.

The goal for these workouts is to get faster and more athletic, not to “get in shape.” This isn’t conditioning. Science tells us that your aerobic fitness—the thing coaches are really talking about when they talk about “getting in shape”—deteriorates much, much slower than your pure speed and power. Take a look.

If you’re pretty well conditioned, you can take around a month off before your aerobic conditioning falls apart too much, but you have a week or less before speed gains start to slip. Unless you’re a cross country runner, your coaches don’t need you out running endless miles in the summer heat. If they think they do, have them come talk to me.

If you’re pretty well conditioned, you can take around a month off before your aerobic conditioning falls apart too much, but you have a week or less before speed gains start to slip. Share on X

What I have for you is four more weeks of speed training that you can do on your own. You can also do this with a friend or with a small group, depending on your state’s guidelines for social distancing. If you train with other people, make sure to be safe and stay far enough apart from one another that you’re not breathing in each other’s faces or swapping sweat. Bring your own water bottle. Be smart. Nobody wants to see fall sports canceled because people were irresponsible as soon as they returned to the real world.

Sprint Drills

Here are the sprint drills I posted way back in March. There’s nothing new here, but I’m sharing them again in case you need a refresher. All of the links are videos, so watch those if you need to see examples.

SPRINT DRILLS – A DAY	SPRINT DRILLS – B DAY
A-march	Walk over knees
A-skip	A-skip
B-skip	B-skip
High knees	Backward high knees
Lunge walkovers	Skip for height
Butt kicks	Pogo jumps for height
Five box jump	Backward run (butt kick and reach)
Straight-leg bounds	Boom-booms
Wall drills	3×30 meter accelerations

I do have to emphasize one thing, based on a few videos I’ve seen athletes and coaches post from their solo workouts. These drills need to be done at a high intensity with lots of attention to detail. These are meant to teach your body the posture, shapes, and movements required to sprint, so if you’re doing these slowly or going through the motions, you’re missing the point. This isn’t a warm-up. It’s all about quality, improving performance, and getting your body ready for speed.

The Workouts

For this four-week segment, you’ll train three times per week. Some of you will want to train daily, but you have to give your body a chance to recover if you want to see growth. Think of it this way: If you were in the weight room and you maxed out on Monday, you wouldn’t try to max out again on Tuesday. Sprinting is kind of like that. You should be “maxing out” with these workouts by pushing maximum velocity on every rep. You can’t do that every day without putting yourself at serious risk of injury. Recovery is important. Take days off.

Some of you will want to train daily, but you have to give your body a chance to recover if you want to see growth, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

Speaking of recovery, you’re going to need to get comfortable with standing around in between reps during these workouts. The goal is not to be tired. It’s to be fast and explosive—to max out —on every sprint. In order to perform at its fullest potential, the body has to be fresh. Be patient. You’ll be better for it in the end.

Just like in the table of sprint drills, I sprinkled links throughout the rest of this article so you can see the drills and exercises demonstrated. I highly recommend clicking those links and watching the videos. Let’s get to it.

Week 1, Monday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

3x 40-Yard Dash

The 40-yard dash is a staple of lots of speed training programs because it touches on both acceleration and maximum velocity. It’s the standard for football testing, but it’s also really relevant for every other team sport. Think about it: How often will you ever sprint more than 40 yards at once in any team-sport situation? The answer is not very often. Most of what we do in field and court sports falls under the umbrella of acceleration (and deceleration and changing directions, but that’s a different conversation).

But if that’s true, then why not sprint even shorter distances? Well, you will. But to answer your question, you’re going to sprint 40 yards because when you increase your maximum speed, you also increase your ability to accelerate. The weird thing is that the opposite isn’t true: You can’t increase your maximum speed by working only on acceleration. The 40 allows you to work on both, which is what makes it a great training option.

If you have access to a track, use the boys’ hurdle marks (which are 10 yards apart) to measure 40 yards. If you don’t have access to a track, but you do happen to have a tape measure, measure off 120 feet. I went ahead and did the math for you because I know you’ve been out of school for a while. If you don’t have either of those things, do your best to get close to 40 yards by walking off 40 big steps anywhere you can find room—the sidewalk, an empty parking lot, a field, a country road. You get the idea.

Sprint 40 yards as fast as you possibly can. If you’re working with a partner, have them time you with a stopwatch or a smartphone. Timing is always better than not timing, because it gives you instant feedback and something to shoot for. In fact, now seems like a good time to remind you that, if possible, you should time every single sprint you do in any of these workouts.

