Coach Tee's Corner

A Clear, Age-Specific Guide for Strength & Speed Training One of the biggest mistakes in youth and high-school training is  guessing  how often an athlete should train. Some athletes train too little and never improve. Others train too much and stall, get hurt, or burn out. The right answer isn’t vague, it’s  age-specific, load-specific, and realistic  when you factor in school and after-school sports. Below is a  clear, precise breakdown  of exactly  how many days per week  athletes should train for  strength and speed , based on age and sport participation. Ages 10–13: Build the Foundation (Not the Schedule)  Exact Weekly Training Recommendation: 2–3 performance training days per week (4 days only in very specific cases, explained below) At this age, athletes are still developing: Coordination Motor control Basic strength Sprint mechanics More days do  not  equal faster results here. Quality, consistency, and recovery mat...

  Why many ACL injuries occur over time, and how smarter assessment and training can dramatically reduce the risk If you’ve ever watched a game and seen an athlete go down with a non-contact ACL tear, the first reaction is almost always the same: “That was just bad luck.” “It came out of nowhere.” “Nothing could’ve prevented that.” But my experience tells a different story.  While the tear itself happens in a single moment, many non-contact ACL injuries are the final result of months, or even years,  of accumulated stress, poor movement habits, and unmanaged training loads . In other words, in many cases, a non-contact ACL tear behaves less like a random accident and more like an overuse injury that finally reaches a breaking point .  What “Overuse” Really Means When most people hear overuse injury , they think of stress fractures or tendinitis, injuries that come from repetitive motion.  But overuse doesn’t always mean doing the same motion slowly ov...

  Why speed training isn’t about what drills you do… It’s about how you do them.  The Truth About Speed Every athlete wants to get faster.  Every parent wants their kid to be the one who stands out — the one who breaks away, gets open, and finishes the play.  And the truth is this: if you do almost any type of speed training, you’ll probably see some improvement.  Your athlete will look faster. Their times might drop a little. Their acceleration might feel sharper.  But that’s not mastery, that’s adaptation.  Getting faster is easy.   Getting fast and staying fast,   that’s a different game. Speed Isn’t a Drill — It’s a Skill You can’t “copy-paste” speed.  It’s not about copying someone’s Instagram drills or doing the same workouts as an NFL player.  Speed is a neuromuscular skill .  It’s how efficiently your brain, muscles, and nervous system work together to produce and control force.  That means it’s...

  Why girls and young women are at higher risk, and how smarter movement training can prevent it. The Overlooked Hip Problem in Female Sports If your daughter plays soccer, lacrosse, basketball, softball, or flag football, you’ve probably heard about ACL tears or knee injuries.  But one area that often gets ignored,  until it’s too late,  is the hip . Hip labrum tears are becoming more common in female athletes, especially in lacrosse, soccer, and flag football.  Many experience deep groin pain, pinching in the front of the hip, or a constant feeling of tightness. These aren’t just “flexibility” issues; they can be early warning signs of labral stress. The hip labrum is a ring of cartilage that stabilizes the hip joint and helps absorb impact. When it’s repeatedly overloaded through poor movement mechanics, especially during sprinting, braking, or cutting,  it can tear. And once damaged, the labrum rarely heals on its own. Deceleration: The Missing Skill i...

  When most athletes think about getting better, the first thing that comes to mind is skill work ,   shooting more baskets, running more routes, or spending hours playing wall ball. Skills are crucial, no doubt. But here’s the truth most overlook: speed is the foundation that makes every skill more effective . Without speed, even the sharpest skills won’t translate to high-level performance. Why Speed Training Matters Speed Is the Great Equalizer At every level of sport, there are athletes who may not have the same technical skill as their opponents, but their speed allows them to compete and often dominate. Speed changes the game. A faster athlete gets to the ball first, creates more separation, and forces the opponent to play on their terms. Skills Can’t Show Without Speed Imagine a wide receiver with great route-running ability but no burst. Or a basketball player with amazing ball handling but no first step. If they can’t create space with speed, their sk...

In an era dominated by TikTok trends and Instagram reels, sports performance has found itself caught between two worlds: one grounded in evidence-based training principles, and the other enticed by viral drills that look "cool" on camera. Coaches across the world are seeing a troubling trend emerge: young athletes and their parents are increasingly prioritizing flash over function, drawn to trainers who trade substance for spectacle. The rise of social media has undeniably changed the landscape of athletic development. Platforms that were once used to share highlights and milestones are now flooded with high-intensity, eye-catching drills, often involving balance boards, cones in figure-8 patterns, or reaction lights. These drills might rack up millions of views, but the real question is: Do they actually work? The Rise of the Clickbait Coach Let’s define what we mean by a “clickbait coach.” These are trainers who rely heavily on visual appeal to promote their services. Th...