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SPEED, POWER, AGILITY, REACTION AND QUICKNESS ESSENTIAL TO EVERY SPORT
Why You Shouldn’t Wait Until You’re A Pro To Train Like One
by Charles Dimry
How important is speed? Far more important than most people realize! Team speed becomes an issue every time an opposing player takes down the sideline with the ball. How important is power? Ask the keeper any time the opposing team takes a corner kick. How important is reaction time? Ask the defender who was able to clear that same corner kick.
American football reinforces the importance of Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness each year when it gathers prospective players for its Combine evaluation. At best, a great Combine performance can substantially increase an American football player’s draft status and earning potential in the NFL. At worst, a poor showing can make or break an athlete’s chances of playing in the League.
The value of Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness goes beyond the NFL. In fact, these skills are essential whether you’re playing football or futbol (soccer)! Whether you’re making a run down the soccer field or sprinting down the football field to catch a pass or break up a play, Speed and Quickness are essential. Whether you’re exploding in the air to head the ball into the goal or going up to catch a pass, Power is essential. Whether you’re making a move to beat a defender on the soccer field or the football field, Agility and Reaction are essential. Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness: these attributes make a good player a great athlete.
Some young kids have learned these skills by accident. We call these kids “athletic” and we all notice them on the playing field. When I was a kid it was thought that athleticism was simply a matter of good genes and good luck. Today we know differently. Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness are skills and like any skills they can be taught if you know how. (To learn how to identify a quality training program, see Brent Callaway’s article in last month’s eNews.) Being the parent of youth athletes myself, I know the many choices our kids have today. I also know that the increasing competition in youth sports has left many parents looking for ways to improve their child’s abilities and thereby improve their self-confidence and enjoyment of sport. Cal South sponsor Nike has introduced Nike SPARQ training and has partnered with Velocity Sports Performance to take this training opportunity to athletes of all ages. Again, Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness are skills that can be taught.
To maximize your performance on the field, you need to maximize your athleticism. Athletes who avoid injury and perform well are far more likely to stay involved in sports. Involvement in sports has a long list of well discussed benefits including strong academic performance, strong self-esteem, physical fitness, etc. Proper training can improve athleticism and prevent injuries and an athletic player will always be a threat, whether on the football field or the futbol field.
About the author: In addition to being a 12 year NFL veteran, and the owner of Velocity Sports Performance in Carlsbad and San Diego, Charles Dimry is the father of 5 aspiring athletes including one Cal South soccer player. Dimry knows what it takes to compete at a high level and he knows that being a great athlete is an important element of being a great player.
About Velocity Sports Performance:
Velocity Sports Performance is a national network of training centers where athletes of all sports, ages and skill levels go to improve their core athletic skills - speed, power and agility. Athletes train in small groups with degreed and certified performance coaches. Velocity Sports Performance is the Official Performance Training Partner of Cal South Soccer. Players who train with Velocity Sports Performance can expect to get to the ball quicker, cover more of the field faster, increase their shot power and reduce their chances of injury. Velocity Sports Performance has training centers throughout Southern California including Irvine, Redondo Beach, Anaheim, Carlsbad, West LA and Santa Clarita.
