Wow! They Learn Fast

Family Update:

My girls, Jae and Bailee, are moving right along in school. They are doing well with all their tests and projects. It is making Jenn and me study up on our basic history, math, and other subjects. I actually really like study History and Social Studies with my daughters. Jae is going over the government organization now. In the evening, I help her with assignments and it is really testing me to recall the basics-fun stuff. Bailee is starting to do some bigger projects on reading and spelling. Thank God it is only 3rd grade stuff. It makes me feel smart because I can answer her question now... Brennen is crawling like he has somewhere important to be in 5 minutes. He is like a buzz-saw. He is at the stage where he gets himself in positions he can't get out of, so he cries to let us know he is stuck. He is loving grabbing after our food during lunch and dinner. The other day I was holding him and eating a salad while at my computer (don't normally do this) and he grabbed my salad and nearly dumped it on my computer-whew! Jenn and I are having fun running around doing everything we can to keep everyone's schedule organized- and doing a pretty good job.

They Learn So Fast!

As you propbly already know by now. I coach my daughters at the YMCA and I will be coaching intramurals at their school starting this week. This is great for me because I able to be with my girls but I am also helping other young kids develop.

Last week at myYMCA practice, I pulled out a quick foot ladder to use as part of the warm up. I wanted the kids to experience the coordination it takes to negotiate the ladder using different footwork patterns. Other than my daughters, none of the other girls had ever used one before.

I had them do the simple patterns of one step or two steps in each and a simple hop scotch pattern of jumping and hopping through the ladder. Let me tell ya, they struggled big time the first week. All of them stepped all over the ladder and could not get their feet int he box. They loved it though. I only had them do it for about 5-6 minutes, then we moved on in the practice.

Yesterday, I had practice and brought the ladder out again. It was like night and day. I gave them the same patterns I did last week. They were like pros. It is amazing how the body adapts and learns after the fact.

The first time I used the ladder the girls had trouble with controlling their speed and staying balanced so they could accurately hit the center of the box with their feet. I just kept giving them cues to slow down, relax, and stay on the balls of the feet. So, yesterday they did all of that. They were under control (for the most part), they stayed off the ladder and where in the boxes.

This proved to me once again that pre-adolescent kids nervous systems are like sponges. They processed the information they received the first time we did the ladder and was able to correctly apply it the second time. Granted I gave them simple exercises for them to improve on- but even if I gave them more difficult exercises they would have learned them quickly as well.

My younger daughter could barely get 1 serve over the net the entire game last year(she was 7 years old). This year she hardly misses a serve and in one game served 5 in a row during the same possession. She likes for me to practice with her in our yard and it has paid off. The cool thing is she is reproducing the correct patterns I have been showing her. I make games out of it or tell her how far or high to hit it, but we keep reproducing the same mechanics each time.

It is so fun to watch kids learn and develop. Hey, don't blink- you might miss one of your children or young athletes develop before your eyes.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: If you want to stay connected to the world of athletic development and all the fascinating strategies, skills, and techniques you want to become a Speed Insiders Member go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ to sign up for 2 FREE months right now. Join the movement.

Saturday Blog Tip- Retreating With Strong Shoulder Position

In any sport that requires the athletes to have to retreat (move backwards) to keep field or court positioning and still stay oriented with an opponents- the shoulders need to be in a strong position.

It doesn't matter if the athlete is using a straight backpedal, retreating shuffle or crossover, or a retreating continuous hip turn the athlete must keep the shoulders low and forward.

Basically the athlete needs to maintain a good athletic stance while retreating. The hips are back, the shoulders are forward out over the feet and the back is strong and "flat."

When the shoulders get high- all heck breaks loose! the hips start to tuck under the balance goes back on the heels and not on the balls of the feet. The athlete looses control of stopping and starting.

So, if the athlete wants to stop quickly and run forwards, having the shoulders forward allows the athlete to do so quickly. They want to be able to accelerate quickly out of the backpedal. If they are going to open up turn and run out of the retreating skill, having the shoulders forward allow them to immediately be in an acceleration position rather than having to re-adjust the shoulders and hips to be in a better acceleration position.

Start looking at the influence the shoulders are having on your athletes movement- especially retreating movements.

To learn more check out this link, http://sportsspeedetc.com/groundbreaking2.shtml

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: http://www.speedinsiders.com/ is the best membership out there so you can stay plugged in monthly to top quality information sent directly to your mailbox and inbox. You will get golden nuggets of information each month- Huge value!

