Your child has been training hard all season. They're fit, they're skilled, but something's missing. They're just a step slower than their teammates. They can't quite reach that loose ball. They fade when the game is on the line.
What if I told you there's ONE type of training that could change everything?
Working with hundreds of young athletes over the last 15+ years, I've seen the same pattern repeat itself. The athletes who incorporate proper speed training don't just get faster - they become BETTER ATHLETES in every way possible.
Today, I'm going to show you exactly why sprint training is the MISSING PIECE in your child's athletic development.
Your child has been training hard all season. They’re fit, they’re skilled, but something’s missing. They’re just a step slower than their teammates. They can’t quite reach that loose ball. They fade when the game is on the line.
What if I told you there’s ONE type of training that could change everything?
Working with hundreds of young athletes over the last 15+ years, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself. The athletes who incorporate proper speed training don’t just get faster – they become BETTER ATHLETES in every way possible.
Today, I’m going to show you exactly why sprint training is the MISSING PIECE in your child’s athletic development.
Why SPEED Training Is the Ultimate Athletic Developer
Most parents think sprint training is just about running fast. THAT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING.
Speed training is like a master key that unlocks multiple athletic abilities at once. When your child sprints properly, they’re developing:
EXPLOSIVE POWER – The ability to generate maximum force in minimum time
COORDINATION – Teaching their nervous system to fire muscles in a complex sequence
HIGHER SPEED CEILING – Making all submaximal speeds easier and less taxing
Think of speed training as the FOUNDATION that makes sport easier and more effective.
The 3 Ways SPEED Training Transforms Young Athletes
1. BUILDS EXPLOSIVE POWER (The Game-Changer)
Speed training teaches your child’s muscles to contract with maximum force at lightning speed. This is why sprinting is the MOST taxing activity on the body and why you can’t sprint at max speed ever day. It’s literally the fastest movement in sport, with the biggest forces, applied to the ground in the quickest times.
This explosive power transfers to:
Accelerating quicker from standing starts
Changing direction faster when defending or attacking
Jumping higher for headers in football or rebounds in basketball
The result? Your child becomes more dynamic and expresses power more effectively in every movement they make.
2. IMPROVES COORDINATION AND MOVEMENT QUALITY
Sprinting at maximum effort forces your child’s nervous system to coordinate complex movement patterns at the same time. Poor movement patterns simply can’t handle the demands of true speed, they breakdown or don’t get expressed fast at all.
This means speed training improves:
Running technique and efficiency
Balance and stability
Timing and rhythm
Body awareness and control
Your child doesn’t just get faster – they move better in other elements too.
3. RAISES THE SPEED CEILING (Making Everything Easier)
Here’s the game-changing concept most parents don’t understand: When your child increases their MAXIMUM SPEED, every other speed becomes easier and less taxing. This is what we call “Speed Reserve”
Think of it like this – if your child’s top speed is 16 km/h, running at 14 km/h feels like MAXIMUM EFFORT because it’s 87.5% of their top speed. But if we raise their ceiling to 20 km/h, that same 14 km/h now feels like a comfortable jog, because it’s only 70% of their top speed. The same absolute speed, but much less taxing because we’ve raised the speed ceiling, meaning it requires less effort for the same output.
This means speed training makes your child:
More efficient at game speeds
Less fatigued during matches
Able to maintain intensity for longer periods
Capable of repeated efforts without significant drop-off
When you raise the ceiling, everything underneath that becomes easier.
The SPEED Training Mistake Most Teams Make
Here’s what I see happening in youth sports everywhere: CONDITIONING DISGUISED AS SPEED TRAINING.
Running laps, shuttle runs until exhaustion, and “fitness” sessions that leave kids gasping for air. THIS IS NOT SPEED TRAINING.
Real speed training requires:
MAXIMUM EFFORT for short periods, this means there MUST be the intent to run fast. Racing an opponent or against time, Chasing an opponent or getting Chased by an opponent can help encourage this
COMPLETE RECOVERY between efforts. Think 1 min for every 10m of max effort, discourage athletes from jogging back to the start line for the next sprint. Instead encourage them to take a slow walk, or even do some low level skill work during recovery periods.
GREAT TECHNIQUE maintained throughout, there’s no point reinforcing poor technique
PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT over time. Recording via a stop watch or ideally light gates helps us see if we’re really getting faster and gives the athletes a reference point for personal performance.
The best speed coaches always prioritise Quality over quantity, ALWAYS. Charlie Francis (one of the all time great speed coaches) was known to stop a session if an athlete hit a Personal Best. Why? Because they had hit a peak and everything after that within the session would be extra stress for no extra outcome…
How to Support Your Child’s speed Development
As a parent, you can help by:
UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS – Sprint development takes time and patience and is also impacted by maturity status. This makes sense when you think about the same athlete but with bigger limbs, more muscle mass and greater levels of power output. Of course maturation will improve speed!
THE PROPER KIT – Believe it or not but I’ve had athletes arrive wearing their older brother’s trainers that are 2 sizes too big, crocs or sandals, or even just socks on an indoor basketball court. None of these are going to help the athlete express their maximal effort in speed training.
SUPPORTING PROPER RECOVERY – Ensure adequate sleep and nutrition. You can’t give a max effort in speed training without fuelling and sleeping well.
ENCOURAGING TECHNIQUE FOCUS – Celebrate good movement, not just fast times
FINDING QUALIFIED COACHING – Seek coaches who understand youth development and have the patience to think long term.
The Long-Term Athletic Development Advantage
Athletes who develop proper speed mechanics and power early in their careers have a MASSIVE ADVANTAGE throughout their sporting journey. They learn skills faster, suffer fewer injuries, perform better under pressure, and enjoy sport more.
This isn’t just about making your child faster – it’s about making them a better athlete and a more confident person.
Your Next Step
Speed training isn’t complicated, but it needs to be done right. The difference between effective speed training and just running fast is ENORMOUS.
If you want to give your child the athletic advantages that proper speed training provides, you need expert guidance that understands youth development.
Our approach to speed training focuses on long-term athletic development, proper progression, and building confident, capable young athletes who love what they do.
