Being a coach of physical preparation (or sport coach in general)...
Fred Duncan@Fred__Duncan
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Aug 20, 2025
~2 min read
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Being a coach of physical preparation (or sport coach in general) is not just about sets, reps, or picking a drill for the day.
At the root of it, all training is stress. That means every session…sprinting, lifting, jumping, practice …is a stressor that has to be managed.
At the root of it, all training is stress. That means every session…sprinting, lifting, jumping, practice …is a stressor that has to be managed.
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The question becomes, what’s the goal of this stress?
If it’s practice, you’re chasing skill. Do you understand skill acquisition and motor learning? Do you recognize how fatigue alters skill expression? Can you gauge readiness and then decide how that practice fits within
If it’s practice, you’re chasing skill. Do you understand skill acquisition and motor learning? Do you recognize how fatigue alters skill expression? Can you gauge readiness and then decide how that practice fits within
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the rest of the training week?
If it’s physical preparation, you need the same lens. Are you clear on what traits you’re targeting? How adaptations occur, how long they last, and how long they take to recover from?
Do you know how a lifting session impacts the sprint session
If it’s physical preparation, you need the same lens. Are you clear on what traits you’re targeting? How adaptations occur, how long they last, and how long they take to recover from?
Do you know how a lifting session impacts the sprint session
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later in the week, or how a plyometric series interacts with practice?
Training is never an isolated event, it’s a stress prescription that must be timed, dosed, and coordinated.
And then there’s problem solving. Athletes get hurt, progress stalls, mechanics break down, or
Training is never an isolated event, it’s a stress prescription that must be timed, dosed, and coordinated.
And then there’s problem solving. Athletes get hurt, progress stalls, mechanics break down, or
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plans collapse in the middle of a season or even mid game.
A coach’s job is to adapt in real time…to find solutions that keep the process moving forward. That’s coaching. It’s managing stress and solving problems, over and over again.
This is exactly why I wrote Speed Kills.
A coach’s job is to adapt in real time…to find solutions that keep the process moving forward. That’s coaching. It’s managing stress and solving problems, over and over again.
This is exactly why I wrote Speed Kills.
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It’s over 80 pages that dive deep into the “why” and “how” of speed development, acceleration mechanics, max velocity, plyometrics, resisted sprints, strength programming, training classification systems, and more.
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It’s not a cookie cutter drill book. It’s a framework for coaches who want to understand how to manage stress, solve problems, and actually develop speed.
If you’re serious about becoming a better coach, or about maximizing your own speed, this resource is for you.
If you’re serious about becoming a better coach, or about maximizing your own speed, this resource is for you.