Organize For Productivity

Big Tele-seminar Tonight!

Don't forget to attend my tele-seminar tonight at 8 pm EST, "5 Essential Program Design Concepts for Coaching Speed." I am going to share some important information that will hopefully clear up some confusion. Plus- I have a BIG announcement. You have a few hours left to sign up.... www.thespeedguy.com/Sept25.htm.

Are You Organized for Success?

I have purchased so many of the organizational programs on the market today. I've had some success with a few of them; however, with most of them I eventually end up un-organized with my organization! What?

Let me explain. I think anyone who coaches, trains clients, runs a business, or has multiple tasks each day to complete should have a simple easy to reproduce daily plan of how to get things done. Like I said, I have used many systems over the years only to get frustrated trying to stay organized while organizing. So here is what I have come up with...

First- I only plan to do 3 major things each day. Doesn't matter what they are, but I only shoot for 3 things per day. Why 3? I know I can complete them. Just the act of completing all my written tasks for the day is empowering. It gives me a sense of completion and accomplishment. I write these 3 things on an index card and them rip it up and toss it when I am finished. It feels great! I am not saying I won't do more than 3 things on a given day, it is just I have to get those 3 major tasks done, then I am free to work on what ever else I choose.

Let me give you an example of what 3 of my tasks might be on a given day. Lets use today as example. First, I have a meeting at 9:30 with my business coach. Second, I need to complete this blog today. Third, I have to organize and prepare for tonight's tele-seminar. Once these tasks are finished I have completed my 3 big things. I then rip up the card and I am free to do what ever else I want. Because I will have free time I will work on a short sales copy flyer for a basketball clinic I am going to put on with the local YMCA.

Secondly, (this could have been first but I usually write my 3 things the night before so I suppose it would go first, anyway...)-I always start the day by looking at my big sheet of paper on the wall next to my desk. It is broken down into the different businesses or responsibilities I have. I have dates for the Speed Guy Blog, dates for the http://www.sportsspeedetc.com/ weekly journal article, Speed Insiders tasks, Mastermind and coaching group task, and my soon to be released Basketball Program. Each one of these categories have the dates written by them as to when I have to have things done and submitted to my staff. By having a big "chart" of dates and tasks, I simply check it out everyday and know what needs to be done. Simple.

Thirdl, any time I have a new idea or want to expand on a current project I take out a big paper and Mindmap it. I will put down the central idea in the middle of the paper and draw legs out from it with different aspects to the central idea. I have used this with every new business or project. It allows me to see everything in front of me rather than having to flip from page to page. Keep in mind- I only write bullet points and not long sentences under each leg. It is about getting thoughts on paper and then seeing the entire picture unfold in front of you. This can be also be used if you are a coach of a soccer team, a fitness professional planning out a new fitness class, or a business person creating a new product. Try it, you will love how it works. You can purchase fancy computer programs that do this for you, however I perfer pencil and paper.

Lastly, I will break my day into 3 segments. Early in the morning I do things that help make money for the business (products ideas, marketing, emails/blogs...). I try to finish this by noon. Afternoon is organization. Anything I need to have to follow up on, contacts, scheduling appointments. The reason I work on the money ideas in the morning is because my mind is fresh and ideas are flowing. I try to complete everything by 3:30. The last section of the day is family/kids time. The kids are out of school at 3:30 and we usually play something outside or in the garage. Plus. I also coach them at the YMCA and I will be coaching them even more at their intramural program at school. Occassionally, things run over but for the most part I stay on that path.

If my kids have events after school with friends or school related, I will work a little longer. When they go to bed I can even work a little more if I choose to. I am really learning to do more quality things in shorter time spans so I can have options to play with my kids and do other fun activities.

I would like to hear your thoughts. Send to info@sportsspeedetc.com so I can get your feedback on organization.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: I often present organizational ideas and business improvement strategies to my exclusive Speed Insiders Members http://www.speedinsiders.com/. Give it a try for 2 months absolutely FREE.

