Proven ways to improve a child's speed?

[searider86]

Jack, you are welcome to include in your post that you have a DVD for this (If you have one.).  So long as you provide useful information in a post like you did you can provide a link to your website for materials you have for sale.

Steve Calande can also do this (I'm not sure he's aware of that.).

Great post BTW.

That's a DVD I'd be willing to purchase.

[isaacsdad]

Jack, you are welcome to include in your post that you have a DVD for this (If you have one.).  So long as you provide useful information in a post like you did you can provide a link to your website for materials you have for sale.

Steve Calande can also do this (I'm not sure he's aware of that.).

Great post BTW.

I have 5 of Coach Gregory's dvds (the whole DW series).  I believe if he has a dvd available on the information in the post above, it's a worthwhile buy.

BTW Coach Gregory, after watching the dvds about Wedge and Perimeter blocking and Installing the Wedge series, I have changed my mind about what we will try to implement first should we get access to the team of 1st and 2nd graders this year in our league.  I really liked those three wedge series.

[kfriendii]

Aside from form issues, I spoke with CJ Murphy (strength coach / owner of TPS) a few months ago about what would be acceptable training for a youth and as others have mentioned there is a relationship between strength and speed.  The problem is that with youths you don't want to do anything with too high of an intensity just because of the risk of damaging their bodies before they reach puberty.

This leaves you with dragging a light sled or pushing a prowler, bodyweight squats, plyo-jumps...or basically playing on a playground like little kids do.

I would actually be interested in seeing how much the body adapts with light resistance training at the youth level.  I mean, these kids don't really have the hormones needed to make great gains, but they are still growing, so you've got to figure that specialized training would yield an increase in performance.

I was looking into all of this at the end of the season last year and I ultimately settled on just relaxing until my boys get a little older...at that point I'll introduce them to weight training.

[Daniel Lyons]

What would you guys say about the difference between straight line "speed training" and "football specific speed training"?

Change of direction, running through tacklers, staying low, evasive running - all are a lot different than techniques necessary for a good 40 time or 100 meter run.

Are there different speed training or learning methods for football versus track?  I have to think that there are. 

On a different note.  I had an idea in the shower the other night.  I was watching a bunny evade a fox once.  The bunny despite being ahead will constantly change direction because it is slower than the fox.  This will greatly increase the distance the bunny gets before the fox catches it or the bunny finds cover.  I've noticed that a lot of animals do this.  There must be something to it.

Probably is one of those detail things that isn't worth the time, but I was thinking of having players try this method if they find themselves in a breakaway situation and they are being chased by a faster player with the rest of the defense behind.   It would depend on how far the goal line was and how close to the sideline he is and how much of a lead he has, probably too many factors to make it worthwhile, but it may come in handy one day.




 

[CoachCalande]

WE almost always include a change in direction in our speed training. I am a big beliver in "second effort" when it comes to football, you miss, you change directions and get after it...you stop, start and have to accellerate again. 

[DumCoach]

Aside from form issues, I spoke with CJ Murphy (strength coach / owner of TPS) a few months ago about what would be acceptable training for a youth and as others have mentioned there is a relationship between strength and speed.  The problem is that with youths you don't want to do anything with too high of an intensity just because of the risk of damaging their bodies before they reach puberty.

This leaves you with dragging a light sled or pushing a prowler, bodyweight squats, plyo-jumps...or basically playing on a playground like little kids do.

I would actually be interested in seeing how much the body adapts with light resistance training at the youth level.  I mean, these kids don't really have the hormones needed to make great gains, but they are still growing, so you've got to figure that specialized training would yield an increase in performance.

Strength training can be applied to players pre-puberty.  What cannot be expected is an increase in muscle mass.  But I've gotten 10 year olds up to 40 pushups. 

I also had kids arrive late for practice when I installed it.  Which is why I learned to put strength and condtioning at the end of my practice versus the beginning.

I was looking into all of this at the end of the season last year and I ultimately settled on just relaxing until my boys get a little older...at that point I'll introduce them to weight training.

There is a trick to creating a "weight trained 7 year old" with no negative side effects and you can do it with ANY weak, slow player in just one night.  It works 100% of the time and no attorney has ever been able to make a case against it yet. 

Message me for details.