Driving Force Sports Performance

The other day I trained a 10-year-old whose dad wanted him to get faster—but the kid had little to no athletic background. Good thing it was a one-on-one session, because we had to start from scratch. The focus wasn’t speed yet—it was learning basic movement patterns. I’ve said it before: kids don’t just go outside and “play” like they used to, and it shows.

Here are four basics we worked on:

A-Skip – great for coordination. We started with simple skipping, then built up to higher knees and syncing arms and legs. That coordination piece was the toughest, so we even slowed it down to walking before progressing.

Carioca – looks simple, but it’s not. With him, it was all about learning the pattern—crossing over and behind—before adding any speed.

Squat – a challenge at any age. We worked on keeping the chest tall with feet just wider than shoulder-width. Brand new movement for him.

Forward/Walking Lunge – introduces single-leg strength. We aimed for both knees at 90 degrees, but even getting halfway down with good form was a win. Strength will come with time.

We did more, but even the warm-up took time. Every kid is different, and not all get the same exposure. That’s the key—exposure early, and if not, meeting them where they’re at and building from there. Put them in a position to succeed!

Staying active ≠ being in shape for sport

Non-athletes: focus is general health and daily life
Athletes: need performance-based training

Non-athlete goals:
- Lose a few pounds
- Keep up with kids
- Feel good during daily activities (walks, chores)
* Main focus: consistency and movement (walking, gardening, light activity)
* Why inactivity matters - As activity drops, everyday tasks become harder
* General movement is enough to maintain baseline health

Athlete reality:
“Just being active” isn’t enough to compete

- Sports demand speed, power, and repeat effort
- Applies across sports like hockey, tennis, soccer, lacrosse
- Aerobic vs anaerobic (quick breakdown)
- Aerobic = with oxygen → steady pace (e.g., long runs)
- Anaerobic = without oxygen → short, intense bursts (e.g., sprints)
* Most team sports are primarily anaerobic
* Aerobic training can still help recovery

Step 1: Build anaerobic fitness
Train for short, explosive efforts
Focus on high intensity, not just duration
Step 2: Train for your sport (game shape)
Understand work-to-rest ratios

Example from hockey:
~45 sec shift
~2–3 min rest

Why steady sprinting doesn’t work - Game play isn’t constant effort
It’s repeated bursts: go hard → recover → repeat

* Better training approach:
- Sprint 5 sec → jog 10 sec
- Repeat for ~1 min
- Rest 2–3 min
- Perform 5–8 sets (ideally late in workout)

Key takeaway:
Every sport has different demands
Match your training to how the game is actually played - Bottom line
Don’t just stay active… TRAIN with purpose