I would like to thank Lee for all the information given in his speed insiders program. Since I attended Lee's athletic speed formula last October I have been hooked on his knowledge and enthusiasm for speed training. Watching, listening and reading the way he conducts his training and teaching has become infectious. I use his techniques in my sessions, I use his cues in my coaching and I try to use his experience to guide me through my own progression as a coach. Not just the training but the business information he has given has also been a great motivator for my own career and given me the kick up the rear needed to pursue my goals. Since becoming a speed insider I have launched my own website (www.saqsoccer.com), with many of the ideas coming from Lee Taft's work and guidance. With all the expertise and information I continually receive from Lee and his numerous guest speakers and colleagues I am hoping that SAQSoccer can become a great resource to help young athletes get better educated while training for soccer and speed, and help other people like he has helped me.

Thanks,
Garry Lee Powell
http://www.saqsoccer.com/
soccer and speed coach
Augusta, Georgia

Lessons Learned From 8 and 9 year olds

As you may alrady know, I coach my daughter's volleyball team at the YMCA. It is a team made up of primarily 8 and 9 year olds. I have coached them now for almost 4 weeks. It is a real low key program to introduce them to sports, yet it gives them some quality instruction.

Even though these girls are mostly new comers to the sport and some may never play the sport when they become older, I take it as my responsibility to give them the best instruction I can.

What amazes me every time I work with youngsters like these girls, is if you set expectations for them and keep them motivated they will rise to the occasion.

Let me give you an example; it is so common at this level for volleyball players to pretty much stay in their spot on the court and not move much to get to a ball hit near them. I tell my girls when they serve, aim for the middle where no one is standing. Most of the time the ball will hit the floor before anyone takes a step towards it. The first thing I did on day one is talk about moving to the ball all the time. The exercises I gave them in practice were geared toward chasing the ball down before it hit the ground. Yesterday, I had the girls perform a drill where I threw the ball off the net and one partner had to move up quickly to bump it into the air so the other partner could hit it over. It was a fun drill that put them in a position they will see in the games.

I continuely try to make it into a game or low competition. Why?eBcause they ask for it. They like to see how many they can get compared to their teammates. I put very little into who wins or losses but I do keep track of points, speed in doing something, or who hit it best. It is all about fun with an underlying message that I want them to move and play each point well.

If you have ever watched any youngsters sports programs from youth soccer, volleyball, basketball, or softball, it can sometimes be like watching paint dry. To prevent this, I simply gave the little girls fun games that taught them how to compete for every point.

Here are some fun cues I use and some fun things I do to encourage effort. I always tell them to not let the ball hit the floor on our side. When the other team serves the ball, it can't hit the ground without one of the player moving to hit it. I don't care if it goes back over, I just want them moving to hit it. The other concept they understand now is when I say "Fill the Hole in". The volleyball rules for this age group is to play 4 on 4, so there is a natural hole in the middle of the 4 players. But, I make them adjust so there is not such a big opening. The girls now yell from the bench to their teammates with out me saying a thing..I love it. The other thing I do is to encourage them to "give some love" to their teammates when the serve well or make a good play. What I mean by this is to clap for each other. They get such a kick out of that but it encourages them to do well so they "get some love" from their teammates- fun stuff!

The biggest things they have to do is call "MINE" if they are going to hit the ball. This again encourages them to move and communicate. We do it during our practice warm ups, therefore it naturally carries over in the games.

I tell you what, it is amazing what 8 and 9 years olds will do to raise to a higher level if you make it fun and just part of the expectations. I never yell or even get upset with them. I simply tell them this is what I want and get excited each practice to motivate them to do it all the time.

We have a great time in practice and the games are the icing on the cake. I know each girl now understands they can accomplish anything if they work for it. The best thing is everything we do has "FUN" attached to it.

I would love to hear from you on the cool things you are doing with your athletes to keep them motivated. Send to info@LeeTaft.com

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: I have so much fun hearing success stories of people who have invested in their knowledge and improvement by joining the Speed Insiders membership http://www.speedinsiders.com/

“Coach Lee's techniques and speaking to him over the last couple of years, it was a no brainer to become a Speed Insider. I believe in his teachings and use them with all of my athletes in every sport. For someone like me who lives in Hawaii, it is not easy to go to a live seminar, so being able to communicate with Coach Lee on a regular basis is priceless. I encourage anyone who wants the best for their athletes to subscribe.

He offers a FREE trial for those of us who are unsure of joining. Through the first 6 weeks he held a tele-seminar and would answer any questions that we had. I'm not sure if anyone else would offer this kind of bonus. We are also able to contact Coach through a special e-mail with any questions or concerns that we may have and he responds quickly.”

