Today’s podcast features Scott Leech. Scott is the head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Rhode Island. He oversees football, women’s tennis, and women’s track and field and manages all strength and conditioning aspects for the department. Scott is a former football captain and earned academic honors at Springfield College.

Agility training is far more than cones, ladders, and tires. It is a multi-faceted training construct based heavily on task-based stimuli. Modern coaches are understanding in greater detail, the need to help players adapt to the tasks of the game. There is a place in performance where further strength and linear speed gains no longer move the needle for an athlete in their on-field play. At some point, a broader understanding of movement must be taken up by coaches who desire to improve transfer points in their performance program.

On today’s podcast, Scott gets into the weekly breakdown of his speed and agility training program. He talks about how he pairs specific on-field perception and reaction tasks with more linear speed, jump training items, and strength work done in the gym. Through the podcast, Scott makes distinctions between games done for fun and for task-specific purposes, the role of exploration, as well as manipulation of variables in speed and agility games. This podcast will really expand your understanding of off-season training and performance.

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View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.

Main Points

1:15- The “200” rule for bench press in Scott’s gym

7:15- Defining moments in how Scott’s approach to game speed has evolved

10:45- Scott’s ratio of linear or developmental work, to applied agility work

20:15- The role of “fun games” and then specific developmental agility games

22:15- Scott’s 3 types of training days in his weekly regimen

29:15- Manipulating race and chase drills to increase competitive richness

35:15- Setting up drills to allow for exploration of techniques and creativity

43:15- The nature of Scott’s maximal velocity day

51:00- Scott’s change of direction oriented training days

59:15- How Scott assesses athletic capacity

Scott Leech Quotes

“Can it be reactive, but can it also start looking a little more like football.. it’s easier when it looks like a drill they did at practice”

“We like to start with high intensity, competitiveness (in speed and agility training), and then we backfill with what we need”

“Coaches see a 1v1 on social media and think, that’s a good drill, but in my head, there is more to it then that, there is “what are the entry points for the offensive and defensive person?”, “Is it a static start, or are they shuffling and starting the drill”? What happens when you add obstacles to the situation”

“Handball is purely a game, let’s go out and have fun; but I can’t use it to help them move off a pick and roll”

“We’ll do acceleration, horizontal plyos, and single leg lifts (on Monday), and guys will come back feeling better then when they walked in, this is good work but it isn’t crushing me”

“Wednesday we run fast, we jump high, we lift heavy, and we get paid!”

“It’s ok if you have something a little bit lateral on your acceleration day, or curved sprints, where does that fit in?”

“Now make it, the front person can’t leave until the back person moves (in a basic chase drill)”