The Les Spellman Podcast Developing Speed With Youth Athletes, Tony Holler, Feed The Cats
Jan 23, 2023
Tony Holler, youth sprint coach and founder of Feed The Cats, shares his simple, high-impact approach to developing speed with young athletes. He explains recording, ranking, and publishing sprint times. He contrasts sprinting vs running, discusses CNS patterning with wickets and X‑Factor drills, and outlines microdosing sprint sessions to keep athletes fast year‑round.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Hell Week To Joyful Coaching
- Tony Holler recalled starting seasons with brutal 'Hell Week' practices and strict autocratic coaching.
- He later rejected that model, prioritizing athlete performance and joy instead of making kids tired for bonding.
Learning In A Basement With Chris Corfuss
- Tony described learning from Chris Corfuss by quietly observing in his basement and asking probing questions.
- That relationship influenced ideas like RPR and many coaching evolutions in his program.
Keep Max-Speed Cues Simple
- Teach three simple max-speed cues: run tall, hands past the hips, and be big in front.
- Aim coaching at the population norm rather than overcomplicating for every outlier.