Most athletes don't engage in extensive straight-line sprinting over long distances. Consider a typical game of soccer, football, or basketball.

While all these sports demand bursts of top-end speed at times, they predominantly rely on acceleration, changes of direction, and quick, short movements.

Thus, while straight-ahead sprinting holds significance, one could argue that agility work is even more crucial, particularly concerning position-specific roles (e.g., defenders, goalkeepers).

When discussing agility, I prefer to break it down into four primary components, two of which I'll address today.

1. Strength

Change of direction necessitates a foundational level of strength to halt one's inertia and swiftly redirect momentum. Without ample strength, athletes may struggle to promptly shift their center of mass. While lower-body strength is fundamental, core training often gets overlooked despite its pivotal role in facilitating change of direction. A robust core enhances an athlete's ability to establish stiffness throughout their entire kinetic chain, aiding in trajectory adjustments.

2. Mobility

This component is frequently underrated in enhancing agility. The oversight may stem from the fact that flexibility alone doesn't directly increase muscle firing speed. However, it does enable athletes to position themselves optimally to generate more force. For instance, tightness in the adductors (groin area) can restrict an athlete's capacity to plant their foot outside their center of gravity. Inability to do so significantly hampers effective redirection. Emphasizing foot and ankle mobility can greatly enhance quickness while reducing the risk of strains and sprains.

Next week, I'll delve into the remaining two components: specific structured (pre-planned) agility drills and perhaps the most important aspect of all—REACTIVE agility drills.

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