It doesn't seem to be a day at the gym until a
parent comes in and says "my kid isn't fast enough, we need more agility
work". Well, lucky for them our goal is to never make a kid slower. One
thing that needs to be addressed is that you can do all the speed work in the
world, but without a foundation of strength, you will never see the amount of improvement
that is desired.
A
quality speed training program depends on where your child is developmentally.
No two children are alike. The focus should be placed on stability, mobility
and the often overlooked component, strength. If you lack strength you cannot
control your body. It is that simple. With each stride you take running, the
forces against your body are roughly 4-6 times your bodyweight. So, if your
child weighs 100 pounds, the forces against his/her body will be anywhere from
400-600 pounds. What does that mean? Your child is at an increased risk for
injury. As Brett Jones once said, "absolute strength is the glass.
Everything else is what you can put in the glass." Often times, you will
not see improvements until the athlete improves their strength. The larger the glass (strength) the more room
for improvement. With that being said, strength is not the only answer to speed
improvement. Improving mobility and stability around the joints is important.
Once you improve these areas, your child will be able to efficiently put more
force into the ground on each movement. To review physics, force equals mass
times acceleration. Improving force will improve you in any athletic
endeavor.
So back
to the question at hand: Can you make my kid faster? The answer to that
question comes with an understanding that speed is not training in a few
sessions, weeks, or monthly blocks. Speed improvement is achieved as part of a
comprehensive plan. On one end of the continuum is absolute strength and on the
other end is specificity training. Most children spend their time practicing
and playing their sport. If you focus on the other end of the continuum
(strength training), all other areas will also see an improvement. Contact me
for more information on getting your child up to game speed!
Chris Fluck
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