Introduction
SPEED and ITS RELEVANCE TO SPORT

Speed, the ability to move rapidly over a given distance, has been redefined many times over the past 40 years due to improvements in the application of sports science to coaching and training. It is not only applied to the act of running fast, but also to throwing, hitting, striking and jumping, which all require speed and quick reaction time.

The ability to move rapidly has been an integral part of the great success many athletes have achieved in their chosen sport. Leyton Hewitt (Tennis), Sherelle McMahon (Netball), Andrew Walker (Rugby Union), Michael Jordan (Basketball), Marion Jones (Track and Field) and Michael Klim (Swimming) are all examples of successful athletes who have had the ability of great speed. The athlete who is able to outsprint an opponent, throw a ball faster and further, hit faster and harder, and jump longer or higher has a distinct advantage over their fellow competitors.

Less than 20 years ago, many coaches believed that great speed was a natural gift and that the key to a good team, for instance, was the recruitment of naturally fast players. It has now been shown that with the correct training program, any athlete can achieve a significant improvement in speed performance, be it in sprinting, throwing, or jumping. It is through the long-term planning of correct speed training methods that athletes can reach their speed potential in their chosen sport. These training methods require only minor changes to the athletes' current training programs, but the results can lead to enormous gains in field, track or on-court performance. Many current training programs unfortunately lead to a decrease in speed of movement - this is obviously not a desirable outcome. It is essential that athletes at least maintain their current speed levels so as not to decrease their playing or performing potential.

This book has been written to demystify the development of speed and speed strength (power) attributes in athletes in all sports. I have attempted to put together a training manual that will serve coach and athlete alike as a reference guide to the many components of training that should be addressed if greater speed and power performance is required.

This book is divided into three parts:
" the first part provides a background to speed development and an introduction to its components;
" the second part presents exercises and drills that are designed to develop and sustain each of these components; and
" the third part details speed development as it relates to specific groups, namely children and team-sport athletes.

The structure of this book allows the reader to treat it as a narrative, starting at Chapter 1 and reading to the finish, or for it to be used as a specific reference for any speed and power concerns that the reader may have - each chapter can be read in isolation and will supply the reader with information that can be readily used in a variety of training sessions. To make this book even easier to use, each chapter ends with a section on coaching implications which acts as a summary of the main training issues that have been covered.

It is my hope that you, the reader, finds this book a comprehensive and practical reference for essential drills and exercises, and that it stimulates the development of new exercises to assist in the building of speed and power in your athletes or yourself.

Adrian Faccioni