Be an Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes

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By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

Are your athletes actually getting faster, or are they just doing drills?

Most coaches assume that speed training is as simple as adding sprints to a session. But if those sprints aren’t game-specific, reactive, and part of a structured approach, they won’t translate to real performance.

Too often, we see:
❌ Jogging and agility ladders mistaken for true speed work.
❌ Athletes running fast in training but not in actual matches.
❌ Coaches focusing on drills instead of what actually works.

💡 So, how do you actually develop speed that transfers to game based scenarios?

P.S. We cover topics like this every week in the Athletic Skills Community. Want a free 30-day pass? Reply COMMUNITY or click the button below!

🚀 The Speed Training Myths That Are Slowing Your Athletes Down

Most coaches think they’re training speed, but in reality, they’re just going through the motions.

❌ Jogging laps before training isn’t speed work.
❌ Running a few sprints at the end of a session won’t make athletes faster.
❌ Agility ladders don’t improve real acceleration.

💡 Speed training isn’t just about running fast—it’s about applying speed in real game situations.

That’s exactly what we covered in our exclusive Q&A with Jonty, an expert who has worked across professional football, rugby, and cricket. Here are the biggest takeaways to help your athletes get faster where it actually matters—the game.

🔥 1. Sprinting Alone Won’t Make Athletes Faster (If It’s Not Game-Specific)

Sprinting is essential, but if your athletes aren’t using it in match scenarios, it won’t transfer.

Jonty shared how, in football, he doesn’t just train wingers to sprint. He puts them in real game setups:
⚡ Playing a pass inside before exploding down the wing.
⚡ Sprinting into crossing positions under pressure.
⚡ Reacting to a defender’s movement before accelerating.

Cricket: Integrate short sharp movements in to your fielding drills.
Rugby: Acceleration drills involving contact before breaking away.

✅ The takeaway: Speed training must mimic real game situations, not just be isolated drills.

🛑 2. Coaches Forget About Deceleration & Change of Direction

Everyone focuses on acceleration and top speed, but how quickly an athlete can stop and change direction is just as important.

💡 Game speed isn’t just about being fast—it’s about being fast at the right time.

🏆 How to train this:
✅ Use tag games and small-sided reactive drills where athletes must stop and adjust.
✅ Try the Chase & Stop Drill—one athlete sprints, the other reacts and has to decelerate quickly when they do.
✅ For injured or returning athletes, use controlled deceleration drills before progressing to chaotic, reactive environments.

➡️ Your action step: Add reactive deceleration drills to your speed training. It will reduce injury risk and help athletes stop/start faster in games.

💪 3. Strength Matters—But Only If It Transfers to Sprinting

Many coaches assume that lifting heavier in the gym automatically makes athletes faster.

🚨 Not necessarily.

Yes, strength helps, but speed is about applying force efficiently in sprint-specific positions.

🏋️ How to make strength training actually improve speed:
✅ Use resisted sprints & sled sprints to strengthen sprint-specific mechanics. (you can use partner pushes if you don’t have a sled).
✅ Prioritize force production at speed (not just lifting heavy for the sake of it).
✅ Avoid over-coaching naturally elastic athletes—some players don’t need mechanical adjustments.

💡 The key question: Are you making your athletes stronger, or are you making them faster? There’s a difference.

⏳ 4. If You’re Short on Time, Do This One Thing…

Jonty was clear: If you only have a few minutes per session to work on speed, the best thing you can do is… actually sprint.

🏃‍♂️ How to do this?
➡️ Include max-effort sprints in every session—even just a few reps in warm-ups.
➡️ Use chase drills, short sprints, or game-speed acceleration work to make it fun.
➡️ Focus on quality over quantity—just 3-5 high-quality sprints can have a big impact.

💡 Your challenge: In your next session, include at least one sprint drill at max intensity. Do this consistently, and you’ll see real improvements over time.

🎯 5. The Best Way to Train Young Athletes? Less Talking, More Doing.

Younger athletes don’t need technical jargon. They need games, challenges, and competition.

Jonty’s advice?
✅ Use chase drills to develop natural sprint mechanics.
✅ Create game-based speed drills rather than over-coaching.
✅ Focus on exposure to sprinting over detailed technical breakdowns.

⚽ In football? Small-sided games with explosive sprint moments are better than isolated drills.

➡️ The goal: Make speed development fun and engaging—the technical improvements will follow.

🚀 Final Takeaway: The Speed Formula for Coaches

If you want your athletes to be faster in games, follow this simple framework:

1️⃣ Train game-speed, not just straight-line sprinting
2️⃣ Develop acceleration, deceleration, and reactive agility
3️⃣ Use strength training that improves sprint-specific force
4️⃣ If time is limited—prioritize actual sprinting
5️⃣ With young athletes—less coaching, more playing

🔥 Want to go deeper? I’ve got the full recording of this Q&A, where we dive into these topics in detail.

💬 Reply “SPEED” to this email, and I’ll send you access!

P.S. We cover topics like this every week in the Athletic Skills Community. Want a free 30-day pass? Reply COMMUNITY or click the button below!

🚀Need more help? Reply to this email and let’s chat!

Speak soon,

Isaac 🙂 

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