Ep 63 - Real Coaches, Real Problems: Speed – Stop Trying to Fix Everything.

In the first episode of Real Coaches, Real Problems, a new series from Performance Strategies and Stumbles, it's just me, Dan Howells. I spend much of my week mentoring S&C coaches, sports scientists and practitioners in academies, pro clubs and private practice, and the same problems keep coming up across different sports and countries. In this series I share those real stories, kept anonymous, along with what we tried and what actually helped. I'm starting with speed.

First, diagnosing a sprint before you prescribe a drill. A coach I worked with spotted ten faults in a young rugby player and wanted to fix them all at once, but eight cues for eight fixes will fix nothing. I explain how to work out whether the problem is neuromuscular, coordinative, structural or cognitive, and why sticking with one priority for four to five weeks made the difference.

From there I look at plyometric dosing. Good exercises often get prescribed at too low a volume or intensity to change anything, or in the wrong direction for the problem you're trying to solve. I also cover how one coach brought sprinting back after a congested fixture run: using "waterfall" starts to stop athletes racing each other, and calling it a speed "dose" rather than an "exposure" so players hear protection, not risk.

Finally, I share what happened when a new plyometric block was rolled out without getting the rest of the staff on board. The programme was sound, but when niggles appeared it became the obvious thing to blame. Speed work doesn't just live on the track or in the gym. It lives in the relationships around it.

Want help building a clearer philosophy, sharper programme design or more confidence in the applied setting? Find out more about our mentorship here: https://collaboratesports.com/bespokementorship

Collaborate 360 Performance Workshops: now regionalAfter Collaborate 360 in London, it was clear that one day in one city wasn't enough. So we've launched regional, single-topic workshops built on the same learning model: you learn by doing. There's one specialist coach, one room of practitioners, and it's close enough to home that going deep doesn't cost you a full day of travel.

Our first workshop is on Wednesday 28th October at Hertfordshire Sports Village. The focus is game speed, and it's led by Ruth Waghorn from the FA. It's the perfect next step after this episode. More regions will be announced soon.

Early bird pricing is open now. Book your place: www.collaboratesports.com/worksho