Sport-Specific Training: What Actually Works vs. What’s a Waste of Time

#12 - Strength & Speed Coaching – Pursuing Your Best ⚡

Hey everyone, Preston here—welcome back to Pursuit PE.

Last time, we broke down why most high school speed training falls short and how to fix it. Today, we’re tackling a controversial topic in Strength & Speed coaching:

Sport-Specific Training

- Should football players train differently than basketball players?
- How much sport-specific work actually helps?
- What’s useful—and what’s just a gimmick?

Let’s separate what actually develops athletes from what just looks good on social media.

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The 5 Biggest Sport-Specific Training Mistakes

1. Over-Emphasizing “Sport-Specific” Lifts Instead of Athletic Development

The Problem: Some coaches try too hard to make weight room exercises look like sport movements—swinging weighted bats, shooting with resistance bands, or mimicking throwing motions with cables.

Why It’s an Issue: Strength & Speed training should develop athletic qualities (speed, power, strength, movement efficiency)—not just rehearse sport skills under load.

The Fix:

• Train fundamental movement patterns—squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull, sprint, jump, and throw.

• Build general strength & power first—then let skill coaches refine the mechanics of sport-specific movements.

• Use athletic-based power exercises (sprints, plyometrics, med ball throws, loaded jumps, Olympic variations) instead of trying to mimic sport mechanics with resistance.

Key Takeaway: Athletes need to train movement qualities—not just rehearse their sport with extra weight.

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2. Training Athletes Based on Sport Instead of Individual Needs

The Problem: Many coaches believe every sport (or even position) needs a completely different training program.

Why It’s an Issue: While some adjustments are necessary, athletic qualities (speed, power, strength) are universal. Training should focus on the athlete, not just the sport.

The Fix:

• Use a Unified Framework – Strength & Speed training should build better overall athletes, not just “football players” or “basketball players.”

• Adjust Based on Training Age & Experience – A freshman football player and a freshman soccer player likely need similar training. The difference? Not the sport, but their experience level.

• Utilize In-Season Adjustments Instead of Sport-Specific Programs – Use the stoplight system to modify intensity/load based on game schedules instead of designing entirely separate programs.

Key Takeaway: Athletes need to be trained as athletes first. Let sport coaches handle sport-specific skills.

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