Timing is always better than not timing, because it gives you instant feedback and something to shoot for, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

After you sprint, rest for at least five minutes before you sprint again. Do three reps total and call it a day.

Week 1, Wednesday

Sprint Drills (B Day)

5x Wickets

5x Single-Leg Drop Jumps (each leg)

5x Depth Jump for Height

5x Depth Jump + Broad Jump

We talked about wickets back in March, but if several months of taking classes on Zoom has turned your brain to mush, then go ahead and watch this video to refresh your memory. Basically, wickets are a sprinting drill that teaches proper posture and stride patterns for max-speed sprinting. That means you have to perform these drills as fast as you can, that you should focus on running tall with your hips in front, and that you should rest enough between each run-through to be able to run fast again the next time.

Drop jumps are great because they teach your body how to absorb force. And the more force you can absorb, the more you can produce. This won’t make you short of breath, and you might feel silly doing it if you’ve never done it before, but I promise you that each time you land, your fast-twitch fibers are firing instantaneously to keep your body from collapsing and falling over. Find a raised surface that’s a couple feet high, jump off the surface, and land on one foot. That’s it. It’s important that you stick your landing and find your balance rather than walking out of the drill the second you hit the ground.

A depth jump for height is just like a drop jump, except that instead of sticking the initial landing, you immediately perform a second jump from the ground. From a raised surface, like the porch steps, a park bench, or a picnic table, jump down and land with two feet. As soon as you land, immediately jump as high as you can and land with two feet again, sticking your second landing. It’s really important that you do not spend a lot of time on the ground between jumps. There’s a fancy word for this (it’s “amortization phase”), and that’s all well and good, but what it means for you is that you want to absorb the force of your landing and then immediately produce explosive force with your jump as quickly as possible.

For the depth jump + broad jump movement, keep everything exactly the same as your depth jump for height. The only difference is that instead of landing and jumping as high as you can, you’ll be landing and jumping as far as you can. Sometimes it helps to have a visual target (like a chalk line or a stick) to reach for and hold yourself accountable for maximum intent on each rep. Whatever you do, make sure each jump is of the utmost quality and effort.

Week 1, Friday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

4x 20-Yard Dash

Remember when I said you’d sprint short distances, too? That’s what you’re going to do today. By definition, there’s basically no way you will achieve your maximum velocity over the course of 20 yards. That’s okay, because you’re still going to get a chance to work on your acceleration mechanics and on using big, powerful steps to generate speed.

Lots of people think you need quick feet to accelerate, but that’s not really true. You need to be able to push down and back with enough power to propel you forward, then do it again and again until you’ve reached full speed. Short, choppy steps won’t do that for you.

For these sprints, I’d recommend starting in a three- or four-point position, but you can play around to start in a way that most closely mimics your sport. If you’re a wide receiver, you could use a standing start. If you’re a prolific base-stealer on your baseball team, you could start facing sideways like you would if you were leading off from first base. No matter what, remember to think of your steps as powerful, not quick.

You won’t need quite as much recovery as you would for a longer sprint, but I’d still recommend at least three minutes between each rep. I know you get bored easily and have a short attention span. You can do it. Sprint 20 yards, listen to an entire song on your earbuds (or AirPods if you’re fancy), and then sprint again.

Week 2, Monday

Sprint Drills (B Day)

5x 30-Yard Hill Sprints

Today you’re going to continue to work on the acceleration mechanics that you practiced on Friday of last week by doing hill sprints. There are two reasons why hill sprints count as acceleration. First, they’re only 30 yards, which means you probably aren’t touching top speed. Second, because of the incline of the hill, a forward body lean is necessary for balance. You can’t stand straight up and down while sprinting uphill.

Here’s a tip for choosing a hill for hill sprints: If it’s a good sledding hill, it’s a terrible sprinting hill, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

Here’s a tip for choosing a hill: If it’s a good sledding hill, it’s a terrible sprinting hill. What I mean is that if a hill is too steep, you’ll be much too slow and your mechanics will turn to garbage really quickly. You’ll be practicing bad habits, and we don’t want that. The hill has to be gradual enough that you can still sprint at a relatively high speed and maintain proper mechanics. Try to find an incline that’s around 30 degrees. I know you don’t have a protractor, but you do have eyeballs. 30 degrees. Terrible for sledding, perfect for sprinting.

