In youth sports, speed is often the edge that separates athletes. The ability to accelerate quickly in any sport can make young athletes stand out.
Let’s take a closer look at these foundational elements!
POWER AND STRENGTH
Starting with basic bodyweight exercises, like squats and lunges, is essential for younger kids. As they grow, they can gradually add weights with exercises like goblet squats, eventually progressing to barbell movements. This steady increase in resistance helps establish a solid strength foundation that supports proper sprint mechanics.
When children aren’t strong enough, their sprinting form can suffer. They may develop inefficient movement patterns, relying heavily on the glutes and hamstrings instead of engaging their entire kinetic chain. Strength training helps them build the muscular foundation to improve their form and, ultimately, their speed.
POWER SPRINTS WITH RESISTANCE
Along with strength and plyometrics, resistance sprinting is a vital piece of the puzzle. This technique involves using tools like sleds or resistance bands to add a challenge to sprint workouts. Alternating between heavy and light resistance helps young athletes develop both acceleration and top speed.
With heavy sleds, athletes work on strength and power, while lighter sleds allow them to focus on speed and mechanics. Mixing up resistance types keeps training dynamic and ensures steady improvement without causing fatigue. This training approach teaches athletes to handle resistance efficiently, enhancing their sprint performance.
HIGH INTENSITY SPRINTS
The final piece to unlocking youth speed is practicing high intensity sprinting. To build speed, young athletes need to train at high intensity, running at 95% effort or more across various distances.
Consistency is key here. Regular, high-intensity sprinting helps athletes build muscle memory and instills the importance of discipline. By emphasizing fundamentals over flashy drills, young athletes develop core sprinting skills that will benefit them as they move into more competitive levels.
Building speed in young athletes requires a balanced approach that combines strength, plyometrics, resistance training, and high-velocity sprints. With a focus on these four essential factors, kids can develop both the speed and skills to succeed in their chosen sports.
It’s crucial to focus on the basics. By staying consistent with these core training elements, we can help the next generation of athletes reach their full potential. Investing time in these foundations fosters not only speed but also a lifelong love of sport, discipline, and growth. Through commitment to these principles, we set young athletes up for success well beyond the game.
Tip Top Athlete provides advanced youth sports performance training in Utah for children and young adults ages 3 - 22, and all abilities whether beginner or advanced. Tip Top Athlete provides Youth 7 on 7 Football , Soccer, Baseball and specialized sports training programs.
Contact Us at (801) 866-6868 or info@tiptopathlete.com for More Info!
Tip Top Athlete West Haven Location:
2001 W 2550 S St. West Haven, UT, 84401
Tip Top Athlete Lehi Location:
Varsity Sports Performance,1657 N State St, Lehi, UT 84043 (GYVR Hub Building)
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