Have you ever heard an athlete say they wish they were slower? Quite the opposite. Speed can be a difference-maker for an athlete, and could be the difference between making a play or winning a game. But what is speed and is it the same for every sport? In this episode, NSCA certified trainer and Certified Speed and Agility Coach Aaron Patterson takes a dive into the topic of speed development, what it means to be fast, and the similarities and differences in training for speed based on sport.

Additional Resources

Developing Speed, Second Edition https://ecs.page.link/WmUag

The Anatomy of Speed https://ecs.page.link/zJtmn

Developing Agility and Quickness, Second Edition https://ecs.page.link/f6S9j 

Human Kinetics Journals https://ecs.page.link/swHVD

Aaron Patterson, M.S., NSCA-CPT, CWPC, CSAC, CTPS 

Aaron provides informative and educational content for Human Kinetics in the areas of health, fitness, strength and conditioning, and sport performance including exercise technique videos, author interviews, and podcast episodes.

Certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Aaron has over 11 years of experience as a personal trainer and sport performance coach. He holds specialty certifications as a Certified Weightlifting Performance Coach (CWPC), Certified Speed and Agility Coach (CSAC), and Certified Tennis Performance Specialist (CTPS). Training primarily middle school and high school athletes, Aaron recognized the growing need for athletes to also work on their mental performance. It was then that he pursued his master's degree in Kinesiology with a focus in Exercise and Sport Psychology to become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant.

As a track and field coach specializing in jumps and sprints, Aaron is also a Certified American Sport Education Program Coach, and is a member of the National High School Strength Coaches Association (NHSSCA), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Aaron completed his Master of Science in Kinesiology, Exercise and Sport Psychology, from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.