Way back when we were still training at our first location, we had two buddies training together, both hoping to increase speed.

One of the friends was noticeably faster than the other, but we couldn't pinpoint why.

Until we shot a video of their first few steps.

The slower kid took little tippy toe strides, while the faster one jumped out of his start, covering the same distance in one stride as it took his friend to do in three.


Over just 10 yards, the gap between the two athletes was massive.

Despite moving his legs extremely quickly, the slower player went nowhere.

What felt fast in his mind, getting his feet on and off the ground rapidly, was the exact thing making him so slow.

In the decade since that session, I see far too many youth athletes making exactly the same mistake.

They accelerate like they're doing agility ladder drills, using quick feet instead of pure power.

Sometimes, athletes take tiny strides because they lack sufficient leg power, hip flexibility, or both.

For these individuals, they need proper strength and mobility work to improve their sprint starts.

But for most others, it's simply a mindset shift.

Athletes with a great first step put high amounts of force into the ground.

It's no different than driving a car. You push down hard on the gas pedal to increase speed, you don't tap it lightly a million times.

Watch a World Cup match, and you'll see how critical it is to be an outstanding accelerator.

Players accelerate in short bursts about 60-70 times per game.

That's 60-70 opportunities to gain possession of the ball, or beat a defender.

Each one a potential game changing moment.

This doesn't just hold true for soccer, it's the same in every other team sport.

Athletes who master the art of acceleration make more positive plays, and help their teams win more games.

Stop accelerating like you're running across hot coals, and start taking off like you're being shot out of a cannon.