Sprint. Walk back. Rest for five minutes. Sprint again. Do it five times. Go home.

Week 2, Wednesday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

2×10 Hurdle Hops

5x PAP Jumps

3×5 Single-Leg Deadlifts (each leg)

You don’t have to have hurdles to do hurdle hops. You could use cones, pieces of scrap wood, sticks you found in the yard, or your imagination. For this drill, focus on ankle stiffness by contacting the ground and immediately bouncing back up. When we let our ankles, knees, or hips collapse too much, we spend too long on the ground. The most force you can apply in the least amount of time is the goal.

Post activation potentiation, or PAP, is another fancy training concept that isn’t actually all that fancy. What it means is this: When you lift something heavy, there’s about a 30-second window of time immediately after the heavy lift where your body can produce more explosive force than it could have if you hadn’t just lifted something heavy. So, in order to do this, you need something heavy.

Weights are good, but so are cinder blocks or 5-gallon buckets filled with dirt. Use the heavy thing you found and do two full squats with it (or, alternately, deadlifts if a better choice given the weight). Then, after you set it down, perform 1-2 two-footed vertical jumps as high as you possibly can. This isn’t a bounce drill, so you can regain your balance and rest for a couple seconds after each jump. As long as you perform both jumps within the 30-second window, you should be good. Take a break, and then do it again until you’ve done five rounds.

Single-leg deadlifts aren’t all that complicated. Watch the video. If you don’t have weights, it’s okay. If you do, it’s even better. Use what you have.

Week 2, Friday

Sprint Drills (B Day)

2x 60-Yard Dash

You get it. Mark off 60 yards in the most accurate way you can, and sprint your little heart out. You’ll need 6-8 minutes of rest between reps.

Week 3, Monday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

3x 40-Yard Dash

Sound familiar? If not, I have serious questions about your short-term memory. Scroll back up if you need to.

Week 3, Wednesday

Sprint Drills (B Day)

5x Wickets

2×10 Leg Exchange Plyos (see video below)

10x Rear Foot Elevated Split Jumps (each leg)

5x Consecutive Broad Jumps for Distance

For all of the jumps today, you should once again be aiming to minimize ground contact time. On the leg exchange plyos, you’re working on ankle stiffness and bounce.

On the elevated split jumps, it will be harder to bounce in the same way due to a flat-footed landing, but you should still try to get back off the ground as quickly as you can.

You already know how to do a broad jump, because we talked about it during Week 1. What I want you to do here is to get as far as you possibly can in five jumps, and I want you to measure how far you made it. Write your distance down somewhere, because you can take this exercise with you into the future and try to beat your distance next time. You don’t have to wait for some guy on the internet to prescribe these movements to you. Learn them, master them, and hang on to them forever.

Video 1. Leg Exchanges Plyos demonstrated by Coach Matthew Watson from his article “Plyometric Training Systems: Developmental vs. Progressive.”

Week 3, Friday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

1x 20-Yard Dash

1x 30-Yard Dash

1x 40-Yard Dash

1x 50-Yard Dash

Really spicing things up here, aren’t we? For these, your rest will vary. Take one full minute of rest for every 10 yards of the previous rep. That means you’ll sprint 20 yards, then rest for two minutes. Sprint 30 yards, then rest for three. Sprint 40 yards, then rest for four. After you sprint 50 yards, you can rest for the next couple days.

Week 4, Monday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

3x 30-Yard Dash

Measure your distance. Sprint. Time yourself if you can. Rest. Repeat.

Week 4, Wednesday

Sprint Drills (B Day)

5x Single-Leg Drop Jump + Hurdle Hop (each leg)

5x Stair Sprints

3×6 Bounds for Distance

The first movement sounds more complicated than it is. You already know how to do both individual parts of the exercise, so you just have to put them together. You’ll need a raised surface and something to hop over, like a mini-hurdle, cone, or stick. From the raised surface, drop down and land on one foot. Then, immediately bounce off the ground and hop over the hurdle, cone, or stick, and land with the same foot again. Do five on each leg.

For stair sprints, you need a flight of around 15 steps. If you can’t find this anywhere, you could substitute the hill workout you did last week. Sprint to the top of the stairs as fast as you possibly can, walk back down, rest at least three minutes, and do it again. If you have someone who can time you, that would be awesome.

