Improve Your Quickness

High school athletics have become more and more competitive in recent years with individual athletes being stronger, faster, and quicker. Integrating a comprehensive agility and quickness program into a training regimen can help an athlete gain advantage over his/her competitors.

Quickness and agility are popular terms used interchangeably to describe an athlete's movement patterns. Frank Costello, strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Capitals, defines agility as the ability to change direction without the loss of speed, strength, balance, or body control. There are several key aspects to consider when developing an agility training program for any sport

1. Mimic Sport Skills
The principle of specificity is based on the fact that an activity must be specific to an intended skill in order for maximum improvement, or transfer to occur. Therefore, when selecting various drills for an agility program, an athlete should make sure that the movement patterns precisely mimic the movement patterns necessary to execute his/her sport. For example, a basketball player's quickness and agility program would include drills which emphasize lateral movement, change of direction, and sudden starts and stops (with or without ball) because these movement patterns are specific to the sport of basketball. By implementing these drills, inevitably, a basketball player's skill acquisition is enhanced.

2. Develop Specific Goals
Often, athletes aimlessly engage in agility drills with no specific purpose. It is important to set goals to more clearly define the drills; consequently, increasing the workout productivity. It is highly recommended that these goals be established prior to performing drills at full speed. When setting drills goals, an athlete should have a thorough understanding of the purpose of performing a particular agility drill, how to properly execute the drill, and what to specifically focus on when doing the new drill.

3. Enhance Movement Efficiency
The ability to change direction quickly and move laterally or backwards with minimal loss of speed is contingent upon two factors: (1) an athlete's ability to send a message from brain to the body about how and when to react; and (2) how well an athlete can coordinate upper and lower extremities while maintaining balance and speed of movement. Incorporating agility drills that focus on coordination and reaction time will help in enhancing movement efficiency. The actual drills that an athlete would implement into their training regimen will depend on the sport in which he/she participates and guidance from his/her coach.