-Michael Labuanan

Here's Your Weekly Speed Guy Blog Top

Tip-Don't wear those pants with those shoes (ha ha- just a little Speed Guy humor. I know very little humor- I'll move on...)

How To Get Greater Success With Varsity and Higher Level Athletes In Sport

I am a huge fan of fundamentals. They make great athletes even better. The key is to focus deeply on fundamentals when athletes are young, during the developmental stages of pre-puberty and post-puberty early stages. Having worked hard on developing the fundamentals of sports skills, as well as athleticism, there will be a huge foundation. This foundation allows the athlete to use all the skills needed during play or game settings.

Here is the secret to real success...

The goal at the varsity level and higher is to win. The coach now needs to coach the fundamentals of winning. What is this?

Fundamentals of winning is when you teach athletes how to compete and make plays that allow them to be successful in sport. Let me give you an example:

The offensive system you run needs to be set up so each player on the field or court can use their talents to the fullest. I might have a soccer player with great quickness and toughness but lacks an offensive mindset. You need to play this player on defensive and let his or her talents shine. This give him or her and the team a chance to win.

Yet, this same athlete would have been taught the same offensive skills as the best offensive player during their developmental period. One developed more of an offensive mindset and the other defensive mindset. Plus, their physical skills brought them to their current positions.

The goal of a higher level coach is to create successful situation. This is the fundamentals of winning.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: You have heard me speak and write about how important the Speed Insiders program is http://www.speedinsiders.com/ however, don't just take my word for it, read what one Speed Insider had to say:

"I would like to thank Lee for all the information given in his speed insiders program. Since I attended Lee's athletic speed formula last October I have been hooked on his knowledge and enthusiasm for speed training. Watching, listening and reading the way he conducts his training and teaching has become infectious. I use his techniques in my sessions, I use his cues in my coaching and I try to use his experience to guide me through my own progression as a coach. Not just the training but the business information he has given has also been a great motivator for my own career and given me the kick up the rear needed to pursue my goals. Since becoming a speed insider I have launched my own website (www.saqsoccer.com), with many of the ideas coming from Lee Taft's work and guidance. With all the expertise and information I continually receive from Lee and his numerous guest speakers and colleagues I am hoping that SAQSoccer can become a great resource to help young athletes get better educated while training for soccer and speed, and help other people like he has helped me."

Thanks,Garry Lee Powell
http://www.saqsoccer.com/
soccer and speed coach, Augusta, Georgia

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

Before I go any further I want to send out well wishes to all the people that have been effected by the hurricanes. It really has been a difficult time. The people of gulf region and inland are strong people but I can't help but think how much pain they are going through having lost homes, vehicles, many personal valuables, and in some cases life. I am praying for your fast recovery so you can move on with your life.

Playing Ball Again and Being Coached By My Daughter

The other night I went to the YMCA and joined the 3 on 3 league. The last time I played in this league was 2 years ago. Since that time ,I opened my speed academy in NY and have been unable to play, but I am back at it.

My first game was this past Tuesday night and my oldest daughter, Jae, watched my game. She loves basketball. I am on a team with a bunch of young bucks. They are really good players and mostly in their mid 20's. When they asked me to play I explained to them I will miss every now and again due to my travel schedule, so I am more of a sub at this point. However, because the games are lone, everyone plays a lot.

I have to say, I played pretty well considering I have not played much basketball the last two years. I had a lot of rust to work off but not too bad. When I came out of the game and went over to be next to my daughter and drink some water, she began coaching me. She said I needed to play harder defense and make more shots. So I said, "what did I do well? " She thought for a second and said, "I like the steal you had" (which was basically a loose ball I got to first).

What a cool thing. My daughter, a 5th grader, is in to the game enough to critique me. I have been given a worse assessment of play before, so hers wasn't too difficult to take. And you know what, she was right. I did miss some easy shots I normally would make and I was not moving my feet too well on defense.

The thing that amazed me is that these are the same type of things she hears me saying about other players when I am coaching. It is funny how what we think is not being absorbed by young people is really sinking in. Jae, if she chooses to, will make a great coach someday.

Why Assess Your Team

We talk a lot about assessments and how they build a foundation for us to work from. I don't think enough coaches put enough importance on using an assessment period (could be one or two weeks) to watch their team play, work together, see the chemistry, see their skill level, see what each player brings to the team, and more. After the assessment period take the information gained and then put a game plan together. In other words, how can you say for sure what type of offense or defense you want to run without actually seeing what your team can do.

