Speed School for Dummies- Part 1: 5 Speed System Principles

Part 1 of 2 highlighting my recent Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Presentation

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5 Speed System Principles 

Speed System Principle #1
“Sprint Genshai” : Treat every piece of your workout and program as the key to speed development

• Every facet of your strength and conditioning program can lead to an increase in your athletes performance speed and game speed.
  • Results are found in the prescription, the implementation, and the cueing/coaching.
  • Make the warm up the key to the workout.

"Never treat anyone as if they are small or meaningless." Imagine if your players treated their teammates this way and viewed each exercise in this context.

Speed System Principle #2
Avoid the “speed traps” that make your athletes slower and improve their chances of injury

• 5 “Slow Coach” Philosophies
  • 1. “Not enough time to warm up & work mobility” -- Mechanical efficiency is the foundation.
  • 2. Overfeeding the back squat and bench “beast” --When are you strong enough? Will it transfer?
  • 3. Road tripping with the Ferrari -- Can a "gasser" create an acceleration all-star?
  • 4. McDonalds and Creatine diet -- Athletes have to earn their supplements!
  • 5. Track star idol-ism- What’s deceleration/ reactive agility? Stopping and re-starting is the key to football game speed. 

​Speed System Principle #3
Quality beats Quantity ..every damn time!

• What does hard work mean to you?
  • Purposeful practice is the most crucial​ controllable element to high performance.
• Team speed = fast, fresh, powerful, purposeful !
• “There is a huge myth in sport that if you train really hard it makes you mentally tough.”
  • Dan Pfaff (Coach to multiple Olympic Gold Medalists)​

Speed System Principle #4
Plan for team speed appropriately. 

• Proper progressions promote peak performance
  • Results are guaranteed if you teach proper positions, are patient with exercise progressions and keep programming purposeful and concise.
• Progress exercises and positions only if the majority of your players have mastered concepts (simple to complex…your kids aren’t ready for bungees and sleds)
• "You become what you train for" - S.A.I.D. Principle = Train fast to be fast
• Patience + Time + Purposeful Reps = Mastery

Speed System Principle #5 
There are no secrets or magic bullets

• Train as close to the "real thing" as possible.
  • Drills provide context but never supplant the “event” goal.
• Set a high standard of excellence and create engagement through the power of the process.
• Each rep will make you faster or slower—its ultimately up to the athlete to be accountable to themselves and take ownership of their own experience. Get them to self coach!