Can Speed Be Taught?

For those of you who are hard working parents and coaches looking for the best information available on speed development....do I have news for you. Speed is the most overused, misapplied and misunderstood term relating to sports. Speed is defined as rapidity in moving, going, traveling, proceeding, or performing; swiftness; celerity: the speed of light; the speed of sound. I've heard the term used to describe activities where great change in direction (acceleration/deceleration) is required. I know of well meaning coaching using hills or ramps to increase one's speed. Then there are the parachutes, bungee cords, so-called "speed shoes" along with the various methods (machines) designed to train fast twitch muscles. Coaches and trainers even go so far as to run in sand (slow-twitch muscle activity) to increase speed. Then there is the much overemphasized use of the arms. Folks! (Parents) Save your money. Coaches! Save your time. The great former University of Houston Track Coach Tom Tellez known for coaching and training such great Olympians, World Record Holders and World-Class Sprinters as Carl Lewis, LeRoy Burrell and Mike Marsh said that speed (maintenance phase) is 18 percent of the race and that speed is related to stride length and stride frequency. When I watch such athletes in football, basketball, soccer, baseball/softball and tennis perform; I see more change in direction (acceleration/deceleration) than speed. According to Coach Tellez, acceleration is 64 percent of the race and deceleration is 12 percent. It sounds like to me that we should spend more time teaching kids how to accelerate. Finally, back to the issue of speed and whether it can be taught? No! It does not need to be taught. It is a subconsious action of the brain referred to as "fight or flight". In emergency situations we run faster, react quicker and explosively, jump higher and demonstrate greater strength than we ever thought possible. We need to consider what we do naturally. Tell me what you think?