Picture two players who.start out side by side while chasing after a loose ball or puck.

Both run 18 MPH at full speed, so you'd expect each has a 50/50 chance at gaining possession.

Yet one gets there well before the other.

Why would that be?

Because one can hit a higher percentage of that top speed far sooner than the other.

A skill we refer to as acceleration.

Most key moments in sports are played at only 75 - 95% of max speed.

Elite accelerators hit that 75+ percent zone in fewer strides, allowing them to be more involved in the flow of the game.

In turn, they make more positive plays on both offense and defense.

They're difference makers, the kind of player that coaches want in the game as often as possible.

Every athlete would benefit from improving their acceleration, a skill that's entirely trainable.

In fact, there's a simple 3 step process for improving it.

First, you must be strong relative to your bodyweight.

Some athletes are blessed with a good ratio of strength to size naturally.

Many others have to work at it.

If you're one of them, getting strong in the weight room can have a direct impact on your speed development.

That is, if you eat healthy too. Excess size that simply matches your new strength gains essentially cancels each other out in terms of speed.

It'd be like playing your sport with a weight vest on.

And since bouncier athletes cover more ground per stride, your training should also develop elasticity.

Fast athletes can get off the ground quickly.

Your bounce comes more from your tendons and fascia, connective tissues that stretch and snap back like rubber bands, than muscles.

This is the missing ingredient that causes athletes who lift endlessly to actually get slower.

You have to train your connective tissues too.

In common fitness terms we call them plyometric exercises, which is a fancy word for jump training.

The trick to them, though is in finding just the right level of challenge.

Drills that are too easy won't cause your body to adapt.

Those that are too hard act more like strength drills, which won't make you any bouncier.

When plyometric training is done right, it can make a huge difference in an athlete's game.

The third element of proper acceleration development is fine tuning your technique.

For even the strongest and springiest athletes, poor technique can undermine your efforts

Short strides, flat landings, and weak arm drive are the most common roadblocks that hold back a great sprint start.

The benefits of elite acceleration brings me back to my old Nissan Sentra.

That thing got great gas mileage, and could hit top speeds on the highway just fine.

Eventually.

It just took forever to get there.

Players who can run or skate really fast after just 4 or 5 strides jump out to those watching.

They're seemingly everywhere all at once, contributing to team success in just about any sport you can think of.

Now imagine that's your kid out there doing that.

Of course, that's assuming they aren't already.

It can be, with the right approach to development.