Stop Making Your Athletes Slower
I watched a high school football coach last summer run his players into the ground with "speed drills" that were anything but fast. Thirty kids doing 40-yard sprints with 15-second rest periods, gasping for air, times getting progressively worse with each rep. When I asked him what he was training, he said "speed and mental toughness."
What he was actually training? How to run slow while exhausted.
This scene plays out thousands of times across the country every day. Coaches who genuinely care about their athletes, working their asses off to make them better, but unknowingly making them worse. It's not their fault—they're doing what they learned, what's been passed down for generations. But it's time we called bullshit on some sacred cows.
The "Tough Coach" Trap
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most of what we call "tough coaching" is just lazy coaching dressed up in military cosplay.
Yelling at kids to run faster while they're already gassed? That's not developing mental toughness—that's developing a tolerance for moving like shit. Real toughness comes from maintaining perfect form when everything hurts, from executing technique flawlessly under pressure, from showing up and doing the work day after day.
But perfect form and smart progression don't look as impressive as athletes puking in trash cans. And that's the problem. Too many coaches are more concerned with the optics of toughness than the reality of performance improvement.
Your Body Runs on Three Engines (And You're Flooding Two of Them)
Think of your body like a car with three different engines:
Engine #1: The Nitrous System (ATP/CP) This is your dragster engine. Pure explosion, maximum power, but it's done in 6-7 seconds. When you hit this system, you're talking max speed, highest jumps, most violent cuts. It's what separates good athletes from great ones.
But here's the kicker—once you fire this engine, it takes 12-20 times as long to reload. Run a 3-second sprint? You need 36-60 seconds to do another one at full power. Give it anything less, and you're not training speed anymore.
Engine #2: The Burn Engine (Glycolytic) This kicks in when the nitrous runs out or when you don't give enough rest. It'll keep you moving for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, but at a cost—it floods your system with metabolic byproducts that make everything feel like it's on fire.
Engine #3: The Cruiser Engine (Aerobic) Your all-day engine. Not exciting, but it keeps you going and helps you recover between the explosive stuff.
Most coaches accidentally train Engine #2 when they think they're training Engine #1. They take what should be a precise, powerful movement and turn it into a sloppy endurance test.
The Speed Killer Hiding in Plain Sight
I see this every damn day:
- "Speed ladders" where kids stumble through footwork drills for 30 seconds straight
- Cone drills run as conditioning circuits instead of skill development
- Box jumps done for 3 sets of 20 reps with 30 seconds rest
- Sprint intervals with insufficient recovery
Here's what's really happening: You're teaching your athletes' nervous systems that "fast" movements should feel exhausting and sloppy. You're literally practicing mediocrity.
Want proof? Time your athletes' best 10-yard sprint when they're fresh. Then time it during one of your "speed conditioning" circuits. I guarantee you'll see the speed evaporate after the first few reps. At that point, you're not training speed—you're training them to accept being slow.
The Recovery Revolution
Elite track coaches figured this out decades ago. Watch a world-class sprinter train, and you'll see something that looks almost boring: short bursts of incredible intensity followed by lots of standing around.
That "standing around" is where the magic happens. It's where the ATP/CP system reloads. It's where the nervous system recovers enough to produce maximum output again. It's where you actually get faster.
But this requires a fundamental shift in coaching philosophy. You have to be okay with training sessions that don't leave everyone destroyed. You have to trust the process instead of chasing the immediate gratification of athlete exhaustion.
Real Mental Toughness vs. Fake Toughness
Let me be clear—mental toughness is absolutely crucial. But real mental toughness isn't about suffering through poorly designed workouts. It's about:
- Maintaining perfect technique when your body wants to default to sloppy
- Showing consistent effort in "boring" fundamental work
- Having the discipline to rest when rest is programmed
- Competing at full intensity even in practice
- Taking coaching feedback without getting defensive
You can develop this without running kids into the ground. In fact, you can develop it better without the fatigue that compromises everything else.
I've seen athletes develop incredible mental fortitude through demanding technical work, competitive drills, and gradually progressive challenges that respect physiological reality. These athletes don't just get tougher—they get better.
The Progressive Power Protocol
Here's how to actually develop speed and power:
Phase 1: Movement Quality (Weeks 1-4) Focus obsessively on perfect technique in basic movements. Use full rest periods. If form breaks down, you're done. No exceptions.
Phase 2: Power Development (Weeks 5-12) Short, intense efforts with complete recovery. 10-20 yard sprints with 90+ seconds rest. Jumps and throws with 60+ seconds between efforts. Quality over quantity, always.
Phase 3: Power Endurance (Weeks 13-16) Gradually introduce shorter rest periods, but never compromise the explosive intent. Think 45-60 seconds between efforts instead of 90+.
Phase 4: Sport Integration (Weeks 17-20) Sport-specific patterns under increasing time pressure, but still respecting energy system demands.
Notice what's missing? The traditional "conditioning gauntlet" to start the season. That's because intelligent coaches build endurance through consistent practice of perfect movement patterns, not through exhaustion circuits.
The Discipline Difference
Want team discipline? Stop using exercise as punishment.
Instead, make discipline about standards: perfect form, full effort, complete focus, and respectful communication. When those standards slip, address them directly through conversation, accountability measures, and natural consequences—not burpees.
Athletes who learn discipline through respect for the process become self-directed performers. Athletes who learn discipline through exercise punishment often become sneaky and resentful.
Implementation Reality Check
Look, I get it. Changing your approach feels risky. What if parents think you're going soft? What if athletes don't respect you? What if other coaches think you don't know what you're doing?
Here's the thing—results speak louder than perception. When your athletes start moving faster, jumping higher, and staying healthier, everyone pays attention. When they execute skills flawlessly under pressure while other teams fall apart, the proof is undeniable.
Start small. Pick one "speed" exercise you currently do as conditioning and convert it to true speed work with proper rest. Time your athletes. Watch their form. See the difference.
Then ask yourself: do you want to be the coach who makes athletes tired, or the one who makes them fast?
The Bottom Line
Your athletes trust you to make them better. They show up, work hard, and follow your program because they believe in you. That trust deserves more than recycled traditions and ego-driven training methods.
Understanding energy systems isn't just about science—it's about respect. Respect for your athletes' time, their bodies, and their potential. It's about being honest enough to admit when our traditions don't serve our goals.
The choice is simple: continue the cycle of well-intentioned but counterproductive training, or evolve into a coach who develops athletes instead of just exhausting them.
Your athletes are counting on you to choose wisely. Don't let them down.