A fantastic jumps coach from Illinois named Rob Assise recently wrote an article about bounding. If you have time, read the whole thing. But if you don’t, at least watch the videos in the article to see what it looks like when athletic high schoolers such as yourself bound correctly.

From a standing start, bound six times and see how far you can get. Rest for three minutes or so and do it again, and try to beat your previous distance. Every time you do this, try to get a little farther than the time before.

Week 4, Friday

Sprint Drills (A Day)

3x 20-Yard Fly

For these, you need a friend and a couple cones or other objects to use as visual markers for the 20-yard distance. Back up another 15 or 20 yards from there and start sprinting. Your friend should start the stopwatch when you cross the first cone, and stop the stopwatch when you cross the second cone. That’s a 20-yard fly.

You ran 20-yard dashes way back in Week 1, but those were from a standstill. These use a flying start to tell you how fast you can cover that distance when you’re already moving fast to start with. All in all, you’ll cover around 40 yards or so of ground, but you’ll only be timing the fastest part of that distance.

The Return

If the best-case scenario plays out, fall sports will go off in your state without a hitch. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to show up to practice the first day looking like someone who didn’t just play video games and eat Hot Cheetos all summer? And don’t act like you don’t have time. Each one of these workouts should take you around 40 minutes, start to finish. All told, that’s a grand total of two hours per week. It’s not like we’re training for a marathon here. Prioritizing speed is always a good use of your time, and it shows that you’re committed to your own athletic development, your coaches, and your teammates.

Prioritizing speed is always a good use of your time, and it shows that you’re committed to your own athletic development, your coaches, and your teammates, says @TrackCoachTG. Share on X

Finally, let me say this. Your coaches love to know that you’re putting in work. Take videos of yourself. Analyze your technique. Share your workouts on social media. If you want some feedback, you should absolutely feel free to tag me on Twitter or send me a DM. I might not be a coach at your school, but I’d still be happy to give you some pointers. After all, I’m having speed-coaching withdrawal since track and field season was canceled this spring.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

“Long-term athletic development” is a phrase that has gained a tremendous amount of traction in the past few years. It highlights the importance of a gradual and meticulous journey for physical growth and performance gains in speed, strength, and power with youth athletes.

Coaches need to have some degree of knowledge about child development so they can learn how to help their athletes during these dynamic times of growth, says @fitsoccerqueen. Share on X

Many sports coaches see their players starting at a young age all the way until high school or college, which is an extensive period of time to be caring for a human. Through growth spurts, maturation, coordination disturbances, speed hindrances, and so much more, coaches need to have some degree of knowledge about child development so they can learn how to help their athletes during these dynamic times.

They need to know when to cut back on the training load, when to work on stability, when to home in on deceleration mechanics, when to optimize recovery, when to progress difficulty, and when to build strength, speed, and power in a safe and progressive manner.

Being a youth sports coach is a rewarding career for any adult who finds joy in guiding, teaching, and inspiring kids. There is nothing better than running an exuberant practice that leaves kids with beaming smiles on their faces. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing a young athlete proud of themselves for scoring a goal. There is nothing more exciting than high-fiving your players after a hard-fought game. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing your young athletes blossom as they grow up.

While the work coaches do is fulfilling, it also comes with immense responsibility—the care of a human being through all of its physical and mental growth processes. Here are 10 things youth coaches must know about child development to set their athletes up for a successful and healthy career.

1. Everyone Is on a Different Schedule

This much I know: You can’t rush physical development. Every child is on their own biological clock, so one 11-year-old kid might be slower than the 11-year-old kid next door.

Of course, it’s frustrating for a parent to see their kid at a physical disadvantage, but coaches have to remember to educate parents to meet kids where they are in their development journey. Constantly berating them for their size, strength, body composition, speed, or awkward coordination won’t solve anything, especially during a time that is uncontrollable. It is best for coaches to be fully transparent with parents, as well as their young athletes, on what to expect during this time.

It’s frustrating for a parent to see their kid at a physical disadvantage, but coaches should educate parents to meet kids where they are in their development journey, says @fitsoccerqueen. Share on X

Child development is a natural process—one that we must be patient with and forgiving of at times.

So, what is the solution here?

For the late-maturing child who is waiting to develop speed, strength, and power, continue to focus on coordination, technical skills, and the other beautiful gems inside of them. Is this kid a good striker? Can they read the game well? Can they play aggressively? Focus on what a child can do during this sensitive time.

