Every year, sport coaches and ex-college athletes launch mini-camps to improve speed and agility for high school athletes. These camps are inexpensive, typically $10-$30 per session, and feature an endless rotation of ladder drills, cone drills, and sprints. While these exercises may look impressive, they often lack substance and fail to provide long-term athletic development. The reality? Most middle and high school athletes don't know how to move efficiently, and these camps don't address that fundamental issue.

The Problem with Speed and Agility Camps

The premise of these camps sounds great—train speed and agility to get faster and more explosive on the field. However, the execution is flawed. Rather than teaching the biomechanics of movement, positioning, and mechanics, these camps focus on mindless repetitions of drills often pulled from YouTube or recycled from the coach's college playing days. The result? Athletes who look busy and get tired but don't actually improve.

The biggest misconceptions about these camps include:

• Drills Create Speed – Cone drills and ladders do not inherently make an athlete faster. True speed comes from force production and proper sprint mechanics, not footwork patterns through a ladder.
• Fatigue Equals Progress – Anyone can make an athlete tired, but fatigue doesn't necessarily translate to improved athletic performance.
• Sport-Specific Drills Are Always Beneficial—Most so-called "sport-specific drills" in these camps lack proper application. True sport-specific work happens within gameplay, not through gimmicky drills.

What High School Athletes Actually Need

Rather than wasting hours on redundant speed and agility drills, middle and high school athletes need structured, progressive strength and conditioning programs. The most effective training programs emphasize:

1. Strength Development

Strength training is foundational for speed and power development. A stronger athlete can apply more force into the ground, leading to greater sprint speed and explosiveness. Progressive strength training builds a durable, balanced, and capable athlete through training primary movement such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, upper body pushing and pulling, carries, anti-rotational core work, etc.

2. Movement Mechanics and Biomechanics

Before athletes can get fast, they need to learn how to move efficiently - mechanics before intensity.

• Acceleration mechanics (starting position, knee drive, arm action)
• Deceleration techniques (braking mechanics, landing mechanics)
• Sprint technique adjustments (stride length, hip positioning, posture)
  
  

3. Power Development

Speed is a byproduct of power. Training programs need to highlight explosive movements like:

• Olympic lifts (power cleans, hang snatches)
• Plyometrics (box jumps, bounding drills)
• Medicine ball throws (rotational power, overhead slams)

These exercises reinforce an athlete's ability to generate and apply force efficiently, translating directly to better performance on the field.

4. Conditioning That Makes Sense

Sport-specific conditioning should replicate the demands of the game. Conditioning sessions should be based on:

• Energy system demands (aerobic vs. anaerobic focus)
• Game-time intensity levels (short bursts vs. sustained effort)
• Movement patterns used in competition
  
  

Rather than mindlessly running sprints, athletes should focus on conditioning that prepares them for the stop-and-go nature of their sport.

The Right Time for Speed and Agility Drills

None of this is to say that speed and agility drills are entirely useless. However, they should be used in conjunction with strength and conditioning, not as a replacement. Speed work should be purposeful, focusing on:

• Max effort sprinting with proper recovery to improve mechanics and force output.
• Change of direction drills that emphasize proper deceleration and re-acceleration.
• Reactive agility drills that simulate game-time decision-making.

Conclusion: Train Smarter, Not Harder

High school athletes are being sold a lie that footwork drills and speed ladders will make them faster and more explosive. In reality, structured strength and conditioning will have a far greater impact on their athletic performance. Instead of signing up for another round of cone drills, invest in a program that builds strength, refines movement mechanics, and develops power. This is what truly translates to next-level athleticism.

The bottom line? Stop chasing gimmicks and start training with purpose. Your athlete will thank you when they dominate on the field.

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