Getting athletes fast on short timeframes and creating a long term speed system with Les Spellman

This week on the Pacey Performance Podcast we have Coach and Founder or Spellman Performance, Les Spellman. This is the second time that Les has been on the podcast but lots has changed since then so we wanted to get him back.

Les is a speed coach and is best known for his work with athletes preparing for the NFL combine. Because of this we wanted to talk about how to get athletes fast in short periods of time. What does he prioritise? How does he ensure that he's being efficient with his time and working on the right areas? How does he assess progress? All these questions we answer in the first half of this episode.

In the second half of the episode we chat about the complete opposite, how do we create a long term speed programme? As well as working with NFL combine athletes on a short term basis, Les also works with a number of organisations where the goal is medium to long term speed development and athlete health. How does the work he does when time is limited contrast to when there is more opportunity for development? What assessments does he use? How does he ensure his athletes stay healthy? All these questions are answered in the second half of the episode.

If you are wanting a comprehensive look at NFL combine preparation and long term speed development programmes, check out this episode with Les.

Les is alsp speaking at the Sportsmith speed conference in March here in Leeds in the UK. If you're interested in attending, please visit - sportsmith.co/speed-conference

Main talking points -

• A look at your combine programme
• What does your first session look like?
• What is set in stone and what is flexible across the time you have this group?
• Creating a year round speed system
• How do you programme for an athlete that you have for a longer period of time?
• Assessment process
• Injury risk considerations when building a programme
• Examples from your work with the USMNT
• Tracking transfer of speed to game situation