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Post by coachbw on Nov 12, 2011 11:39:58 GMT -6
I saw a playoff game this week that involved one of the fastest teams I have ever seen. They obviously had some skilled athletes and genetics helped to make them fast, but also played fast in all aspects of the game. It got me thinking about what can be done to make a team faster. I had thought about putting this into the strength and conditioning part of the message board, but am starting to think there may to be more to it than that because things like simplifying schemes also allows kids to play faster. I was sitting with 6 or 7 head coaches and everyone kept commenting on how this whole program was based on playing with speed. I am wondering if there are any coaches that have had teams or programs where speed has been a trademark. Any suggestions on what things can be done systematically to make a team as a whole faster?
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Post by fantom on Nov 12, 2011 11:43:02 GMT -6
I saw a playoff game this week that involved one of the fastest teams I have ever seen. They obviously had some skilled athletes and genetics helped to make them fast, but also played fast in all aspects of the game. It got me thinking about what can be done to make a team faster. I had thought about putting this into the strength and conditioning part of the message board, but am starting to think there may to be more to it than that because things like simplifying schemes also allows kids to play faster. I was sitting with 6 or 7 head coaches and everyone kept commenting on how this whole program was based on playing with speed. I am wondering if there are any coaches that have had teams or programs where speed has been a trademark. Any suggestions on what things can be done systematically to make a team as a whole faster? |
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Post by fantom on Nov 12, 2011 11:48:38 GMT -6
I saw a playoff game this week that involved one of the fastest teams I have ever seen. They obviously had some skilled athletes and genetics helped to make them fast, but also played fast in all aspects of the game. It got me thinking about what can be done to make a team faster. I had thought about putting this into the strength and conditioning part of the message board, but am starting to think there may to be more to it than that because things like simplifying schemes also allows kids to play faster. I was sitting with 6 or 7 head coaches and everyone kept commenting on how this whole program was based on playing with speed. I am wondering if there are any coaches that have had teams or programs where speed has been a trademark. Any suggestions on what things can be done systematically to make a team as a whole faster? We're fast. Unfortunately all I can tell you is "Get fast guys"/ Seriously, straight ahead speed isn't as important as agility and quickness. Those things you can work on. Otherwise, think of your personnel. Does your 5 tech need to be a 230 lb. 5.2 guy or can you make it with a smaller, faster guy? |
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Post by downdownkick on Nov 12, 2011 22:56:06 GMT -6
I think the weight room can make a big difference. So can teaching proper running mechanics. Not saying you can build a 4.4 guy, but you can really affect your overall TEAM speed.
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Post by 3ydsdust on Nov 13, 2011 15:46:13 GMT -6
Have players run track or play bball as a 2nd sport.
Emphasize heavy squats and deadlifts in the offseason along with speed and agility sessions for those not involved in 2nd sport.
Find a way to get your fastest players on the field and involved. You may have to simplify your scheme, but get them out there and let them loose without them having to think too much.
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Post by jgordon1 on Nov 13, 2011 15:49:19 GMT -6
I once went to this clinic where he said that every facet of their program was fast..they lifted fast..they warmed up fast..they called plays fast..interesting
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Post by airman on Nov 13, 2011 15:52:05 GMT -6
just ask those players who are training for the nfl combine. I always find this interesting. after the season they start really training and work with the track coach to get faster. they put up these great numbers at the combine but then revert to their old ways.
I heard a scout say add a tenth or two to every 40 yd dash at the combine because they have been training for this one event.
so yes you can train speed but the kids have to keep doing the work.
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Post by fantom on Nov 13, 2011 16:05:20 GMT -6
just ask those players who are training for the nfl combine. I always find this interesting. after the season they start really training and work with the track coach to get faster. they put up these great numbers at the combine but then revert to their old ways. I heard a scout say add a tenth or two to every 40 yd dash at the combine because they have been training for this one event. so yes you can train speed but the kids have to keep doing the work. I find it funny how many 6'3" LBs end up 6'1" at the combine. |
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Post by jgordon1 on Nov 13, 2011 16:07:52 GMT -6
our team in general is slow compared to others...we are trying to increase total team speed ..we talk about being in great shape so if we are a 4.9 team..we are playing at 4.9 in the 4th quarter
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Post by airman on Nov 13, 2011 16:09:09 GMT -6
just ask those players who are training for the nfl combine. I always find this interesting. after the season they start really training and work with the track coach to get faster. they put up these great numbers at the combine but then revert to their old ways. I heard a scout say add a tenth or two to every 40 yd dash at the combine because they have been training for this one event. so yes you can train speed but the kids have to keep doing the work. I find it funny how many 6'3" LBs end up 6'1" at the combine. i have never understood this as well. wouldn't it be better to list yourself at 6-1 even if you are 6-3 as you then look bigger and play bigger so people notice you. |
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Post by coachgreen05 on Nov 16, 2011 20:42:51 GMT -6
offseason program built on explosion (deadlifts,box jumps,sleds,power cleans,bunjee cords) * less bench pressing*
practice fast...every drill full speed,in and out the huddle fast
all kids run track,even if they are not fast,their form increases and help them become faster for football
We prefer quicker players over big players at most positions.
