The Most Common Mistakes Parents Make During Speed Training
More speed, agility, and quickness training ideas for coaches, parents, and athletes.
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Many coaches, parents, and athletes use the term "speed training" as if it is a single quality. In reality, speed development consists of several different athletic abilities, and two of the most important are acceleration and top speed.
While both contribute to athletic performance, they are developed differently and serve different purposes on the football field.
Understanding the difference can help athletes train more effectively and improve true game speed.
Acceleration is the ability to increase speed quickly from a stationary position or a slow movement.
In football, acceleration is often more important than maximum sprint speed because most plays occur within relatively short distances.
Every time a running back hits a hole, a linebacker attacks downhill, or a receiver explodes off the line of scrimmage, acceleration is being used.
Top speed refers to the maximum velocity an athlete can achieve once fully sprinting.
This quality becomes important when athletes have enough distance to continue accelerating and eventually reach their highest running speed.
Long touchdown runs, breakaway plays, kickoff returns, and open-field pursuits often involve top speed.
Most football plays are short.
Research and game analysis consistently show that athletes rarely sprint long enough to reach maximum velocity during typical football situations.
Because of this, acceleration training often provides the greatest return on investment for football players.
An athlete who reaches game speed faster will often outperform a slightly faster athlete who takes longer to get there.
Acceleration training focuses on explosive starts, powerful first steps, and efficient force production.
Common acceleration drills include:
These drills teach athletes how to project force into the ground and create speed quickly.
Top speed training focuses on sprint mechanics, posture, relaxation, stride efficiency, and maintaining velocity.
Common top speed drills include:
These drills help athletes maximize running efficiency once they are already moving at high speeds.
Although acceleration often deserves greater emphasis, football players should not completely ignore top speed development.
Improvements in maximum velocity can positively influence acceleration and overall athletic performance. Athletes who improve their speed ceiling often improve their ability to operate at higher speeds throughout competition.
The best football training programs develop both qualities rather than focusing exclusively on one.
Different positions may rely on acceleration and top speed in different ways.
Offensive and defensive linemen often rely heavily on short-area acceleration and change of direction.
Skill positions such as receivers, defensive backs, and running backs may benefit from a slightly greater emphasis on top speed while still prioritizing acceleration.
Speed alone does not determine football performance.
Athletes must also be able to stop, react, cut, and accelerate again during competition.
This is why acceleration training, top speed development, agility work, and change of direction training should all be part of a complete game speed development system.
Effective football speed programs often include dedicated acceleration sessions, top speed sessions, and change of direction work throughout the training week.
This balanced approach helps athletes improve multiple qualities that transfer directly to game performance.
Acceleration and top speed are not the same thing. Acceleration determines how quickly an athlete reaches speed, while top speed represents the fastest velocity they can achieve.
Football players need both, but acceleration typically has the greatest impact on game performance because most plays occur within short distances. A complete training program develops acceleration, top speed, agility, and change of direction together to maximize game speed.
The SAQ Workout Planner & Game Speed Development System includes dedicated acceleration workouts, top speed workouts, lateral speed and change of direction workouts, progress tracking tools, nearly 300 drills and exercises, demo video links, and printable PDF exports.
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