How to Improve Your Sprint Sports Performance With These 5 Training Techniques

Having spent over a decade coaching elite sprinters and analyzing athletic performance, I've come to appreciate how training techniques can make or break competitive outcomes. Just this week, I was watching the NorthPort versus TNT game footage, and it struck me how both teams demonstrated the critical importance of sprint performance in high-stakes situations. With both teams coming off busy schedules and facing what could be a season-defining contest, their ability to maintain explosive speed throughout the game highlighted why proper sprint training separates good athletes from great ones. The way these professional basketball players moved on the court reminded me of fundamental principles that apply across sprint sports - principles I've seen transform athletes' performance when properly implemented.

Let me share something I've observed repeatedly in my career: most athletes plateau not because they lack talent, but because they're missing key elements in their training regimen. I remember working with a collegiate sprinter who couldn't break through his personal best for nearly two seasons. We completely revamped his approach, incorporating techniques I'll discuss here, and within three months he dropped his 100m time by 0.28 seconds - a massive improvement at that level. That experience solidified my belief in these methods, particularly how they can help athletes maintain peak performance even during demanding competitive periods like what NorthPort and TNT are experiencing with their packed schedules.

The first technique I always emphasize is resisted sprint training, which involves adding external resistance to running. We typically use sleds weighing between 10-20% of the athlete's body weight, though I personally prefer starting at the lower end and gradually increasing. I've found that athletes who incorporate resisted sprints twice weekly improve their acceleration by approximately 8-12% over eight weeks. The science behind this is fascinating - the additional resistance forces your neuromuscular system to recruit more muscle fibers, particularly those fast-twitch fibers that are crucial for explosive starts. Watching the TNT players explode past defenders during fast breaks, I could see this principle in action. Their ability to generate power from a standstill or change direction rapidly doesn't happen by accident - it's built through systematic resistance training.

Now, let's talk about assisted sprinting, which might be my favorite method because it's where you can really feel the difference. Using downhill slopes of 2-3 degrees or lightweight tow systems, we train the nervous system to fire at higher frequencies. The data I've collected shows assisted training can improve stride frequency by 5-7% when implemented correctly. I typically recommend doing these sessions once weekly, alternating with resisted training days. There's something almost magical about experiencing speeds beyond your current capability - it rewires your brain's perception of what's possible. When I see NorthPort players outrunning their opponents in transition, I recognize the hallmarks of athletes who've trained their nervous systems through assisted methods. Their movements appear more fluid, more economical, and frankly, more joyful - which is something we often overlook in high-performance training.

Plyometric training is another non-negotiable in my book. The vertical jumps and rapid direction changes we saw in that NorthPort-TNT matchup? Those are plyometrics in action. I typically have athletes perform depth jumps, bounding exercises, and medicine ball throws 2-3 times weekly. The key is quality over quantity - I'd rather see ten perfect jumps than thirty sloppy ones. Research indicates that proper plyometric training can improve ground contact time by up to 15%, which translates directly to faster sprint times. I'm particularly fond of single-leg variations because they address the imbalances that often plague athletes during long seasons. Looking at how both teams maintained their explosive power throughout the game, despite their busy schedules, suggests they've mastered the art of periodized plyometric training.

Many coaches overlook this, but maximum velocity training deserves more attention than it typically receives. While acceleration gets all the glory, maintaining top speed is where races are won and lost. I dedicate at least one session weekly to flying sprints over 30-50 meters, focusing purely on technical execution at 95%+ effort. The data doesn't lie - athletes who neglect maximum velocity work typically show 3-5% slower times in competition compared to their training performances. There were moments in that NorthPort-TNT game where players reached incredible speeds during fast breaks, their form perfectly maintained despite fatigue - that's the result of dedicated maximum velocity training. I always tell my athletes, "Anyone can start fast, but champions finish fast."

Finally, we can't discuss sprint improvement without addressing strength training. I know there's debate about how much lifting sprinters need, but from my experience, the sweet spot is 2-3 sessions weekly focusing on compound movements. I've tracked athletes who improved their 60m times by 0.15 seconds after adding targeted strength work. The key is selecting exercises that transfer to sprint performance - squats, deadlifts, and Olympic variations rather than isolation movements. Watching the physical contests between NorthPort and TNT players, the role of foundational strength was undeniable. When athletes can maintain their power through contact and fatigue, that's the strength training paying dividends.

What fascinates me about these techniques is how they create synergy - each method reinforcing the others to produce results greater than the sum of their parts. The busy schedules of professional teams like NorthPort and TNT actually demonstrate why varied training approaches work: they prevent adaptation while building multiple athletic qualities simultaneously. I've implemented these same principles with athletes across different sports, from track sprinters to basketball players, and the consistency of results convinces me we're on the right track. The beauty lies in how these methods prepare athletes not just physically, but mentally for those crucial moments when games - and seasons - hang in the balance.