2. Speed Can Slow Down During the Growth Spurt

A child may be the fastest kid on the team from ages 7–11, then all of a sudden, their speed stagnates, or worse yet, decreases.

The growth spurt can be a tough time for young athletes, as accelerated growth leads to whacky coordination and can impact performance negatively (Quatman-Yates, Quatman, Meszaros, et al., 2012). It is a period when bones grow at a faster rate than muscles, coordination is disrupted, and body composition changes drastically. These can all cause a significant decrease in performance, leaving the child frustrated.

The one thing I hear the most from parents is that their team coach tells their child they need to improve speed. This is always the pressure put on kids during the growth spurt. This is upsetting, to say the least.

Coaches need to understand that this time is hard enough for kids to go through, physically and mentally, so the last thing they want is to have pressure put on them for something they cannot control. To that end, speed can rapidly slow down, so coaches should know what to say that does not leave the young, maturing kid devastated.

Some empowering things to say during this time could include:

• “Your one-on-one skills against defenders are out of this world!”
• “You have a great ability to read the game and anticipate play.”
• “You are so awesome at scanning and being aware of your opponent!”
• “You have a powerful shot!”
• “You are the best communicator and leader on our team.”

Again, focus on their strengths during this time, and let speed catch up as they mature into their bodies.

One more thing: During this time, it helps to reinforce coordination so their sprinting mechanics clean up, and they can move efficiently. Here are some coordination and stability drills to bring to your team practices:

Video 1. Crawling in all planes is an excellent way for kids to explore movement while improving core stability and total body strength against bodyweight resistance.

Video 2. Bird Dogs are one of the best exercises for reinforcing contralateral coordination of the opposite arm and leg and crossing the mid-line of the body to connect the brain hemispheres.

3. A Female Athlete’s Menstrual Cycle Impacts Performance

There have been numerous times when coaches have run pre-adolescent and adolescent female athletes into the ground, whether with full field sprints, frog jumps, burpees, endless laps around the pitch, or sprinting stadium steps on concrete. Why is this a problem? Athletes on their menstrual cycle are more susceptible to fatigue and sleep disturbances, so it is much more helpful to promote adequate recovery, nutrition, and proper load monitoring during this time.

Dawn Scott, former U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team sport scientist, determined when the players were on the phase of their cycle where sleep quality declined the most and provided them with education on how to improve their sleep, whether with nutrition or hydration. Of course, young female athletes do not have Dawn Scott as their performance coach, but I highly recommend following her work on the topic and becoming aware of why it’s a risk factor for injury.

If young female athletes look bogged down at practice, keep in mind they could be on their cycle, so it is best to provide them with solutions, not criticism for their fatigue.

4. Stability Is a Requirement for Pre-Adolescent and Adolescent Core Training

Stop with the endless crunches. For core work, coaches need to keep in mind that it must cover stabilizing all of the muscles of the trunk—from the gluteals to the abdominals to the psoas. The tying together of these muscle groups allows for kids to change direction efficiently, absorb force and stay balanced for injury reduction, and sprint with good posture.

Are the gluteals, abdominals, obliques, and psoas co-contracting during the exercises you prescribe? Intermuscular coordination is critical for young athletes to be able to perform movement in a balanced manner and to help stabilize the spine without pain.

According to the Journal of Coaching Education, traditional exercises such as sit-ups and crunches are insufficient as preventatives for injury because very few athletic movements are performed with weighted trunk flexion. Sport coaches should focus on dynamic isometric training, which improves balance and strength and might decrease the occurrence of low-back pain (Brock and Huckleberry, 2013).

Here are some stability movements to sprinkle into practice sessions:

Video 3. If coaches are crunched for time, the Pallof Press is an excellent movement to get in on the pitch to improve pelvic stability.

Video 4. The Plank Bird Dog is a nice progression of the conventional plank that challenges reflexive stability while raising the opposite arm and leg.

5. Young Athletes Need Behavior Change

When it comes to changing things like improper nutrition and hydration, young athletes do not want to be lectured. Kids are smart and know that fried chicken is worse for them than a bowl of vegetables. They can also Google what foods are healthiest and do not need an adult telling them what to do. Rather, they need adults to lead the way and set the example, as they are the sharpest observers of behavior.

