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#10

Jun 24, 2011
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I hear a lot of parents lamenting the lack of speed and endurance their kids have. The one constant trait that I see with kids who have good speed and burst is that they all ride bikes. Anybody else notice this?
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
Kids with speed tend to be kids who like to be active.

What I can't understand is parents buying kids powered cycles and powered scooters.
 
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
0
What Sluggers said.

I think the bike thing is a symptom of a healthy lifestyle, not the cause.

Kids are just soft these days. You hear it a lot, and maybe I'm just getting old, but the scientific data on the general health of American youth seems to back up my perception.

Swimming and track. I'll say it a bazillion times, those are the two sports that will help almost any other sport. I strongly recommend them for pitchers and catchers, and every other player on my teams. That said, you can't solve an unhealthy lifestyle with a few recreational activities. All you can do is reward the kids who are healthy and athletic and hope it inspires those who are not to re-evaluate their own choices. My generation called that competition.

-W
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
Sluggers, I took the GD over to the park the other evening and there was an 8yo with an electric scooter. I had never seen one before. She was too young to have been alone, but I didn't know what the scooter was until she started it and I realized it was electric. I don't think that she could have gotten to the park without taking it in the street.

I agree with being active. Biking, swimming, soccer and everything else.
 
Apr 13, 2010
507
0
Lot of genetics involved here. I was an active kid (kicked outside by my dad constantly, rode my bike everywhere, played sports all the time) and I was just plain slow. Endurance wasn't an issue, just no speed.

I swam even. High School swim team. No speed.

So, what do we do in that case? I've been reading about plyometrics? Any truth to it, or hocus pocus?
 
May 5, 2008
358
16
EP - I do believe genetics play a role. Some people have speed as their strength, others don't (they may have power though). I think it's great for any player to try to increase their speed, but if you're true strength lies in something else, make sure you also EXCEL in that something else. In other words don't spend disproportionate amounts of time working on something you're never going to be tops at while you neglect the thing that you ARE best at. Don't ignore your weaknesses. Make them stronger, but also spend the time to make your strengths phenomenal!
 
Oct 25, 2009
3,345
48
Swimming does not create speed. Read up about fast twitch (speed) versus slow twitch fibers (endurance) and then look for programs for each. Michele Smith swears by plyometrics.

Explosion is often more important in softball than endurance, while endurance is useful for an active healthy life, a far more important goal. However, watch boys versus girls. We need to get our girls to do what the boys do for explosiveness. Our pitchers do it, so the other players can as well.

What do the boys do for explosiveness?
 

FastpitchFan

Softball fan
Feb 28, 2008
465
0
Montreal, Canada
Simply put: genetics *mostly* determine how fast we are primarily based on our % of fast twitch muscle fibers vs. slow twitch muscle fibers.

However, *everybody* has the ability to get faster. You won't turn a slow kid into a 100-m champion but you can make him or her faster with proper training.

Things that will help for speed:

1) Mechanics Optimization (learn how to run better using proper form and how to move more efficiently lateraly) - a good speed and agility coach will do this.

2) Starting ability (acceleration) - sometimes you can be slow but if you can get to your max speed as quickly as possible, that will help you.

3) Lower body strength - improve your strength by doing things like Lunges, single leg squats, single leg deadlifts, step ups, etc. Single leg work is BEST to improve speed. Mimics more closely running and carry over onto the field is greater.

4) Explosiveness - Through plyometrics or olympic lifting. Make sure to establish a good base of strength before your jump into plyometrics.

5) Speed and agility drills - speed ladder drills, cone drills, etc.

Coach Marc
 

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