Too often we find a really cool offense or we want to run the defensive scheme that Duke runs in basketball, or North Carolina runs in soccer, or use the offense the Colts run in football. The bottom line is what works well for one team may be disastrous for another. It is our job as coaches to evaluate and implement according to what we have.

Don't forget the number role of a coach. It is to set up our teams for success. If you put them in a system that fits what they do well as individuals and a team success can be achieved. But, if you try a system that doesn't fit, then failure will be lurking.

Do yourself and your teams a favor, evaluate them before you implement.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: The Speed Insiders Membership offers key coaching advice to help you grow as a coach. Remember the principle of Slight Edge. All you need is one idea to be the best coach you can be, the best business person you can be, or have the best athletes they can be. Go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ to be a member for two FREE months.

Watch This....

Hey, I wanted to share with you my new blog video. Watch me explain coaching and understanding the "real" message.

Sometimes when we teach and assess a skill, we really need to know what the issue is. It is easy to throw terms and coaching cues out there but not ever get to the real issue.

Watch this video as I outline an example.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: By the way members, of the http://www.speedinsiders.com/ club are sent video's like this every month. You can test drive my Speed Insider Membership FREE for 2 months... see what your missing.

The Speed Guys Weekly Blog Tip

Hope you are having a great weekend!

I have decided to do something different with my blog. During the week, I will be writing more information about training topics, motivation, coaching, business, and other issues along those lines. On the weekends, I will be writing short, but important Tips of the Week.

This tip will be on any of the topics I mentioned above, but it will be to the point and give you something you can apply immediately.

So I hope you enjoy "The Speed Guys" Tip of the Week:


Stop teaching jumping to young kids (12 and under for this example) without taking the time to build a landing foundation.

I recently watched a YouTube video of a women working with 2 youngster. She was having them perform plyometric exercises. It was simply terrible to watch. No form on landing, totally off balance, and joints not being stable....BAD STUFF!

You want to spend as many session as needed teaching the fundamentals of landing and jumping before the intensity rises. "Plyometric" jumps (getting off the ground quickly upon landing) can be used at the lowest level, like line jumps, jump rope..., but DO NOT advance the kids passed this type of exercise.

If kids perform exercises that force them to perform it poorly just to complete it there fresh nervous system is programming the bad patterns in. You need to slow down and first teach them how to perform the foundation of landing and jumping correctly in a safe environment first. As they mature you can add.

Go get'em, have fun, be creative, but be a consummate professional and teacher.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

Yes! World Champion Coach

I am really looking forward to this fall. There is so much going on. You will be involved in some great news over the next few months so hold on to your hats.

Roller Skating To Be Better

I just got back from dropping my daughter Jae off at the indoor skating facility in town. She was invited to go with a classmate. I love watching the kids skate (I use to skate a lot as a kid) because it improves so many valuable coordination skills, plus it is fun and social. They listen to music, talk, race, FALL (ouch!), and all while they learn how to balance and control their body. As I have mentioned before, anything kids can do to improve their movement skills at a young age will help later as they develop.

Hanging with The World Champion- Doc Rivers

A couple weeks ago I attended the Michael Jordan Event in Las Vegas. It was an amazing event. I am a huge basketball fan (big basketball news coming soon) and was like a kid in a candy store.

I was able to meet and hang out with some of the top coaches in the game. I was a fan of Doc when he played for the Atlanta Hawks. He actually took some time and sent a short thank you video to my 2 daughters for cheering them on during the playoff run. What a classy guy!

I not only had a great time at the MJ event, but I learned a lot. In a previous blog, I wrote a bit about how Michael Jordan taught us some important things about basketball and business, but I learned a lot from watching all the different coaches.

I can remember listening to Roy Williams, of North Carolina, as he taught a basketball concept about attacking the top of a 2 front zone (2-3 or 2-1-2). He consistently mentioned making the defense commit, then you have options. Not only in basketball but in any sport, this is such an important concept young players don't understand. When you force a defensive player to commit you immediately create clear options for yourself. When you allow the defense to play off and not really commit to you- you become unsure. Great message in life as well.

All in all, I had a fantastic experience and look forward to more experiences like this. Like I always say, to become better at anything you have to find people who are already doing it and good at it. I have made that a mission in my personal and business life. I want answers from people who have proven they have the answers.