Simplify most aspects of your terminology
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Post by ajreaper on Nov 17, 2011 8:40:16 GMT -6
Actively search for a great speed and agility coach just like you would an OC or Dl coach. Speed, like every other aspect of an athlete, can be trained and improved upon. Now we all have genectic ceiling but the last thing any high school ever does is perform at 100% of his genetic potential and that's generally the result of not training to do so. Some players will never bench 300 or squat 500 and many will never run a sub 5.0 forty but you can improve them all.
Having said that a fast kid does not always play fast- sometimes it's because he's uncertain what he is supposed to do and sometimes he just has a mental block about playing fast- a little fear perhaps.
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Post by jrk5150 on Nov 17, 2011 8:46:24 GMT -6
I find it funny how many 6'3" LBs end up 6'1" at the combine. i have never understood this as well. wouldn't it be better to list yourself at 6-1 even if you are 6-3 as you then look bigger and play bigger so people notice you. Nope - because some coaches won't even LOOK at someone that doesn't fit their profile. If you list yourself as a 6', there are pro teams that won't even look. List at 6'3", and they'll look - maybe you can then win them over with your play. Maybe not, but you at least get seen. I think someone on here had an interaction with Paterno when he was a kid - when asked what he could do to play at PSU, Paterno said to grow - they won't even look at RB's under 5'10" or something like that. I'm paraphrasing. |
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Post by fantom on Nov 17, 2011 8:50:00 GMT -6
Burst is what you're looking for so maybe you can start by timing then for 10 yds. during your offseason S&C testing. That's the speed that you really need in football, especially defenive football, and it's also easier to improve than the 40. Doesn't mean that you have to stop timing in the 40. You do both at once.
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Post by coachcb on Nov 17, 2011 8:53:27 GMT -6
IMO, speed is a function of two things:
1. A proper winter conditioning program that emphasizes speed, explosiveness and strength. I use the word "proper" because there are a lot of "football" weight training programs out there that aren't sport specific. Farmer's walks, tire flips, bench and curls three times a week will not develop a fast football player.
2. A simple, sound scheme where fundamentals are taught and repped. Honestly, speed during a football game is really relative. Yes, there are those studs that obviously have 4.5 speed but there are other kids that move faster on the football field because they are coached well. They may look a whole lot slower if they weren't coached as well. And, it's relative to the team they are playing too. We had some speed this year and made several teams look slow. But, we played the #1 team in the state and our "on field" speed went from a 4.7 to a 5.2 real quick. We were faster than them but they executed very, very well.
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Post by newt21 on Nov 21, 2011 15:20:01 GMT -6
Having fast kids always helps, but you can improve their game-speed (which is more important than a 40 time) by improving their reaction time and by taking away their processing. If they don't have to think "if he does this, then I must do this", but sees it and does it anyway, that's where game-speed comes from. That's why guys like Zach Thomas excel, they may not be the biggest or fastest, but they can read and react MUCH faster which causes them to play faster. I'll take a kid that plays at a 4.7 but runs a 5.0 any day of the week!
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Post by the1mitch on Nov 23, 2011 8:25:59 GMT -6
ahm not a smart man, but ah know what fast is. Unfortunately, my demographic runs to cul-de-sac kids who plan on working as software engineers. What I do is put fast kids at spots where they don't usually belong. IE DT or Mike backer, with our absolute best athletes on the outside, so every year we get coaches saying they wish they had our team speed.......
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Post by chi5hi on Nov 23, 2011 10:49:32 GMT -6
I like getting soccer guys. They seem to be able to run all day long, can accelerate to their top speed in about two steps, have some ability to stop and turn quickly. They have trouble catching the ball, though.
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Post by bigplay on Nov 23, 2011 18:30:02 GMT -6
im with fantom, i look for burst/closing speed esp on the def side of the ball.
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jlt
Junior Member
Posts: 313
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Post by jlt on Nov 29, 2011 6:42:54 GMT -6
We are in the UK college system. We run the double wing and have 4 'power backs'. Except they arent all 4 guys run 4.5 or less with a best of 4.2. It means that we are killing guys with speed.
How we achieved it is by taking naturally fast players and getting them in the gym and showing them how to run fast in football. The 4.2 guy is a track athlete though that hasnt quite got the hang of lowering shoulder yet.
The trick is not giving them space. The 1 game we were stopped was because they were getting tot eh guys before they turned on the jets. HEres a perfect vid of where they enarly got him before the jets went on.
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Post by downdownkick on Nov 29, 2011 21:48:20 GMT -6
Let me add this as well, I got it from a NCAA track coach:
A lot of people don't really understand what "practice fast" means, or dismiss it as coachspeak. What it means to me is that you should never allow halfspeed reps outside of the install/teaching period. If your guys are winded during team time, you need to give them a break or else they'll start building bad habits (jogging on the backside, slow read steps, lazy blocking) to compensate.
You need to give them enough recovery time to play at 100%, because that's how you want them playing during games. If they have to go at 75% to conserve energy, their muscle memory with latch onto that and that's how they'll play on Friday night.
Obviously this conflicts with the Chip Kelly "we can run 50 plays in 20 minutes" theory of practice, but I bet they constantly rotate guys in and out to keep everyone fresh.
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