What is in your pantry? How are you talking about food at practices? Are you placing the behavior change in front of them and providing them with healthy snack examples? If you truly want to change a young athlete’s behavior, walk the walk yourself.

But behavior and habit change should also be a staple of your program. Building a culture of accountability outside the gym and off the field ensures that young athletes grow mentally, socially, and academically.

Building a culture of accountability outside the gym and off the field ensures that young athletes grow mentally, socially, and academically, says @fitsoccerqueen. Share on X

Having athletes reflect on their improvements reminds them how far they have come and pushes them to analyze what actionable steps they took daily to achieve their goals. Journaling progress like this, as well as setting new goals, is an excellent way to train their minds and encourage behavior change.

6. Training Age Must Be Considered

Training age is important to keep in mind because an athlete may be further along than someone the same age as them because they have been training longer. As an example, a strength training program will look vastly different for a 13-year-old with a novice training age (first few months) than it would for a 13-year-old with an advanced training age (more than 1–2 years).

Video 5. The Single Leg Deadlift is a movement pattern that young athletes must master with body weight first, as it is a heavy proprioceptive movement that takes time to nail down.

Video 6. This progression is for an athlete with a higher training age who has successfully engaged in motor skill learning for several months.

Training age is a big factor in a performance program, and everyone must have the movement patterns customized to where they are.

Training age is also an indicator of when to expect performance results. Beware of expecting vast changes in speed, agility, and strength in just a few months. Just like a flower, wait for the child to bloom. Human physiology has not changed, so it is best to meet kids where they are and ensure they put in the work for the long haul with their athletic development.

As an example, here are the results of performance improvements for three athletes who trained consistently under a strength and conditioning program for a year, 2–3 times a week:

Athlete 1
Broad Jump: 5’5” (2019); 6’8” (2020)
10-Yard Sprint: 1.85 (2019); 1.81 (2020)
20-Yard Sprint: 3.48 (2019); 3.12 (2020)
Vertical: 19.1 (2019); 20.2 (2020)
Pull-Up: 0 (2019); 3 (2020)

Athlete 2:
Broad Jump: 6’5” (2019); 7’4” (2020)
10-Yard Sprint: 1.82 (2019); 1.80 (2020)
20-Yard Sprint: 3.39 (2019); 3.10 (2020)
Vertical: 19.3 (2019); 21.6 (2020)
Pull-Up: 3 (2019); 7 (2020)

Athlete 3:
Broad Jump: 6’4” (2019); 7’0” (2020)
10-Yard Sprint: 1.92 (2019); 1.81 (2020)
20-Yard Sprint: 3.32 (2019); 3.12 (2020)
Vertical: 19.5 (2019); 20.5 (2020)
Pull-Up: 0 (2019); 2 with weight (2020)

Video 7. Consistency year-round is key for drastic strength and performance gains. Young athletes must make the time to work on physical goals for the long run.

Looking at the video feedback, here is a novice high school freshman on the first day of training:

Video 8. The toe of the outside leg could be more squared up for a better reacceleration in the other direction; there is some collapsing of the trunk and falling toward the wrong direction.

Here is an advanced athlete of the same age in their second year of training:

Video 9. Notice the nice positioning of the outside leg for a more efficient reacceleration in the other direction, the stable trunk, and the minimal collapsing.

7. Training Must Be Different for 7- to 8-Year-Olds Than It Is for Adolescents

It is comical when coaches run their 7- to 8-year-olds the same as they would run their high schoolers. First and foremost, coaches should pay attention to the extreme physical differences between elementary, middle, and high school athletes.

For the elementary school athlete, a variety of movement is optimal, as they are in a critical period of optimizing motor skill learning and building brain connections.

Video 10. This is a great game for young athletes to work on various aspects of performance, including coordination, strength, and object manipulation.

Expounding further, there is a plethora of mental differences as well. The last thing younger kids want is to be instructed with wall drills, agility rings, ladders, and monotonous drills where the coach barks a running commentary. Younger kids thrive on fun and energy within a practice session, as well as the opportunity to problem-solve without the help of an adult figure.

Younger kids thrive on fun and energy within a practice session, as well as the opportunity to problem-solve without the help of an adult figure, says @fitsoccerqueen. Share on X

For the older athletes who are in the performance phase, the components of mechanics, speed, and strength need more dialed-in focus within a session. Mentally, older athletes are also in a mindset where they are ready to receive structured feedback on technique.