This is why, after being in the athletic/sports field for over 20 years, I love helping other who need help. I look at it as a chain. I learn from highly successful people, then I take my experiences and what I have learned and teach others, and so on down the chain.

For this reason, I created Speed Insiders. http://www.speedinsiders.com/ is a great place for you to start collecting little golden nuggets of information that will spawn into new ideas for you and your programs.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: I have people say to me "Why are you always promoting your membership http://www.speedinsiders.com/. The honest and simple truth is I want to help and I want people who truly want to be helped. You have a small investment in your success to become a valued member of the Speed Insiders. This small investment separates the serious people wanting learn and grow from the people who just want things handed to them without taking any action. I learned this myself a long time ago. If you have nothing in "it", then you don't appreciate it and work for it. I never force anyone, but I will work my tail off for you once you commit to yourself. http://www.speedinsiders.com/

Don't Unplug

What a great start to the day. It is sunny and around 70 degrees. To start the morning out, Jae and I went for walk. I like to walk in the mornings- it loosens me up. Especially when my back is tight. It gives me a chance to think about the day ahead and what I need to be focusing on in the coming days. Plus, I love fresh air and exercise.

Staying Plugged In

Have you ever been really excited about a new program, a class, an exercise workout, a business association, or for that matter, anything you were going to jump in with both feet? I know I have. Many times the excitement and commitment seems to fade into the sunset never to be seen again. Sound familiar?

I have learned so many things over the years. But, biggest thing I have learned has given me the edge is what I call "Staying Plugged In". It is so easy to stop attending educational seminars, buying DVDs and books, investing in coaching, and doing the things that keep me motivated and educated to reach the next level. It would also be easy to stop growing my businesses and live off what we have currently created.

I find the more I push myself to keep involved and keep growing, the easier it gets. Oh sure, it was real hard at first. I never knew if I should spend the money on this or that. I didn't always believe going to a marketing seminar or attending a mastermind meeting was really worth it. Once I crushed those thoughts and beliefs I have never stopped looking forward.

I encourage all of you to "Stay Plugged In" at what ever it is you are involved in. Maybe you are a basketball or tennis coach and think attening another clinic is a waste of time. Big mistake! All you need is one idea- to give you a winning strategy to go to a new level- remember the "Principle of Slight Edge." So regardless of the sport you coach, business you run, or life you want to live. You need to keep involved and keep growing to reach higher levels of success, or at least maintain your current level ("If you not moving, your not living")

People Who Are Plugged In

Olympic athletes are definitely "Plugged In". They know that if they come "unplugged" for even the shortest time, the journey back to the top is so much harder. They keep engaged with their sport, their conditioning, their mental training, their strategies, and their focus.

You see, when Olympic athletes stay plugged in, they never get away from the newest trends or training strategies that might make a big difference in their success. But, had they stopped working out, staying sharp, and learning they might have fallen behind and never recaptured their greatness.

The top business people in any business are "Plugged In". They don't want to lose their edge, so they keep learning, keep pushing, always asking "what else can I do". Donald Trump is Plugged in, Bill Gates is plugged in, Peyton Manning is plugged in, even Brett Farve never let himself get completely unplugged. He still stayed sharp enough to be one of the best. Michael Jordan is plugged in, even though he has been retired for several years now. He simply shifted his focus to the business side but never lost his edge.

Losing The Edge- Being Unplugged

I can remember several years ago a high school basketball team needed a head coach because the former coach moved on to a new job. The school, after a short search, ended up hiring a teacher in the school district that was a former basketball coach 25 years earlier. He had not coached at any level in 25 years. He was not plugged in to the game and it showed.

I can remember watching a game and seeing the players become frustrated at him because his style of coaching was so outdated compared to the new faster pace game. It wasn't even that his style was more of a slow down game, it was that he didn't recognize he had some fast players able to push the ball up the court quickly. His discipline was weak. He use to be a good leader on the court, but he had lost his feel for the game and the players. He simply was away from the game too long and lost his edge.

What Are YOU Choosing To Do?

