She came in wanting to get faster. First thing I noticed: her first step was too small. Usain Bolt took 43 steps in the fastest 100 metres ever run. Most youth soccer players take 60+. Short, choppy steps feel controlled — but they're leaving metres on the field.
Here's the thing most coaches miss: most of the game, your athlete doesn't have the ball. Off-ball speed is acceleration speed. That's about taking big, powerful steps — the way Bolt does. When a ball gets played in behind the defender, your athlete needs to outrun someone in 4–8 steps. That's it. That's the whole race.
We filmed her. She watched herself. One cue. A few focused drills. Then we put her on the Woodway Force — a specialized treadmill built for the exact mechanics of those first explosive steps. Pure neural practice, no fatigue. Drill, review, refine.
In one session, her step length changed. The defender who used to beat her to those balls? She's faster now.
My job isn't to teach her soccer. Her coaches already did that. My job is to give her the time and space to use what she already knows. Get there first. Then do what you do best.