Video 11. A skill like acceleration, for example, takes months and years of reinforcing, as well as teaching forward lean posture and the ability for athletes to “chase their shoulders” to propel their force forward.

8. All Age Groups Benefit from Free Play and a Variety of Movements

As detailed and structured we want to be with our older athletes, free play serves its purpose for this age group, too. From a nervous system standpoint, play relaxes kids and brings them joy because stakes are low, and error has no cost. Of course, the young ones love to be given a task-oriented game, where the coach exits stage right and lets the problem-solving occur organically.

Video 12. “Doors” is a fun reactive agility game that is transferrable to team sports and teaches reacting and cutting based on an external stimulus.

The older kids also benefit from play amidst the busy structure of year-round sports. Sometimes it is a nice escape for them to return back to the childhood days of tag and fun.

Video 13. Tag is a small-sided game that forces athletes to react, dodge, and anticipate, and then get in their speed work to the finish line after all players are tagged.

9. Plyometrics Should Be About Quality, Not Quantity

Full-field frog jumps, jump squats for time, and endless burpees all confuse me. This begs the question, what are coaches trying to get out of high-volume plyometric training? If it is to fatigue the child athlete, then they are on the right track.

However, causing chronic soreness and nervous system depletion should not be the goal of plyometrics. Quality form from teaching landing mechanics, optimizing the concentric and eccentric muscle actions, and focusing on properly pumping the brakes in all planes of motion are all key here for kids who are growing into their bodies.

Video 14. It serves the maturing female athlete to work on stability when pumping the brakes.

Plyometrics are not about fatiguing the athlete; they are about ensuring the athlete produces force into the ground, says @fitsoccerqueen. Share on X

It is important to teach athletes how to absorb force from an injury reduction standpoint, but producing force is just as critical when programming plyometrics. Again, plyometrics are not about fatiguing the athlete; they are about ensuring the athlete produces force into the ground.

Video 15. Plyometrics that focus on force production help to improve an athlete’s speed and are incredibly taxing on the nervous system. Keep reps at a minimum (4–6 contacts) with quality explosiveness.

10. Overuse Injuries Can Increase During the Growth Spurt

With the growing system of year-round organized sports, youth athletes become more susceptible to overuse injuries. Arguably, the volume of games kids play is exponentially higher than adult and professional athletes. What’s scary is that kids going through rapid growth spurts, or the time of peak height velocity (PHV), suffer overuse injuries even more.

Osgood-Schlatters, Sever’s disease, stress fractures, and chronic muscle soreness are all overuse injuries that cannot be ignored pre, during, and post PHV.

It is not wise to run your team of teenagers as punishment after they lose a weekend game. It is not wise to ignore active recovery at practices. It is not wise to push them through a drill when they have knee pain. Load monitoring becomes a necessity for the maturing athlete to safeguard them from injury.

Some things for coaches to keep in mind as they plan their practice week:

• How many minutes did this athlete play?
• How did they sleep for the past week?
• Are they hydrated and nourishing their bodies?
• What is their rating of perceived exertion (RPE), based on intensity and number of runs and changes of direction they made in a game?

Open communication, especially for youth clubs that do not have the monitoring technology, helps coaches understand the physiological and mental needs of the athlete for the upcoming training week.

Remember, it is essential to nurture and care for young athletes, especially as year-round sports continues to spiral out of control with a high volume of practices and games. Moreover, understanding how children develop physically and mentally through growth spurts and maturation ensures they develop in performance at their pace and stay resilient to injury as much as possible.

Understanding how children develop physically & mentally through growth spurts & maturation ensures they develop in performance at their pace & stay resilient to injury as much as possible. Share on X

The human component of coaching is one that we cannot ignore. After all, coaches are caretakers for kids just as much as parents are.

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References

Brock, M. and Huckleberry, S. “Guidelines for sport coaches on core-strengthening techniques for athletes: improving performance and decreasing occurrence of back pain.” Journal of Coaching Education. 2013;6(2):135–147.

Forcada, C., Pons, A., Seijas, R., et al. “Risk factors and prevention strategies of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young female athletes.” International Journal of Orthopaedics. 2017;4(3):734–739.

Quatman-Yates, C.C., Quatman, C.E., Meszaros, A.J., et al. “A systematic review of sensorimotor function during adolescence: A developmental stage of increased motor awkwardness?” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2012;46(9):649–655.