Off-Season Speed Training for High School Athletes: A Winter Plan
Games are where athletes show their speed. The off-season is where they build it. For high school athletes in the Denver area, winter is the best window of the year to get faster, stronger and more resilient before spring and summer seasons.
Why speed is trainable
Speed is not just something athletes are born with. Acceleration, top-end speed and change of direction all improve with the right mix of technique, strength and power work. The athletes who improve most are the ones who train these qualities on purpose, not just by playing more games.
A simple weekly structure
- Two speed days: acceleration and sprint mechanics when the athlete is fresh, with full rest between reps.
- Two strength days: lower-body and full-body strength with good technique, building the force that speed depends on.
- Power work: jumps, throws and bounds paired with strength, so new strength turns into explosiveness.
- Recovery: sleep, mobility and at least one full rest day.
Quality over volume
Speed training is not conditioning. Short, fast reps with full recovery build speed; long, tiring sets build fatigue. Many athletes train hard but not fast. A coach watching every rep makes the difference.
Start with an assessment
Every athlete is different. A good program starts by testing sprint times, jumps and movement quality, then targets the biggest gap first. Retesting every few weeks shows the athlete exactly what is improving.
When to start
As soon as the fall season ends. Eight to twelve weeks of focused off-season training is enough to see real change, and starting in late fall leaves time for a full block before spring sports.
Train with EliteSpeed
EliteSpeed sports performance coaches have trained youth, high school, college and professional athletes across the Denver metro, at Inverness, Southglenn and Lowry. See how athletes progress on our Training Pathway, and read our guide to youth speed training for ages 10 to 14 for younger athletes.
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