Are you staying "Plugged in". If you are a strength coach, trainer, sport coach, parent coaching youth sports, physical therapist, chiropractor, athletic development business owner or anyone that is involved with sport or business you need to stay plugged in and always look for the slight edge. For this reason, I created the a membership that allows you to keep the edge. Speed Insiders is about giving you constant information you can use to improve your athletes, marketing, business growth, and much more. Don't look for some magic pill, look for consistent information that leads to success. Get "Plugged In" and try my two month FREE trial Speed Insiders program. I give you the first two months free so you can be comfortable with the information and give you a chande to see the positive direction it will lead you, your athletes, and your business. Take me up on my offer and a FREE ride to success http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and take a FREE ride to success.

Yours in Speed,

Lee

PS: If your want to stay plugged in and not get left behind, become a member of Speed Insiders- go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ now to get the edge you have been looking for.

Viewer Questions

A few weeks ago I asked you to send me your questions. Here are just a few questions I received.

Q: I run a volleyball club in Hawaii. Many of the clubs in Hawaii are beginning to develop speed and agility and core development training programs to assist in the training of our volleyball programs. Off-season we do alot of beach training but during the season our program mainly consist of ladders, cones, plyo boxes, reaction balls, and balance disc. Is there a way to incorporate all of these activities during the season without putting to much stress on the lower half of the body. We do so much jumping in our volleyball training that I feel that we may be overworking the girls.

Jon T
Ho'okino Volleyball Club

A: Jon, my dream vacation is to spend some time in Hawaii. Do you have a spare bedroom? This is a common question and issue in volleyball. What I am about to say is important to understand. If your volleyball practice is organized where the athletes are getting good metabolic conditioning and jump training due to the nature of the practice, then you need to add short highly focused sessions on skill development. What this means is; you need to choose one or two of the exercises you mentioned above (ladders, cones, reaction balls…) and create a 2-5 minute block of time per practice where you only focus on one or two of those exercises. For example; On Monday, you may put into your practice plan that after the warm up and defensive passing skills you are going to have the players perform lateral and angular first step quickness cone drills for 3 sets of 8 seconds to the right and left with a 20-30 second rest. Once this is done you take a water break and move on in the practice. You can also schedule another small session block later in the practice to focus on a different skill like balance training.

Your focus has to be on skill development and movement economy not conditioning or high volume- your normal practice should be covering this. Remember, this is your in season focus. You off season is different- your volume will be higher and you can do more exercises.

I always use this rule of thumb, if there is even a slight chance that I might cause an injury by doing a particular exercise or training approach I don’t do it. The ultimate goal is for the players to be better at volleyball and the training is to supplement that.

Q: You are correct about the amount of youth training information out there. Constantly I search for information, classes and programs that will help in training young athletes. Having three sons under the age of eight, teaching 6th grade in an urban public school and coaching basketball, I realize the importance of continuing education. Also, I am a Speed Insider and Basketball Speed is great! What would be the misconceptions/problems that you see in training young athletes? I ask this because the idea of starting sport camps has come up. Constantly I am asked about having a basketball camp or coaching. So that leads me to another question. How do you set up and run a camp? This is just a start.

Mike W.

A: I absolutely love basketball as well. To answer the first question about the misconceptions/problems I see in training young athletes. Many programs are based off the newest drill or contraption that is going to revolutionize the sports training industry. Get rid of that “stuff”, teach skills, have fun, and support the athletes’ development as they grow.

I have always said this my job as a strength and conditioning coach is to support what the athletes really wants and that is to be better at their chosen sport(s). It is not my job to dominate the athlete time and energy with my training program. I am there to keep them healthy, safe and improve their performance without causing mental or physical burnout.

I love the idea of having a sports camp- basketball or any other. The reason I like sports camps so much is, if they are structured properly with the correct motives, you can help athlete at so many levels (skills development, self-confidence, learning to work as a team, meeting new friends, athlete learn different philosophies from different coaches, they get a sense of belonging….).

Sports camps for young athlete should be designed with the following in mind.
1. Always be organized with the structure but allow spontaneity within the day. In other words the kids need to have structure so they can be organized and have boundaries, but at some points the kids should be able to be decision makers as well. Let them work how details of how their team is going to play or work through a fun team game- get the idea?

2. Always teach a skill and then relate it to the sport. So if I am going to teach lateral shuffles for defense in basketball I am going to teach the kids the skill of how to move, but then I will put them in a 2-on-2 situations and have them use the skill live. This helps learning and retention because they understand the skills application.

3. Have lots of fun competitive games that teach the kids to compete with each other yet handle how to win and lose (let’s face it, if we don’t teach kids how to handle being defeated we are doing them a disservice). There are many other things that go into the actual running of a camp but I always make sure these 3 things are include with young athletes.

