The Power of the Training Card: Your Blueprint for Year-Round Growth
#5 - Strength & Speed Coaching - Pursuing Your Best ⚡️
Hey everyone, Preston here—welcome back to Pursuit PE!
This is Part 1 of our “Workout Delivery & Progress Tracking” series—over the next few newsletters, we’ll take your program from good to great!
A Quick Personal Note
I still remember the first time I handed out physical training cards to my class after a stint with training software. Instead of fumbling for instructions, connecting to the wifi, making sure the iPad was charged, getting logged in to their account, and accessing their training history, students suddenly had a tangible blueprint in front of them that we didn’t have to worry or not if it was going to work.
It was just another day in the life of a coach where I was reminded—simple is better.
The energy shifted—they owned their progress. From that moment, I knew: technology is awesome, but I’ll never ditch the physical card system.
Why We Still Love the Training Card
10 key reasons we keep a card-and-folder approach at the center of our program
1. No Recurring Cost (Price Point Wins)
Budget-Friendly
Using physical cards means zero subscription or software fees. You buy some paper (and maybe a folder) and you’re set.
This frees up budget for more equipment or other areas of the program.
2. No Fear of Tech Glitches
No Wifi or Battery Needed
No iPads dying mid-session, no wifi dropouts, no app crashes. Paper is always reliable.
When time is short, you don’t want to troubleshoot tech—you want to coach.
3. What You Measure Matters
Record & Compete
When everything—sets, reps, weights, jumps—goes on one card, students see their progress more tangibly.
Paper = Concrete: Writing each metric in ink feels more real than typing on a screen.
4. Individualization Becomes Easier
Week-to-Week Adjustments
If a student needs to progress or regress, you simply write it on their card. Next session, they know the plan.
A quick note—“Watch knee tracking” or “Focus on deeper squat”—means no re-explaining needed.
5. Simpler Progressive Resistance Exercise (PRE)
Track Effort & Technique
Athletes can mark a set as “easy,” “moderate,” or “hard,” guiding future load changes. Those little notes are a great indicator of buy-in.
Technique & Speed Gains also matter—PRE isn’t just about adding weight but moving the same weight faster or better.
6. Not Just Strength—We Track Speed & Jumps, Too
Full Athletic Picture
Log 10-yard dash times or vertical jumps on the same card, keeping everything in one spot.
Seeing improvements in both squat and sprint is a huge motivator.
7. Adding Notes & Resilience Work Instantly
Technique Focus & Homework
“Keep elbows high,” “Stretch hip flexors post-training,” “Add band pull-aparts.”
Easy to write these cues or extra work right on the card—no app or battery required.
8. Pride & Ownership in Their Development
A Personal Blueprint
Each card is their key to being faster, stronger, and more explosive.
Physically writing down each achievement builds real motivation and commitment. Blood, sweat, and tears takes on new meaning when their workout card is literally soaked in them.
9. Easy to See Improvement Over Time
Phase-to-Phase Reflection
A month or a year later, they can literally see how far they’ve come.
Storing cards in a folder creates a library of growth—amazing for senior-year reflections.
10. They Keep Their Hard Work for a Lifetime
No Account Deletions
At the end of a student’s high school career, a strength software account typically just gets deleted—poof, all that data gone.
With the paper card and folder system, they take it home—a lasting record of their achievements they can keep forever.
Grab Our Free Training Card Template
I know that software works great for some programs and I fully endorse them if they make your life easier and your program better, but as for me, I will never leave our system.
We’ve put together a simple Google Sheet Template you can make a copy of and modify to fit your program. The point is to keep them physically writing down each session’s work and staying connected to the process of improvement.
Click here to DOWNLOAD
How to Get Started This Week
Print Enough Copies
At least one per student or one per rack/station (that template would look a little different than the one we provided).
Label & Distribute
Have them write their name on top and store them in their own folder or a class-wide folder sorted by section.
Encourage Immediate Logging
Right after each set or sprint, they jot down the load, time, or reps.
Store & Reflect
By the end of the phase, you’ll have an easy paper trail of progress.
Coach’s Corner: It’s awesome when a kid compares a month-old card and sees an extra 20 lbs on their squat or a faster sprint time. Physical proof = real motivation.
Key Takeaway
Which part of the training card system resonates most with you? Is it the ownership students feel or the quick notes on technique? Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear your perspective!
For the coaches that have replied to these, THANK YOU! I believe interaction makes everyone better!
What’s Next in Our Series?
More strategies for motivation & consistency.
Exploring how to blend pen & paper with digital tracking methods.
A closer look at our Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and which exercises we actually track.
Pursuit PE Consulting
If you’d like personalized guidance implementing a training card system or refining your Strength & Speed program, I offer limited consulting slots. No pressure—just an option for those who want to fast-track their High School Physical Education setup. Hit reply to find out more information.
If you have a training card system of your own—or questions—reply here or forward this to a colleague who might find it useful. Let’s keep building better, more accountable students—one card at a time.
– Preston
Pursuit PE ⚡️
P.S. Don’t forget: If you haven’t already, grab the Training Card Template and give it a try. It’s a simple, powerful way to record everything that matters in your Strength & Speed program!