Speed Camps Give Prep Athletes Edge

When it comes to sports, many coaches and players subscribe to the theory that speed trumps other abilities. After all, you can't stop what you can't catch. It is why the annual National Football League combine focuses on college athletes' times in the 40-yard dash and why baseball scouts look for players who have the speed to play any defensive position.

Given the importance of speed in track, football, basketball and other sports, an industry developed to train athletes to run faster. Across the United States, speed camps led by seasoned athletic trainers and former pro and college athletes help both amateurs and professionals turn on the jets.

Speed camps focus on technique, strength and agility. Trainers identify flaws and teach athletes how to overcome them to gain more speed. Mike Nilson, a strength and training coach at Gonzaga University, runs the Speed Explosion camp based in Spokane, Washington. According to Nilson, his camp is designed to "fine-tune the running motion." The camp focuses on quickness and eliminating wasted motion.

Speed camps range from those for elite athletes to camps designed for high school athletes. Camps for younger athletes often travel around to various cities, which makes it easier for athletes to afford the extra training. Speed Camp USA, based in The Woodlands, Texas, focuses on training athletes from grades 5 through 12. According to the company's website, three high school football coaches started the camps to provide athletes with speed and conditioning training. The company's camps hit the road for stops in Missouri, Pennsylvania, New York and Kansas.

Pro camps generally stay in one place. The elite camps have become almost mandatory, according to an April 12, 2007, article in "USA Today."

"It's not an option now," said Danny Arnold, founder of the Plex training center in Stafford, Texas, in the newspaper story. "Every agent has to send a player to a place like this. You end up spending the same amount of money on a first-round pick as you do a seventh-round pick."

Athlete's Performance

Athlete's Performance, based in Tempe, Arizona, ranks at the top of one website's list of the best speed camps for prospective NFL players. Mark Verstegen started Athlete's Performance in 1999. The camp quickly grew to fill a niche. Today, his camp provides both speed training and rehabilitation programs. Camps are held in Arizona, Los Angeles and Florida. Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Carl Crawford and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams are among those who have been through the camp.

Athlete's Performance
2620 E. Rose Garden Lane
Suite 1
Phoenix, AZ 85050
Phone: (602) 971-2222
Email: info-az@performancetraining.com

Michael Johnson Performance

At Michael Johnson Performance, a speed camp, coaches teach SPARQ training. SPARQ, which stands for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness, utilizes state-of-the-art testing to gauge areas where athletes need to improve. The training then targets those areas with high-tech equipment. Based in Texas, the organization offers programs for both youth and pro athletes. Johnson is a four-time Olympic gold medalist sprinter.

Michael Johnson Performance
6051 Alma Dr.
McKinney, TX 75070
Phone: (469) 424-6572

Tom Shaw SPARQ Training

Tom Shaw's SPARQ training camp is also considered one of the best in the world, according to a Feb. 23, 2006 story from "The New York Times." The camp is at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Shaw's pro camp costs as much as $30,000 for two months of training. Players sometimes pay for the camps, but agents often pay cover the cost in the hope that the extra training will result in a higher draft pick and better salary for clients, said "The New York Times." Many pro athletes work the camp with Shaw.

Coach Shaw's SPARQ Camps
700 S. Victory Way
Kissimmee, FL 34747
Email: coach@coachtomshaw.com

Sources:

http://www.sparqtraining.com/training/

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/23/sports/football/23combine.html?_r=2

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/2007-04-12-3487084633_x.htm