Finally, to start the sports camp, you want to pound the pavement by getting in front of youth organizations, church groups for kids, schools, and recreation departments. You need to speak to the organizers of these groups and let them know that you are running a youth sports camp for basketball and would love to share some information about it to the kids. You should run a mini-clinc for the kids so they can see how much fun it will be and what they will gain from being in the camp.

There is lots of other stuff like getting insurance and facility usage but hopefully this gives you a start.

Q: What progressions on strength training are appropriate for the sub 9th grader?Should warm-up progressions change as age changes? What lateral speed progressions change as the athlete gets older?What games/activities are fun that can develop aerobic capacity in your young athletes given the window of opportunity around 12-13?...according to Balyi

Matt Candrl

A: Wow, lots of good stuff Matt- thanks.

1.When discussing strength training for younger kids here are some suggestions. First, make sure the kids are completely competent at performing the exercises. Hopefully, lots of good body wt stuff at first and then you can add free wts, bands, and others. To be quite honest with you, for the population you are asking about the progressions we use are totally based on the needs of the athlete. I don’t have a set periodized approach for young kids. They are just challenged in different ways when they are ready. For example; day one they might be asked to perform all exercise slowly, on day two they might be asked to perform each exercise quickly with power, and on another day they will be asked to do all the exercises in a circuit format. When exercises become easy then make it more challenging. The older the athletes becomes, the more the program becomes systematized.

2. Warm up progressions can change as the athletes get older but this is due to need. Older athlete will begin to have more specific issue due to sport participation as compared to young kids that are still developing and don’t have any sport specific issues. Warms ups for young kids should be as much about teaching them how to move and control their bodies as the actual purpose of warming and preparing the body.In most of my youngster program warm ups there is a seamless approach where the all the training gets mixed together. The older athlete will need time to deal with corrective issue during the warm up process.

3. Lateral movement is a skill. Regardless of if the athlete is young or old the skill must be programmed properly in the motor program of each athlete. The progression that changes is the approach of more specific application to a particular sport or sport position. I will progress older athlete into more sets (still keeping the reps low because it is a skill) and also periodic light resisted training laterally to prime the strength and power development and excite the nervous system (be careful with lateral resistance if you are still focusing on the proper execution of the skill. You don’t want to grove an incorrect pattern.

4. Fun games and conditioning- you can never go wrong with tag, relays, and obstacle courses. These games teach movement, enhance a fun competitive nature, and encourage creativity. Plus, if the games are structured properly you can get a nice conditioning effect.

There is a lot that could go into each question but these answers should help.

Q: Hi Lee, good to hear from you again. Hope that you are well with your family. I do need to work on our schools peoples strengh and power. How can I test them and what can I do to imporve it.

Cheers,
Marius
South Africa

A: Thanks for asking about my family Marius. They are great and growing up fast.

Some simple tests for power are: vertical jump and standing broad for lower body and seated or standing medicine chest pass for upper body. For strength you should be careful not to do any test that could cause injury- you want to make sure the athlete can perform the technique of what ever lift you are going to perform really well first before testing. On that note, I would use a 3-5 rep max for strength test unless you have older athletes that are experienced lifters- even then it is not bad to use 3-5 reps. Some tests you can use for strength are: squat, bench press, pull ups (might be more strength endurance for stronger athletes), and pull ups. To me it really doesn’t matter what kind of test you use. I always error on side of caution, but you want to make sure they are getting improvement.

Here is a simple design. Perform what ever tests you want that are safe and give you a starting point with each athlete. Let’s use the Pull ups for example. If the athlete can do 8 pull ups. I would use a formula like this. Train pull-ups 2-3 days per week. The athlete should do one day with assistance so he or she can perform 12-13 reps (4-5 more than tested). Then on the next day I would have them perform non-assisted regular pull ups. Then go back to the assisted pull ups on the following workout day. When the athlete can easily does 4-5 more than the original 8 pull ups start to reduce the assistance. Eventually you want the athlete performing 10-12 with no assistance.

When designing the program for squats, bench or any other strength lift you can use a similar approach of alternating between lesser intensity and more speed, and high wt with a more strength focus. You want to continually shock the nervous system so it has to adapt and increase force output.

This should give you a starting point Marius.

Yours in Speed,
Lee

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