For the past 15 years, I’ve had the chance to work with many athletes, and soccer has been one of the most fascinating. Why? Well, lots of soccer players, especially young ones, have told me their teams don’t focus much on getting faster. But here’s the thing: if they’re not training for speed, they’re not testing it either! Testing how fast players are can really help them get better at soccer and avoid injuries.

What’s a baseline athlete performance test, you ask? It’s like a report card for athletes, showing how good they are at certain physical things at a specific time. This test helps coaches understand what their players are good at and where they need to improve. We do things a bit differently at The Speed System. For instance, we test soccer players based on their position. A goalie doesn’t need to sprint 40 yards in a game, so we test their speed over shorter distances, like 10 yards, which is more useful for them.

Why is testing important for young soccer players? Well, it helps coaches and parents understand how the players are developing.